Technical Instructions

Runners competing in the 2023 USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships on Saturday, October 7, 2023 in Boca Raton, FL should be aware of the following points of emphasis.  Competitors who fail to comply with these and other applicable USATF Rules of Competition risk possible disqualification.

Headquarters Hotel

holiday inn express boca raton

8144 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33434
Booking Link for USATF rate
 
There will be a Technical Meeting scheduled for Friday, October 6, 2023, at the Holiday Inn Express Boca Raton – Headquarters Hotel at 6:00 p.m. 

Athletes, Coaches, Officials, and Team Managers are welcome to attend.
Questions should be directed to the Championship Referee.
 
Packet pick-up on Friday, October 6, 2023, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express Boca Raton and 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the course.

Packet pick-up on Saturday, October 7, 2023, is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the course.

1. The Race Course.  The course map is on the event home page here. 
2. Cutting the Course.  Any competitor who has been found by the Referee to have gained an unfair advantage by receiving assistance or by intentionally shortening the route of the race (“cutting the course”) shall be subject to disqualification. 
3. Illegal Assistance.  Anyone found to have received illegal assistance is subject to disqualification.  “Assistance” is the conveying of advice, information, or direct help to an athlete by any means, including a technical device. It also includes pacing in running or walking events by persons not participating in the event, by competitors lapped or about to be lapped, or by any kind of technical device. The use of wireless devices (iPods, iPhones, etc.) are not permitted. Competitors may carry or wear articles of personal equipment such as wrist chronometers and heart-rate monitors. Verbal or other communication, without the use of any technical device, from an individual not on the course shall not be considered assistance. Pacesetting, by a person entered in an event as an officially designated pacesetter, is permissible. There are no designated pacesetters for this event. Questions should be directed to the Championship Referee.  
4. Competition Front Bib Numbers/Timing Tag and Age/Gender “Back” Numbers. Competition bib numbers must be pinned on the front of the outermost layer of clothing that you will be wearing in the race. The transponder timing antennae or “B” tag is attached to your front bib. They should be worn as issued and not be folded or cut. It is disposable after the race. All Masters athletes entered in the USATF Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships must also wear an age/gender “back” number pinned to the back of the outermost layer of clothing that they are wearing in the race. Please use 4 pins to affix the “back” number in such a manner that it is visible to any runner behind them and will not flip up. Any competitor failing to wear a competition bib number on the front and a visible age/gender “back” number will be subject to disqualification. If your packet is lacking a “back” number, extras will be made available at packet pick-up and the start line.

5. Start Times. Each competitor is responsible for knowing the starting time for their race.
    

   8:00 a.m.	Packet pick-up at the course.
   9:30 a.m.	USATF Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships Women
   10:15 a.m.	USATF Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships Men

   
   The awards ceremonies will be held on-site as soon as possible after the last race.
    
   Note: There is a one-hour protest period after each race result has been posted.

6. Course Preview. 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 6^th.
7. Packet Pick-ups. Race packets will be available at the Holiday Inn Express Boca Raton 8144 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33434 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 6^th. Packets can also be picked up at the course on race morning starting at 8:00 a.m.
8. Spikes. Per USATF rules: Spiked shoes may be worn. A maximum of 11 spikes per shoe are allowed. Spike length shall not exceed 25mm (approx. 1 inch).
9. Start Details.  All complete teams must report to the Clerks at the starting line beginning 30 minutes before their race start time to verify their team uniforms. All runners will be checked for spikes, proper transponder “chips”, front bibs, and age/gender “back” numbers before the start. Complete teams who fail to report for uniform checks are subject to disqualification for any uniform violations. The race finish will be filmed. Clerks will place teams in their assigned starting boxes. Incomplete teams and unattached runners may line up in any unused starting boxes. A list of starting box assignments will first be made available at the Technical Meeting at 6:00 pm on Friday, October 6^th at the Holiday Inn Express Boca Raton 8144 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33434. The Clerks will have copies of the starting box assignments on race day. There will be a two-command start: “On your marks” followed by the firing of the starter’s pistol signaling the start of the race.
10. Team Uniforms. The jersey or singlet worn by the members of a team (e.g., Boulder Road Runners M50+ “A” team) in Master LDR Championships shall be identical for each member in color and style and must be visible throughout the race, i.e., worn as the outer garment if other apparel items are worn underneath by one or more team members. Individuals not complying with this uniform rule may be disqualified from scoring for a team.  Complete “B” teams should obtain stick-on “B” letters at packet pick-up to be affixed to the age/gender “back” number. Otherwise ‘B’ team members must wear completely different uniforms than their “A” team in the same gender team division race.
11. False start.  A race may be recalled upon a false start or a fall that impacts the field within the first 100m. Runners who false start are subject to disqualification.
12. Withdrawal for medical reasons.  A competitor must retire from the race immediately if directed to do so by a duly authorized official of the race or by an appropriately identified member of the race medical staff.
13. Eligibility.  All Masters athletes must be citizens of the United States and eligible to represent the United States in an international competition to be eligible for USATF medals and prize money.  In addition, all athletes entering and competing in the 2023 USATF Masters 5 km Cross Country Championship are required to have a 2023 USATF membership card. Non-citizen USATF members may compete but are not eligible to score for a team or win individual championship awards.
14. Awards Ceremony. The Masters Championship awards ceremony will begin on-site as soon as possible after the last race. Note: There is a one hour protest period after each race result has been posted.
15. Race Day Registration. There will be no race day registration. Registration will be online only, through the USATF event registration system. Online registration will close on Wednesday, October 4, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
16. Results. Results will be posted near the finish line as soon as possible. See the Masters Championship Referee if there are any problems/omissions. There is a one hour protest period once results have been posted after each race.
17. Affiliation Changes. NO AFFILIATION CHANGES WILL BE POSSIBLE ONCE ONLINE REGISTRATION HAS CLOSED.
    1. New rule as of Jan. 1, 2021:  Rule 341.12 - In Masters Long Distance Running including Masters Cross Country, an athlete who is an athlete member of one club according to their USATF online membership profile at the date and time of closing of online entries for Masters LDR and Masters Cross Country Championships may not subsequently change membership to another club before the Championships or be eligible to represent or score points for the club to which he/she seeks to change membership. If the athlete does not desire to compete for their original club, they may compete unattached, representing no club. Changing club affiliation before entry deadlines is the responsibility of the athlete.
18. Club Eligibility. All clubs must be registered with USATF for 2023. Please submit your club application to your local Association office. Only teams consisting of duly accredited representatives of a member club shall be eligible to score as a team. All athletes entering as part of a club must be affiliated with that club as part of their USATF online membership profile before the close of online registration (an athlete's current affiliation can be viewed as part of the online entry process) and meet the requirements of USATF Competition Rule 341.8. Athletes wishing to change affiliations can make such a request through their local Association (note that this request must be made by the athlete--see Regulation 4 in the USATF Governance Manual, Section III). The formation of club teams must meet all of the parameters as noted in Regulations 4 and 6 in the USATF Governance Manual, Section III, and the USATF Rules of Competition, specifically Rule 341.8. This will be strictly enforced. According to Rule 341.8: Masters Teams shall represent current member clubs of USATF, verified through the national office. USATF Association, Regional, or National “all-star” teams are not eligible to compete in Masters Long Distance Running Team competition. Team members shall be affiliated with the club they are representing on their USATF membership record PRIOR to entering the competition and PRIOR to the close of online registration. Affiliation changes are the responsibility of the athlete. Only one athlete per team (i.e., Club M50+ team) who is a non-resident member of an Association is eligible to compete for a team in that Association.
19. General Eligibility.  2023 USATF member athletes who are citizens of the United States or resident aliens are eligible to compete in these Championships. However, only U.S. citizens may score for a team or win championship awards. Prize money is available for U.S. citizens only, per USATF Championship rules. Athletes must be 40 years or older on the day of competition. All athletes must be 2023 members of USATF in good standing. USATF memberships may be purchased online, through your local Association Office, or by calling USATF Customer Service at 317-261-0500. Athletes will not be permitted to compete unless they have a 2023 USATF membership and completed the entry process. Club affiliation: Athletes must be bona fide members of a 2023 USATF club to represent a club and score team points. All athletes entering as part of a club must be affiliated with that club as part of their USATF membership before the close of online registration (an athlete's current affiliation can be viewed as part of the online entry process). Athletes wishing to change affiliations can make such a request through their local Association (note that this request must be made by the athlete--see Regulation 4 in the USATF Governance Manual, Section III). Sponsor Affiliation: In addition to a club affiliation, athletes can represent one (1) corporate sponsor. This corporate sponsor must be a registered USATF Corporate Member and be part of the athlete's membership profile. Corporate Membership applications can be obtained by sending an e-mail to membership@usatf.org. All sponsor affiliations must be finalized by the close of online entries. No sponsor changes will be accepted after this date for the Championships. Unattached athletes are encouraged to join a local club or create a new club. Contact your local Association for information on starting your own club. "Unattached/Non-Scoring" athletes (those athletes not with a registered USATF club) may participate but will not be factored into team scores. Unless your date of birth/age has already been verified according to your USATF Connect profile, all entries must be accompanied by a copy of a legal document (passport or birth certificate) to verify your date of birth and citizenship. If you have a valid passport at the time of entry, please use a copy of the information page of your passport as verification of citizenship and birth date. These copies will not be returned. If you need help with this process, there is a step-by-step video to assist you with the uploading process here. Athletes who compete with false age information are subject to disqualification. There are no performance standards to participate. In addition to a front bid and transponder device, all masters athletes must wear an age/gender “back” number showing age division. Runners competing without a visible back number will be subject to disqualification.

20. Masters Team Scoring. Masters Teams for all USATF Cross Country Championships shall be scored by place as follows: Each division shall be scored separately by places of the top 3 or 5 team finishers respective of the division (see chart below).
     

    Division	# Score	# Declare	# Enter
    Men 40+	5	9	unlimited
    Men 50+	5	9	unlimited
    Men 60+	3	5	unlimited
    Men 70+	3	5	unlimited
    Men 80+	3	5	unlimited
    Women 40+	3	5	unlimited
    Women 50+	3	5	unlimited
    Women 60+	3	5	unlimited
    Women 70+	3	5	unlimited
    Women 80+	3	5	unlimited

    
    USATF Rules indicate that when scoring by place:
    The team score shall be the total of the finishing positions of the scoring members. The team with the lowest total points is the team winner.
    Runners of incomplete teams, team entries not declared eligible for team scoring, and unattached or individual competitors will be eliminated from team scoring. Non-scoring declared members of complete teams shall retain their finishing positions and thereby displace other runners.
    
    When separate competitions are conducted simultaneously, each shall be scored independently. Runners on teams not eligible for a given competition will be eliminated from team scoring in that competition.
    If a team fails to finish with a complete scoring team, the team members finishing shall be counted as individuals in the race results and shall be eligible to receive individual awards.
    
    Team scoring tiebreaker (Rule 7.9.b) – Ties between two or more teams shall be resolved in favor of the team whose last scoring member finishes closer to first place.

21. Masters Team Declarations.
    Note that only five (M60+, M70+, M80+, and all women’s teams) or nine athletes (M40+ and M50+) are allowed to be on the final team declaration per team respective of team division. If more than five/nine athletes are listed on a team’s entry (see the status of entries), only the first five/nine listed shall comprise your club's declared scoring team.
    1. Deadlines
       Online: Online declarations can be made until 11:59 p.m. (PT) on Wednesday, October 4, 2023. 
       In-person: There will be NO team revisions allowed after the online registration deadline.
    2. Access to a Club’s entries is available to the person listed as the main contact on the club’s yearly member club application form, as well as club coaches and club administrators as designated by the main club contact. To gain access to your club, e-mail your club's main contact with your name, individual membership number, and role within the club. Note: access to the Management Area is limited to those people who are currently individual members of USATF. If you joined as a new individual member instead of renewing, please e-mail your club's main contact person to have your new membership number attached to your club profile. Masters athletes shall be allowed to win awards in all categories. (e.g., overall, age group, team, age-graded, etc.

20. Drug Testing.  All competitors (including Masters competitors) are eligible for “in-competition” drug testing.  For any questions regarding prescriptions or other over-the-counter medication should view the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) website here. USADA Contacts: Phone Number: tel:+17197852000   Toll Free: tel:+18666012632   E-mail: usada@usada.org
    
    Note: If the 2023 USATF Masters 5 km Cross Country Championship is selected for drug testing, prize money checks will be mailed following our receipt of the drug testing results.  The race has no control over when the results of the drug tests are released, and we cannot release the prize money until we have official results as it can directly affect the distribution amounts.

20. Protests. Protests concerning the result or conduct of an event shall be made to the Referee at once and not later than one hour after the announcement/posting of the results.