COVID-19 Impacts & Procedures
As we navigate our ever-changing world, our mission to inspire you to live an active lifestyle remains. Now, more than ever, the Sports Backers team wants to keep you moving, but only in a way that keeps our participants, volunteers, staff and communities safe and healthy. Our team has been working hard to revise our event plans to meet the current social distancing requirements so that we can get back to celebrating your active lifestyles through our events in the safest way possible.
With individual’s safety and transmission mitigation in mind, we have been working on new event modifications and procedures that will allow us to safely operate Ashland Half Marathon. These policies and procedures are based on current recommendations for COVID-19 safety protocols and are subject to change at any time.
What Sports Backers staff will be doing:
- All staff and volunteers will be required to wear a mask if not fully vaccinated while on the event premise at all times
- Cleaning and sanitizing high-traffic areas at the start/finish area and on the course at regular intervals.
- Reducing communal surfaces that encourage group or repeat usage
- Hand sanitizer available for usage throughout the event
- Any post-race food or finisher items available will be pre-portioned and packaged for each participant
Safety and COVID-19 Event Impacts and Procedures: Bib Assignment/Finisher Area
- All staff and volunteers will be required to wear a mask at all times, if not fully vaccinated, while handing out bibs or finisher items packets
- Participants will be required to wear a mask during the bib assignment process and when picking up finisher items, if not fully vaccinated.
- Participants and spectators are asked to maintain social distance at all times, providing 6 feet of space between one another in the start/finish area and on course
- All finisher item packets will be pre-packaged for a contactless experience
- Social distance markings will be on the ground around the bib assignment and finisher item giveaway tents to assist with spacing while in any potential line
- Signage will be utilized to reinforce mask wearing (while not running/walking) and social distancing for those not fully vaccinated.
- Cleaning and sanitizing high traffic areas regularly
- Sanitizer available for use
Safety and COVID-19 Event Impacts and Procedures: On Course
- When accessing one of the official courses, you must maintain 6 feet of social distance between yourself and others.
- When passing someone, please remember to give an audible warning and be sure to maintain social distance.
- All spectators who are not fully vaccinated must wear a mask on course.
- All staff and volunteers will be required to wear a mask while on the event premise if not fully vaccinated.
- Cleaning and sanitizing high-traffic areas at the start/finish area and on the course at regular intervals.
Please Note:
Per CDC guidelines the following groups are considered to be at a higher risk for contracting COVID-19. If any of these apply to you, we ask that you take the increased risk into consideration before registering:
- CDC high risk age threshold (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/older-adults.html)
- Those who are immunocompromised or undergoing treatment for an ongoing disease such as cancer, HIV, liver, or heart disease (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html)
- Those with moderate to severe asthma
Our policies and procedures will continue to be updated as we learn more about COVID-19 and how to keep our participants, volunteers, staff, and communities safe and healthy. These procedures are subject to change at any time and we appreciate your flexibility as we enter a new phase of social distancing races.
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