Skip to contentSkip to footer

We Value Your Privacy

We use cookies to enhance your browsing experience, serve personalised ads or content, and analyse our traffic. By clicking 'Allow All', you consent to our use of cookies. For further details, please see our cookies policy.

Skip to content
Hilly, green landscape with low sun above

New York: Source to City 2026

Essential Event Information

Due to the scale and nature of Rat Race Events, changes to the course, structure and timings sometimes need to be made right up to the date of the event. To ensure you have the latest information and are fully prepared for the challenge that lies ahead, please check back on this EEI before travelling to the event.

The EEI was last updated on: 17/06/2026

Scroll to main

WELCOME TO NEW YORK. WELCOME TO SOURCE TO CITY 2026!

The countdown is on! This document is designed to give you all the information you need about what to expect during our epic adventure from the source of the Hudson River, high up in the mountains, all the way to the bright lights of the Big Apple itself! So, grab a cuppa (or something stronger!) and read on for all the need-to-know info and answers to your questions!

We’ll see you on the start line very soon! 

Seb
Event Director, New York Source to City 2026

SOURCE TO CITY WEBSITE

MANDATORY KIT LIST

COMPLETE YOUR EVENT PARTICIPATION FORM 

COMPLETE YOUR MEDICAL FORM

KEY REMINDERS

  • Event Participation Form MUST be submitted NO later 18th July 2026.
  • Medical declaration MUST be submitted NO later than 18th July 2026.
  • The Q&A Webinar will take place on Thursday 16th July at 6PM UK Time. The webinar will be recorded and emailed to you the following day so you can watch it back at your leisure if you are unable to make the date and time. The link and passcode to join the Q&A session is within the email you received alongside the EEI.
  • ESTA: Non US citizens will need to ensure they have an ESTA to be able to travel to the US.

ARRIVAL

We will all meet in Lake Placid at 1300 on Thursday 17th September for registration and briefing. The meeting location is the Big Haystack room in The Hampton Inn suites by Hilton in Lake Placid (801 Mirror Lake Dr, Lake Placid, NY 12946, United States)

We have prepared some guidance on getting to Lake Placid and also accommodation options below: 

New York - Lake Placid Transfer Options

  • Fly: There are a couple of flight options available from JFK. JFK to Adirondack Regional Airport (SLK): Approx. £175, followed by a 25-minute drive to Lake Placid.
  • Bus: The bus offers flexibility with multiple pickup locations. Adirondack Trailways provides a service to Lake Placid from a wide range of starting points. Approximate cost: $86. Trailways Website
  • Train: Take the train from New York to Westport Station, where you can access free ground transportation to Lake Placid via Amtrak’s Thruway Shuttle. This shuttle is included in your train fare. Approximate cost: $70. Amtrak Website. Rome to rio website offers a very good overview of the different ways you can get to Lake Placid from JFK: Rome to Rio Website
  • RR Private Group Transfer: We also offer a direct transfer option priced at £300 per person. This transfer will depart from JFK at 13:00 on Wednesday 16th September and can be booked via your RR account. The price includes transportation for bike boxes. Please note that bikes must be packed in a bike box and the box may be transported in a separate vehicle from you. The meeting point for this pick up is Terminal 8 Arrivals Hall - PIN HERE.

Once we have carried out our registration and briefing in the afternoon, you will be free to head off and get some food in town. Given varying arrival times, accommodation and the need for an early start the next day, we do not have a communal meal.

HOTEL PACKAGES

We are offering the following room packages at the Hampton by Hilton:

  • 2-Night Twin Room (B&B) / Wednesday 16th - Friday 18th September 2026. £350.
  • 1-Night Twin Room (B&B) / Thursday 17th September 2026. £180.

The rooms are on a first come, first served basis and bookable via your RR account. Sale of these packages will close on 31st August 2026. You can of course book alternative accommodation or book yourself into the Hampton directly.

Finish Line Sequence & Event Departure

As mentioned in the bike section, when we get to the final bike: foot transition at Fort Lee, you have some options as to what to do with your bike and gear. If you have rented a bike, you need not worry about that anymore and we will take care of it.  

If you have your own bike, we will need to know if someone is collecting it from Fort Lee or if we are taking it into NYC for you or others to collect. We will ask you these questions in the event participation form and we need you to let us know. 

If you need us to take your bike to the finish line for you, please be aware that you MUST disassemble your bike at Fort Lee and pack it away into your bike bag before continuing on to complete the final run / trek section of the event. We insist that this is done as we need to be able to transport your bike into the city safely, and this is much easier to do when the bikes are packed away. You must therefore ensure that you have the right tools and equipment in your bike bag to be able to take your bike apart and pack it away fully.  

Our event finish line will be stationed in Lower Manhattan. It is here that we will welcome you across the line, give you your well-earned medal, and congregate together for a drink and some light food whilst cheering everyone in as they finish. Dare we say, there will likely be a beer on Rat Race here as we toast to you on a job well done!  

This finish line is where the event will officially end and subsequently, all of your bags (large overnight bag and smaller drop bag  - plus bike bag if using your own bike) will be delivered here, ready for you make your onward journeys home, or into town.   

It is your responsibility to get away from Lower Manhattan with your bags whenever you are ready to leave us. Public transport and Uber will be readily available, and you’re also welcome to have friends or family come to pick you up. If you have brought your own bike onto the event and you did not arrange for it to be picked up from Fort Lee, you will need to take your bike away with you, as well as your bags.

Accommodation and food: There is no accommodation provided in NYC and you are welcome to depart to your homeward journeys; or if you are planning to stay in the Big Apple, please do join us for a celebration drinks in midtown. We will share the location for this closer to the event. 

EVENT ETHOS: ‘RACING’ AND OUR FINISH TIMES SERVICE

Race’s ethos has always been about inspiring folk to undertake challenges in awesome outdoor locations. Source to City is just that, taken to an epic level. This is not a formal race environment and there are no winners and losers. We do not award prizes for the fastest folk. We will publish the times captured manually by our event crew for each day, in alphabetical order and for your information and comparison as we know everyone does their best and many want to see how their efforts compare to others. There will be no splits for Pit Stop to Pit Stop times. Rat Race totally appreciate the incredible commitment of those taking on the challenges we lay down and each participant is as important as the next regardless of how fast you can cover the distance on foot, bike or skate.

In delivering this unique challenge we prioritize factors such as safety, camaraderie and environmental concerns. Respecting the wishes of local stakeholders with our route management and litter policies is vital in being able to bring folk together for this unique experience. Safety above all else is paramount, as you will fully appreciate. To reasonably balance all these factors, we emphasize that the event is not a formal race environment, rather it is a challenge in the great outdoors where great folk come together with a common purpose.

TRANSFER DEADLINE

At the time of booking, on our website and within our introductory email on we made clear that your purchase is non-refundable. But up until 12 weeks prior to departure, you could use our transfer system if you wished to withdraw from the event. We respectfully remind all participants that unforeseen circumstances preventing attendance is what travel insurance is designed for and is the reason for this as a strong recommendation on such undertakings.


For the avoidance of doubt, the final day for transfers is 25th June 2026. We regret that we cannot provide any transfers once these deadline have passed. These are HARD deadlines as we go firm on all aspects of our planning after this stage. We cannot make any exceptions.

 

You can read our full transfer policy HERE

FOOD & DRINK

Breakfasts

You will be taking on some big miles and some long old days to complete the NY S2C challenge. We will therefore have several early starts, and we will often be up and on the road before most kitchens are open! Breakfasts therefore, will often be more of a pre-packed breakfast option, where we give you the supplies the night before so that you can fuel up nice and early in the comfort of your own room. This may include the likes of porridge pots, fruits, juices, pastries and more. In all instances, we will ensure that you are well fuelled, however it is unlikely to be a hot cooked breakfast in the mornings, because of our event schedule.  

Lunches

Lunches will be ‘on the go’ during the activities each day. Usually, we will make sure that Pit Stop 2 (or whichever Pit Stop is placed in the middle of the day) is stocked up with some good savoury lunch style options, such as bread or wraps and some simple sandwich fillings. 

Dinners

At each day's end we will provide you with dinner - that is to mean an entree dish and a drink. Any appetizers, add – ons, desserts or extra rounds of drinks are your own responsibility. In general, we will eat together in nice local restaurants. Whilst we will try and get us all served promptly (as we know sleep is equally as important as a belly full of food on these challenges!) we have to defer to the establishments we are waiting with. So please do bear with the serving staff if service is a little slower than expected.

CONTACT

To facilitate the very best support for you whilst embarked on the event, we have prepared some contact information below that should assist you and loved ones both before departure and then throughout your Event experience in New York. Please find a series of phone numbers and email addresses and instructions on which is to be used; and for what. Finally, we have included an action check-list so you may tick off the pre-event jobs arising from this Essential Event Information document.

1. For ALL pre-event email correspondence prior to 17th September 2026: 

2. For specific arrivals and pre-trip issues in the days immediately prior to arrival in NYC -   A WhatsApp group will be set up pre-arrival. This will include numbers of crew members if you need assistance whilst you travel to the event. 

3. Emergency correspondence from people who need to get in touch with you (i.e. from those who need to contact you) IN EMERGENCY ONLY between 17-23 Sep: events@ratrace.com

The originator should quote ‘Emergency correspondence for (your name)’ in the email title and they must provide a phone number for return comms. This will be patched through to our crew’s mobile phones, (or satellite messaging platform if we are out of reception) from our office and a satellite phone will be made available for you to return the comms to the originator. We would aim to provide a suitable response period of within 24 hrs for this service to the originator. Please, please, please do tell your family and supporters not to contact us about Tracker Emergencies!

Itinerary

DAY 1 / ARRIVAL, REG & BRIEFING

Thursday 17th September 2026

Arrive Lake Placid and attend registration at Haystacks Room, Hampton Suites, see arrival info for full details. You will drop your bike with us and we will then transport it to the bike transition. It will then be available to you when you transition from foot to bike upon the completion of the hike the following day.

DAY 2 / SOURCE TO CITY BEGINS!

Source to Summit begins! You will line up at our startline for an ascent into the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness Area. After summitting Mount Marcy (the high point of NY State) you will descend to Lake Tear of the Clouds, the official source of the Hudson River. From there it’s a thru-hike to continue out of the High Peaks Wilderness Area to connect with your bikes, waiting for you on the other side of the mountain. A fast, mostly downhill road cycle then takes you to our first overnight in the North Crek area.

Total mileage for the day:

  • 18 miles on foot (mountain stage)

  • 35 miles on the bike (easy-going quiet roads with a few rollers plus lumps n’ bumps)

Accommodation and food: Now Alpine Lodge, North Creek. The configuration may dictate that you are sharing a house or a cabin with multiple people and in all cases, we aim to provide twin shared accommodation in the bedrooms.

Note: The mountain section will feature no pit stop support. It is an entirely self-contained stage owing to its remoteness and high mountain characteristics so you should take plenty of snacks. There are water sources throughout the route but you will need a personal water filter to access this creek water. This is detailed in the gear list.

DAY 3 / THE BIG ONE

Back on the bikes for some 120 miles of smooth tarmac along the Hudson River valley lies before you. The going is beautiful, largely on quiet country roads with good surfaces. The scenery changes throughout the day from mountains and hills to rolling farmland and there is hardly any elevation to speak of. It really is a superb ride. Our destination is the quirky town of Hudson and you are again accommodated in quality lodgings.

Total mileage for the day:

  • 113 miles on the bike (big but beautiful riding!)

Accommodation and food: St. Charles Hotel in the town of Hudson; plus a nice dinner at one of the town’s several great restaurants

Once you have completed days 1 and 2, we reckon you’ve done ‘the heavy lifting.’ While there is clearly more distance to come, the biggest days are now behind you. Get to Hudson and you will get to The Battery.

DAY 4 / CLASSIC AMERICA SIGHTS & PADDLE TIME!

Today is all about playing around in boats but first, we must cover another 45 miles on the bikes as we head south to Poughkeepsie through the Hudson Highlands. The going is a bit hilly now on the bikes, offering up rolling ups and downs and eventually passing the famous Vanderbilt Mansion and FDR’s house, right on the banks of the river. Once in Poughkeepsie, we ditch the bikes and we take to the river itself for a stunning 12 mile paddle downriver through the Hudson Highlands to Cold Spring. Lodgings in the Cold Spring area in comfortable accommodation.

Total mileage for the day:

  • 65 miles (55 on bikes and 10 on the water)

Accommodation and food: Travel Lodge - Peekskill, plus dinner at a spot in Peekskill

DAY 5 / THE BIG APPLE BECKONS

Back on the bike and over the Bear Mountain Bridge and into Bear Mountain State Park, for a classic 50 mile section on County Road 6W that brings you screaming downstream and face to face with the bright lights of the Big City. Ditch the bikes on the Jersey side of the George Washington bridge and run across the bridge and into Manhattan itself. You’re going to finish as you started: On foot, with a half marathon run down Manhattan’s west side in full view of the now mile-wide Hudson river, as it winds its way down the side of Manhattan to come to its official terminus at The Battery. This is journey’s end for you, with the Statue of Liberty, skyscrapers and other famous landmarks dotting the skyline. Welcome to New York City.

 

Miles for the day:

  • 60 miles (47.5 on the bike and 12.5 on foot)

ROUTE

Our route utilises a variety of terrain types and surfaces and follows the entirety of the Hudson River from just a trickle high up on Mount Marcy, New York's tallest peak; to a tidal estuary several miles across down at the Battery, Manhattan. From rocky mountain singletrack hiking trails to cycling along scenic highways to paddling the Hudson highlands and finally ending with a cross-Manhattan run to finish in Battery Park, this challenge is not for the faint-hearted!

It's an awesome route and really takes in a huge swathe of US history. This is classic backroad America and you will get a real sense of journey as you make your way from the Adirondack mountains all the way down to the Big Apple.

ROUTEFINDING & GPS

The entire event will be followed on a GPS device with the course downloaded onto it. We recommend you bring your own GPS device that you are familiar with and have practiced using prior to the event. If you do not have your own device, you can hire via your RR account, please note these are limited and subject to availability. 

There are two devices to consider: 

1) Bike Device

  • If you have your own bike-mounted device (like a Garmin Edge, for example) and are comfortable with its operation, this is the preferred choice whether you have rented a bike from us or not. We will provide GPX files much nearer the time for you to upload to your own devices.

  • A mobile phone with a power pack, plus a bike mount is a perfectly reasonable and indeed very user-friendly solution here too, provided that you can ensure the combination is waterproofed. This allows you to use your own technology, with which you are already familiar. You also do not have to invest in any expensive tech devices. You may need to purchase a handlebar mount for your phone, but this is easy to source and inexpensive (and handy for day-to-day use at home, too!)

  • For participants who do not have their own bike-mounted device and/ or do not feel comfortable using their own phone, we will be able to hire one via your RR account. This device attaches to your handlebars and you follow it like a satnav device. It does not have a base map and you follow a line on the device.

2) Run/Trek Device

  • For the foot section, if you have one, your own GPS watch is the go-to advised piece of kit to use and we will again provide GPX files to use on your own device.

  • For those who do not have a GPS-enabled watch, we can provide a hire GPS watch (Garmin Fenix or Coros Apex Premium) for this stage via your RR account. These devices will have the route uploaded onto them and have extremely good battery life. 

PITSTOPS

We will provide at least 3 Pit Stop locations each day for the bike stages. Each Pit Stop will feature staff members and of course, some food and drink. The Pit Stops will be distributed as evenly as possible along the course, subject to access and suitable setup locations.  
 
Whilst on the hike section on Mount Marcy, you will be self-sufficient with your own snacks and drinks and upon finishing this stage, where you will transition to bikes, you will have full Pit Stop service at this point.  

When kayaking, we will offer a rest stop around halfway through the stage where you can access some snacks and drinks and you will also stash some food and drinks on board for that section of the journey.  

Pit Stops will always offer water for refilling your own bottles and bladders. They will usually include a mixture of sweet, salty and savoury snacks. Occasionally, other drinks may be made available too.  

Specialist sports nutrition products will NOT be provided and you should therefore plan to bring your own electrolytes and salts. That may be in drinks solutions or tablet form, that is up to you. But everyone should plan to cover themselves with some additional electrolytes each day.  

gpx files

We will make available route GPX files for you to upload onto your own devices as you see fit. These files will be provided much closer to the commencement of the event, once we are satisfied we have the definitive version to share. Experience has shown that we will never share the these files until it is the final, final, final version. Or else we end up with version control issues that are hard to resolve. We do do always reserve the right to change the course, the distances or the disciplines of course. These files will be issued at the 1-week out email phase.

MOUNT MARCY HIKE STAGE - TERRAIN, SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

Marcy is a big old mountain. The summit is at 5344ft elevation and it is therefore not to be underestimated. Whilst the trail is by-and-large well maintained, it is rocky as hell. Which means that it is slow-going. Do not expect to run this section. In fact, we will travel as groups of up to 10 in each group, plus a local guide. In the self-fill form, we have asked you to specific your likely speed of hiking and/ or running travel so we can gauge how to split the groups. We are all doing the same route and we will all get down the mountain eventually, but we will try and do our best to team up similar paced folks into the groups.


If you have not had much mountain trail experience, go and hike some trails. For those of you who have checked out the distance, you may think this is ‘only’ 18 miles. But it could take you even as a proficient hiker 12 hours +. We are not kidding. It is slow going, but not majorly difficult hiking. So that means, take your time, keep hydrated, eat plenty and often and enjoy this pristine wilderness environment.

But do not underestimate it. We have had all sorts of weather on Marcy and the gear list reflects that, in respect of what we ask you to bring with you.

Above all else, the advice is clear. Get into the hills and go for some hikes. Get those legs conditions to go up; and come down mountain trail-based terrain.

BIKE SKILLS, TRAFFIC & TERRAIN

It is assumed you are a competent bicycle rider and can ride continuously for several hours on roads. If you feel that you need more time in the saddle to fit that description, it’s time to bag more time in the saddle! You do have time to do so between now and September. None of the riding is what we would class as ‘technical’ and whilst some of the road surfaces will be potholed in places (that’s the nature of rural roads sometimes), in general the surfaces are good.


The topography is not too severe. Sure, there are some hills but in general this is a flowing and rolling profile that has some big distances but there is a real ability to maintain a rally nice rolling average pace.

Some folk ask us about traffic. This is a very subjective thing. Some people are confident riding through Rush Hour in the Big Apple (we aren’t doing that!) and some get nervous on country roads with very little motor traffic. What we will say is that, in general, we consider the traffic to be fairly light on this route. However, we cannot remove it. These are public highways and you will encounter cars and trucks. There are some sections that are busier, such as coming through the urban area of downtown Troy, through Poughkeepsie and also when we approach NYC, the roads naturally do get busier – largely south of the Tappan Zee bridge. Traffic levels will also vary with time of day – with morning traffic around 8am – 10am feeling busier (in general) than later in the day. And of course the same rush hour flows from 4pm – 6pm, for example, in some areas. Just go steady, be vigilant and ride within your limits.

If at any time you are uneasy with the traffic, you can call us and we can pick you up. We want everyone to feel comfortable on the route and this is a part of that. Like we say, folks’ tolerances on this one differ so we are simply stating the facts on this and we are always around if you feel unsure. We have asked you to tell us a little about your biking experience in the self-fill form linked at the bottom of this document.

KAYAK SKILLS

We also assume that you have some working knowledge and confidence of your skills in a kayak. We have asked you to tell us a little about your boating experience in the self-fill form, linked at the bottom of the page. We are not looking for you to be a pro at this. Not many folks are! But being confident on the water is important. If you have not been in a boat for a while, do go and try and do some kayaking between now and the event. It’s a fun sport and actually, it is a really efficient way to travel, if you are paddling smart. It is low impact and a great way to see some scenery in your work-up this event.

COURSE CHANGES

 The nature of an adventure is that sometimes, the uncertain becomes certain! That is all part of the adventure. Whilst we will always strive to pull off ‘Plan A,’ it may well be that for any one of a number of reasons, we cannot do so and we need to wheel out Plan B, C or D. We do line up contingencies for many eventualities of course. But it is worth knowing that the course may change if we deem it prudent for your safety or for other operational or weather-based reasons and we must always reserve the right to do so. Ultimately our skill and judgement in organising such events is part of why you are entering, so we must be able to exercise this on your behalf where we deem it necessary. If we do have to make a route change, we will strive to inform you in good time (if that is possible). Usually, these unforeseen changes simply add to the flavour of proceedings and provide for a good story to tell at day’s end!

COURSE CUT OFFS & WITHDRAWALS

This event is not about cut-offs. But, having a ‘cut-off’ time of some description is an important part of our Event Management Plan and Risk Assessment processes. Cut off times are independent of any other factors that occur earlier in the course such as start time, punctures, bike mechanicals, rolled ankles, bear encounters, going the wrong way, time taken at Pit Stops, head winds; and whether it is your fault or not.

We understand that missing cut offs can be tough to take but please remember that if this happens to you, that it is not the crew’s fault who breaks the news to you.

Please also remember that if this does happen to you, the Event team’s decision is final. You will be asked to board a vehicle and make your way to the hotel at day's end.
We do try and accommodate a wide variety of paces however – that is the Rat Race way. So rest assured, you will not be hassled constantly by a sweeper vehicle (some people call it the broom wagon)  if you are taking longer than other folks on the bike stages.

If you are cut off, there will be no option to re-start from where you were cut off the next day. (The event only ever moves forwards). You will start the next day from the set location the group is starting from; subject to the discretion of the event team.

There are a number of reasons why you may be cut-off or withdrawn from the event. These could be medical, pace, kit, mechanical, personal or other factors. It is OK to retire and to be taken forward to the hotel. We’d rather you re-started the next day vs suffer meaninglessly and spoil it for yourself.

As far as the time available goes to avoid a cut-off, there is no ‘set’ cut off time each day. (ie. Time limit  or published time). Instead, the general rule is that we require all participants to be done before nightfall. There are some situations where you may finish in the dark, for example if someone is going strong and will make it with minimal time in darkness. This is possible notably on day 1 or 2, both of which are early starts and late finishes for most. If it looks like you’ll be out for the long haul though and completion is looking unlikely, you will be picked up in the support van. That is the cut-off.

Above all else, please remember, this event is not about cut-offs. It is about getting the most out of this magical experience. We will not cut you off and sweep you forward unless we really have to. And if we do, it is for your own safety.

MANDATORY KIT LIST 

Some of the kit listed is to help you have a safe experience and have the best chance of finishing. Some of this kit is to ensure that if you are unable to continue without our assistance then we can be confident of you having the level of equipment required to keep you as comfortable as possible while you wait for that assistance. Some of it is simply to keep you from experiencing life-threatening situations. It is a serious list for a serious undertaking.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MANDATORY KIT LIST

REGISTRATION KIT CHECK

At Lake Placid we will reserve the right to inspect some or all of your kit. This is an important part of our safety system and it is really important that you pack the right gear for this event. For the bike stages, you will need bike gear of course. More info on that below in the gear list. For the mountain, we are in a high mountain environment and we are going to 5344 ft on the summit of Mount Marcy. In previous years, we have had glorious sunshine, driving winds and even snow and ice last time we ran this event. So having the right gear and being equipped correctly for the high mountain is really important. If you don’t have the right gear, not only will you jeopardise your own safety, but that of those in the group with you.

​As a minimum, at kit check will be checking the below.

For the Marcy section:

  • Working head torch
  • Suitable running vest/backpack
  • Water filtration system
  • Water carrying capacity 
  • Lightweight waterproof jacket
  • Lightweight waterproof pants
  • Gloves
  • Hat
  • Sunscreen
  • Blister care kit
  • Small first aid kit

For the cycling stages:

  • Water carrying capacity 
  • Cycling helmet (all riders must bring their own helmet even if they have rented a bike)
  • Bike hand-pump (you will receive this if you have rented a bike)
  • Bike multi-tool (you will receive this if you have rented a bike)
  • Bike puncture repair kit or spare tubes/ CO2/ tubeless repair kit (you will receive a spare tube if you have rented a bike)
  • Tire levers (you will receive this if you have rented a bike)
  • Set of bike lights – front and rear. This is important as you may end up riding in the dark, particularly on day 1 or day 2 of the challenge

Water stage - kayak

  • Buoyancy aid, paddle and kayak (double or single) will be provided
  • Waterproofs and technical wicking undergarments. 
  • Sandals, boat shoes or any permeable trainers (remember these will get wet)
  • Gloves suitable for paddling
  • A dry bag 

AVOIDING KIT CATASTROPHE IN TRANSIT

It is not impossible that your gear may not arrive with you into JFK. In general, the longer you are in New York, the easier this is to solve. Once you start travelling away from major airports, getting re-united with lost bags becomes harder. However, it is not impossible and if you do lose bags or if bikes do not arrive, it does not necessarily spell certain doom.  Lake Placid has several sporting goods and outdoor stores and if you do forget something, chances are you can outfit yourself there. There are also some great bike stores. These all close around 5pm though. However, to avoid the chances of total catastrophe, we would recommend that you do travel with some event clothing in your hand luggage.
 
Experience tells us that if you arrive wearing or physically carrying some of what you need, the likelihood of getting you on the start-line increases dramatically, vs those who entire event kit is in their hold baggage, making its way around a carousel in the wrong airport far, far away.  

BAGS

There are 3 bags to be considered for this journey.

1). Daypack: (For trek and run stages – spare clothes, water, food) – small rucksack or Ultra vest. You can use this on the bike stage also, if you wish.

2). Overnight bag: All spare and overnight gear (max 50 lbs / 23kg and 25 US Gal / 100 litre capacity). This will be carried from each overnight stop to the next overnight stop and you will not see it during the activity in the day.

3). Pit Stop/ transition bag: You will hand us this each day and we will carry it to a set pit stop. This will only ever be one of the Pit Stops each day. It therefore allows you to get access to other items of gear quickly whilst on the route – spare clothing, snacks, extra suncream etc. it does not replace the requirement to carry the mandatory gear with you at all times. If we have a transition on any given day (e.g. bike to kayak or bike to run), then this Pit Stop bag will be positioned at that transition and will allow you to change into from hike – bike, or bike – run or bike – kayak etc (a small holdall or backpack is suitable for this bag).

Storing your bike bag - If you bring your own bike, we will transport your bike bag from Lake Placid down to NYC with the event logistic vehicles. Similarly if you are utilising our initial JFK – Lake Placid transportation service, we will carry it on this also. Space is limited and we would ask that in all cases, you use a bike bag and not a hard bike box.

Man running over bridge

MEDICAL & SAFETY

GPS TRACKING SYSTEM

Rat Race utilises top-tier satellite tracking units attached directly to your running pack. There are two main purposes for this.  

The primary function is safety and Race Management. It allows our event team to ensure everyone is following the correct event route, and will aid us in advising you if you have wandered off course. Further, in the instance that you or someone near you comes into difficulty, it helps us to find you and get help to you more quickly.  

The secondary function is spectator tracking. There will be a public tracking map link generated for family and friends to view your progress from home. 

Crucial Note for Friends & Family: Satellite tracking technology is not entirely infallible. Signal drops can occur in deep valleys, or units can temporarily freeze if blocked by heavy gear inside a pack. Please explicitly warn your friends and family not to panic or contact local emergency services if your tracker stops moving on the map. Our dedicated event safety team monitors the tracking matrix constantly. If an anomaly occurs, we have internal protocols to verify your safety. Third-party interference can severely disrupt active event management and waste emergency services’ time. 

POOR WEATHER CONTINGENCY

 The prevailing climate is generally pretty stable; warm and potentially sometimes a little wet at this time of year in upstate NY. That is not to say that, like anywhere else on Earth, we may not encounter unseasonal conditions. Particularly in this area, we may experience cold winds on Mount Marcy, fog or possibly snowfall (unlikely, yet it has dusted on Marcy in late Sept-early Oct and indeed we had snow and wind up high the last time we ran the event here).

Indeed any other climactic conditions could arise - hurricanes and tornadoes for example. Though unlikely these still remain a distant possibility.

The event will proceed in many conditions, but if it is deemed unsafe to continue due to weather conditions, the event will be halted at the current pit stop (or destination hotel), participants will be brought forward to the next day's stage start if required and the Event will await more favorable conditions to re-commence. This may result in some stages being cut short and participants being moved forward in vehicles in order to achieve daily mileages within the time available. In all cases, the decision of the Event team is final in these matters. We will monitor weather throughout.

TRAVEL MEDICINE ADVICE

As well as being a practising NHS Emergency Care Doctor and Expedition Medicine Specialist, Dr Musto is also a qualified travel medicine practitioner.  Please view the Travel Medicine Advice PDF HERE. 

MEDICAL FORM

 We will have a medic with us for the duration of the trip and they are available for you to interact with in confidence if you experience any medical issues. Whilst the medics are there for ‘what ifs,’ they are also a great source of preventative advice; so please do use them to ask questions and check best practice, particularly in suspected foot injury or issues such as blisters. 

Medical Form

At this stage we are inviting you to have a medical screening process, which can be completed via the link below. Please complete this as soon as possible – and certainly please, no later than 17th July. You can do so HERE. If you do have any condition that you feel we should know about, however small you feel it may be, please do share this with our Medics. Experience has shown that early pre-screening can assist both us and you greatly in enabling the care you need pre and during the trip. If you do not share information on conditions which are likely to affect your participation or decide to share them very late in the process, we are all under pressure and we will always reserve the right to cancel your participation if we feel there is a medical issue that may affect yours, or others’ safety. So please, do share anything and everything you feel our team should know about, at the earliest opportunity. Please view our latest Health Information HERE.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON SUBMISSION OF DOCUMENTS AND MEDICAL INFORMATION:

We are very fortunate to have an excellent Medical Director providing oversight, planning and screening on all of our international trips, who in turn engages seriously professional and qualified staff to join you on the trip. Rat Race also conforms and has been audited to the rigorous BS8848 standard of expedition management. This means our approach to all things safety and medical is extremely thorough and it is designed throughout with your best interest at heart.

Your medical screening details will be sent direct to our medical team and under medical confidentiality rules, this will only be shared with our medics and no-one else. If they decide this is info that is in the best interests of everyone for us as organisers to be privy to, they will seek and gain your consent before doing so. It is therefore important you complete the link to the medical survey only which can be found HERE. Do not send Rat Race medical information direct. If you have any queries at all on the medical side of things in relation to this event, you can email our Medical Director, Dr Patrick Musto confidentially on office@trailmed.com and he and his team will assist.

INSURANCE FOR YOU AND YOUR EQUIPMENT

We have asked that you have in place Travel Insurance cover and specified Evacuation cover to last for a minimum period of the event duration for the days you are with us on the published itinerary. Evacuation and medical expenses cover should total no less than $500 000. A copy of this cover/covers (if separate policies) is required to be received by us 18th July alongside the other admin actions. 

To be clear on the medical insurance, for US citizens, we simply require to have sight of your existing health insurance. You do not need any further specified policies. For international visitors, we require that you have Evacuation and medical expenses cover should total no less than $500 000.

We also recommend that participants have insurance to cover damage, loss, theft, injury and non-attendance. Rat Race cannot accept any responsibility for the loss of, theft, or damage to any Participant property or the circumstances of Participant non-attendance.

If you are bringing your own bike, we ask that you have a policy in place to cover it for damage, loss or theft. It is up to you what level you cover it for (and of course several overarching policies will provide coverage for loss or damage of sports equipment) but we would advise that you place cover for the replacement value of the bike, if you can do so. Rat Race and its agents, staff and sub-contractors cannot be held responsible to any damage to personal equipment of bikes whether we are transporting them or otherwise; so it is important that you select a level of cover that you are comfortable with.

Some suggested providers are as follows:

For UK and Channel Island residents Rat Race’s own insurer brokers have a brand-new product:

Note: This is Rat Race’s UK-based insurance broker, specialising in the leisure insurance market. This is a specialist sports travel cover product; however Rat Race is neither an insurance broker or underwriter. We can recommend Mann Broadbent wholeheartedly as good people to deal with, but please remember that this is not a ‘Rat Race product’ and we have no say whatsoever on claims decisions made by the insurers, in the event that you raise such a claim via one of these policies.

Other Providers:

Note: We have no relationship with any of these providers, but previous customers have found them reasonable to deal with regarding some of our similar Bucket List challenges.

Note: For all insurance, please remember that cover is offered based on several factors, (the nature of the event disciplines being one of them), but your own insurance profile, age, health and other details form a big part of this. As such, we are always happy to provide details to insurers in support of cover requests from customers, but we cannot influence their decisions as to whether to offer cover to individuals.

EMERGENCY PROTOCOL

In all instances, you should call the Event Director. In some instances, you may call the local emergency services number (911) too. We ask that you contact us before contacting emergency services because we have our own qualified medics with us who carry extensive medical kit. We have support vehicles specifically at hand for the purpose of supporting you, and an event team with extensive knowledge of the route and the event. In most situations, we would be able to get help to you more quickly than the emergency services, which is why we ask that you call us first.

If it is an emergency (life threatening or serious incident), call the Event Director first. Call 911 after calling the Event Director if you have been asked to do so, or if you cannot get through to the event team. 

If it is a non-urgent incident, call the Event Director. If you can’t reach them, call another of the event team.

For very minor injuries or if you simply wish to stop, the easiest solution is usually to get yourself to the next Pit Stop under your own steam, and speak to the event team when you get there.

Whilst out on the route, you must stop and help someone that is in difficulty – you will be the first person to find them. Also consider passing a message to a participant as they can then pass this onto the next course marshal that they meet – remember to take note of time, place and race number at the incident site. The more info you can share, the quicker we will be able to get help to those who need it. 

All contact numbers for your event team will be available for you to access in the event WhatsApp group at the beginning of the event. Please save these numbers so you can access them quickly if you need to.

GENERAL SAFETY AROUND VEHICLES

Some of this event takes place on a state highway. It is less

travelled farther north but as we get closer to towns and cities traffic can be heavy. Please practice safe cycling - you must adhere to all traffic laws. Stop signs, red lights, sidewalks, foot crossings, etc.

MUSIC PLAYERS

Listening to music players while close to active roadways is actively discouraged. They limit your awareness of traffic and the important signals needed to stay safe on the roads. Please limit your music appreciation to the hotel once the cycling has been safely completed

Silhouette of cyclist and bike with colourful sky behind