Registration process and completion
– The Athlete, by accepting the declaration of good health and the conditions of entry under the registration, accepts the current regulations, respects and obeys the instructions of the organizing committee, the safety officers, and the judges of the race.
– The right to participate in the race is open to people over 18 years of age, as well as children on the Fun route accompanied by a parent and a signed declaration of the guardian.
– Participation is considered valid if registration has been made and payment has been completed.
Routes
The race includes 4 different routes in combination with the Vetrical Speed, with the following age categories:
– Hansaplast Marathon 40km:
Men’s M1(18-35), M2(36-49), M3(50-59), M4(60+)
Women’s W1(18-35), W2(36-49), W3(50-59), W4(60+)
– Experience 22 km:
Men’s M1(18-35), M2(36-49), M3(50-59), M4(60+)
Women’s W1(18-35), W2(36-49), W3(50-59), W4(60+)
– NIVEA SUN Basic 10km:
Men’s M1(18-35), M2(36-49), M3(50-59), M4(60+)
Women’s W1(18-35), W2(36-49), W3(50-59), W4(60+)
– Fun: Men (18+) and Women (18+)
ATTENTION! Participation in the Vertical Speed (650m +150) is compulsory for athletes interested in qualifying for the Taygetos Challenge which is the combination of the results of the Vertical Speed on Saturday and one of the 3 courses on Sunday (Hansaplast Marathon, Experience, NIVEA SUN Basic). In the 5km Fun event, participation in the Vertical Speed is not compulsory and is not counted in the ranking or results of the race.
IMPORTANT NOTE: In order for an award category to be valid, at least 6 athletes must participate, otherwise the category will be integrated with the immediately preceding category.
– The Taygetos Hansaplast Marathon course is approximately 40km long with 2,504m of positive elevation gain.
– The Taygetos Experience course is 22km long with 1,224m of positive elevation gain.
– The Taygetos NIVEA SUN Basic route is 10km long with a positive elevation gain of 500m.
– The Fun route is 5km long with 150m of positive altitude difference.
– The Vertical Speed course is 650m long with a positive altitude difference of 150m.
The race routes will be along asphalt, stone paths, trails, heavy dirt roads, canyons and rocky terrain. The renewed route in the Marathon and Experience events includes a descent to Kalyves and then follows a 1km climb through the Viros Gorge passing through its most beautiful point, Stenema. They are signposted throughout their entire length and require no orienteering knowledge. Continuing on the correct route is aided by the regular signposting of the paths (colored markings on rocks) and their natural topography where present. In addition, there will be work tape and direction-change signs.
Race procedures
– The races will take place on Saturday 22 March and Sunday 23 March 2025.
On 22 March the Vertical Speed will be held with a start time of 14.00 and on 23 March the Hansaplast Marathon, Experience and NIVEA SUN Basic races will be held with a start time of 08:00+
– The entry fee for each category is set as follows:
◦ 50€ for the Vertical & Hansaplast Marathon races
◦ 30€ for the Vertical & Experience races
◦ 20€ for the Vertical & NIVEA SUN Basic races
◦ 15€ for the Fun race.
In case an athlete wants to not participate in the Vertical Speed the entry fee remains the same.
– Each athlete is obliged to have his/her participation number on the front of his/her shirt. The number may not be altered in any way.
– During the race there will be 3 time checkpoints in between.
– Regarding the time limits of the race, there is a time limit only for the 40 km long course and it is located at the 4th station (20 km), which athletes must have passed by 13:00. The remaining routes have no cut-off time. The race closes 9 hours after the start. Athletes who drop out for any reason are obliged to inform the judge at the nearest control station. Athletes who finish after the 9-hour limit are deemed not to have completed the race and are considered void.
Safety of athletes and race control
– When attempting to overtake a fellow athlete, each athlete is obliged, when he/she feels that he/she is being approached by a faster athlete, if requested, to pull aside so that the overtaking can be done quickly and safely.
– Athletes have the right to use a baton, map, compass, GPS, cell phone. Any outside assistance or even artificial assistance of athletes to each other is prohibited.
– To replenish athletes’ fluids, there will be 5 feeding stations where athletes will be offered water, sweet and salty snacks and energy jets.
– There are 6 check stations, from which athletes are required to be signed in by the judges. Any athlete who fails to pass even one check station is deemed invalid.
– Athletes are not required to have any specific equipment. However, it is recommended that they bring a small backpack, windbreaker, solid food, water bag, elastic bandage, whistle and mobile phone.
– It is strictly forbidden to dispose of any litter or packing material along the route.
– To avoid any unforeseen incident, the organizing committee will supervise the route and offer medical assistance to athletes who need it. A Red Cross team, a rescue team, a doctor, a physiotherapist and an ambulance will be on standby.
Rules and regulations
– Disclaimer: The organizing committee is not responsible for the death, injury or any damage to the health of the participants, who by submitting the application form declare that they understand the dangers of the mountain environment, have the necessary experience to cope with them and that their state of health is good and allows them to compete. Each athlete is obliged to undergo regular medical check-ups. The organiser reserves the right to refuse to allow an athlete to complete the race if there is an opinion from the race doctor.
– I have read and accepted the athlete’s declaration of good health.
– For registration of minors, written consent (affidavit) of a guardian is required, which must be presented signed by the guardian to the race secretary or sent electronically before the race.
– The organising committee reserves the right to modify the route if necessary for the safety of the race. It is also possible that the start of the race may be delayed or canceled due to bad weather or force majeure.
– Objections can only be made by the athlete himself and only 30 minutes after the finish at the latest. The decision of the protest committee is final.
– The race committee responsible for any problem or objection is the Race Director, the Course Planner, the Safety Officer, and the Judges’ Officer.
– By registering for the race, each athlete authorizes the photographing or filming of him/her and their companions, both during the race and during the awards ceremony, for promotional purposes.
Penalties
The Organising Committee reserves the right to disqualify an athlete if the following violations take place:
– Failure to produce or alteration of the athlete’s entry number
– Use of external assistance
– Use of a motorised auxiliary means
– Dumping of litter during the course
– Obstructing another athlete
– Unsportsmanlike conduct
– Failure to comply with the instructions of the judges
– Rudeness and improper behaviour towards the organising committee, judges, volunteers, secretariat
– Failure to attend a control station
– Use of prohibited substances or drugs
– Refusal to be checked
– Refusal to be examined by a doctor of the organisation, if deemed necessary, at any time during the race.
– Abandonment of the race and failure to inform a judge will result in disqualification from any future event.
Prizes
– The winners of each age category in the Taygetos Challenge are determined based on the General Ranking results from both days: the Vertical race on Saturday afternoon and one of the Sunday races (Hansaplast Marathon 40K, Experience 22K, NIVEA SUN Basic 10K). The ranking is based on a time-based points system, calculated using the formula:
Time Points = (Time of the first athlete / Athlete’s time) * 100
In the results, next to each athlete’s time, both their race time and time points will be displayed.
– The first three winners of the categories will receive a cup and a medal. Medal is given to all who finish within the 9 hour time limit.
– Sponsor gifts, if any, will be distributed by lottery after an announcement in the wider venue or to the top three finishers in the events, depending on the sponsor’s preference.
The organising committee reserves the right to amend these rules without prior notice if necessary. Under no circumstances will any change alter the style of the competition.
