Sports rules “Carpathian Mountain Running Circuit”: these rules apply to the msg Apuseni Marathon and only to participants in the marathon race.

1.1. msg Maraton Apuseni uses the following as its competition route, but not limited to: public roads, forest roads, marked and unmarked tourist trails, steep valleys, scree slopes, ridges; it passes through villages, meadows, forests, clearings, alpine gaps, rugged areas, etc.

1.2. The route is unpaved and unprotected, so there is a risk of injury and/or death from hazards common to outdoor competitions. These include, but are not limited to: collisions with motor vehicles, other vehicles, rocks, cliffs, trees, people, other objects; falls, slips, injuries caused by cold and/or heat, hypothermia, heatstroke, dehydration, frostbite, burns, altitude sickness, falling rocks, hail, snow, rock and/or landslides, flash floods, storms, lightning, animals, reptiles, insects, fires, drowning, physical exertion.

1.3. All competitors must demonstrate fair play and allow faster competitors to pass without obstructing them, and provide assistance to competitors in difficulty who request it.

1.4. The competition route is not closed to other traffic participants (motor vehicles, vehicles, pedestrians, tourists, animals, and others). This means that participants are required to comply with the rules of conduct in traffic imposed by law. Any accident caused by and/or involving participants in the msg Apuseni Marathon competition, occurring during the competition due to failure to comply with the competition rules and the rules of conduct in traffic imposed by law, will be the responsibility of those involved in the accident.

All of this requires special experience and knowledge on the part of the participant, such as:

every participant should have at least general experience of the mountains,

every participant should have the ability to safely navigate a route in an alpine area,

every participant should be experienced enough to navigate a difficult alpine route (e.g., a fixed rope passage),

every participant should have a good sense of direction in mountainous terrain, even in bad weather and low visibility. This means that each participant should be able to use a map and route information to arrive safely.

every participant should know the rules of conduct in case of danger in the mountain area.

All participants should be aware and have an attitude that takes into account the fact that no matter how many safety measures the organizers take, not all risks resulting from the nature of the competitions, the environment, and the conditions in which they take place can be covered.

All participants should be aware and take into account that no prize is more important than their health and life and/or that of other participants and should act accordingly when they feel or observe a danger.

2.1. It includes a series of mountain running competitions organized by independent legal entities.

2.2. The races that are part of the Circuit are divided into three competitive categories: Individual, Teams, and Night Races. To see all the competitions and events that are part of the “Carpathian Circuit,” visit www.circuitulcarpatilor.ro.

2.3. Rankings will be made by category: Individual, Teams, and Night Races. In each category, the best half+1 of the competitions included in the Circuit calendar will be scored.

2.4. For all those who participate in more than half+1 of the competitions, bonus points will be awarded as follows:

15 points for each first and second race above the half+1 limit

25 points for each third and fourth race above the half+1 limit

50 points for the following races

Example: The individual category has 14 races in the calendar, the half+1 limit is 8 races. If an athlete participates in 13 races, their final score will be the sum of the following:

the best 8 results from the 13 races
15 + 15 bonus points for the ninth and tenth races
25 + 25 bonus points for the eleventh and twelfth races
50 bonus points for the thirteenth race

2.5. Team Scoring

2.5.1. In the “Teams” category, points are awarded as follows: 100, 90, 80, 75, 70, 68, 66, 64, 62, 60 points (for 10th place), 58, 56, 54, 52, 50, 48, 46, 44, 42, 40 points (for 20th place), 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30 points (for 30th place), 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20 points (for 40th place), 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10 points (for 50th place), 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 points for 55th place and for all participants who finished the race within the time limit. Two points for all those who started but did not finish the race.

2.5.2. Points are awarded according to the order in the competition rankings, OPEN male and female. Mixed teams receive points from the OPEN male ranking. Athletes from the same team receive the same number of points.

2.5.3. The final rankings of the Carpathian Circuit – Teams will be made individually, male and female.

2.6. Night Race Scoring

2.6.1. In the “Night Races” category, points are awarded as follows: 100, 90, 80, 75, 70, 68, 66, 64, 62, 60 points (for 10th place), 58, 56, 54, 52, 50, 48, 46, 44, 42, 40 points (for 20th place), 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30 points (for 30th place), 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20 points (for 40th place), 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10 points (for 50th place), 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 points for 55th place and for all participants who finished the race within the time limit. Two points for all those who started but did not finish the race.

2.6.2. Points are awarded according to the order in the competition rankings, OPEN male and female.

2.6.3. The final rankings of the Carpathian Circuit – Night Races will be made individually, male and female.

2.7. Individual Scoring

2.7.1. The event that counts for the Carpathian Circuit will be taken into account for the awarding of points. The race coefficient is calculated taking into account the length of the race, the difference in altitude, and the number of participants, as follows: (no. of km + difference in altitude/100) x 10 + no. of participants in the event = race coefficient

2.7.2. For accuracy, the race coefficient will be calculated after the start.

2.7.3. If the race coefficient value is between 0 and 500, the score starts at a maximum of 100 points and is awarded according to the table below.

2.7.4. If the race coefficient value is between 501 and 1000, the score starts at a maximum of 150 points and is awarded according to the table below.

2.7.5. If the travel coefficient value is above 1000, the score starts at a maximum of 200 points and is awarded according to the table below.

2.7.6. Five points will also be awarded to all other participants who finished the race within the time limit. Two points will be awarded to all those who started but did not finish the race.

2.7.7. Points are awarded according to the order in the competition rankings, OPEN male and female.

2.7.8. There are two final rankings for the Carpathian Circuit – Individual, male and female.

3.1. msg Maraton Apuseni is part of the Carpathian Mountain Running Circuit.

3.2. Mountain running competition, individual/teams/night.

4.1. OPEN Women: 18-29 years old; 30-39 years old; 40-49 years old; 50+ years old;
OPEN Men: 18-29 years old; 30-39 years old; 40-49 years old; 50-59 years old; 60-69 years old; 70+ years old;
4.2. Categories with fewer than 5 participants may be combined with another category at the organiser’s discretion.
4.3. The age reached on the date of the competition will be taken into account.

5.1. Mandatory: 0.5l water bottle + at least 0.5l of liquid at the start; food (at least two bars or gels at the start); backpack or waist bag; long pants, long-sleeved shirt; raincoat; cap or hat; running shoes with treaded soles; map and number (the last two will be included in the starter pack).

5.2. In case of low temperatures and/or snow, the following items will also be mandatory: overtrousers, an extra layer on top (fleece jacket or down jacket), a pair of thick gloves, a pair of thick socks; fanny packs and caps will no longer be accepted.

5.3. Recommended: walking sticks, phone, flashlight, whistle, survival blanket, cat claws

5.4. Equipment will be checked at the start and finish areas, and may also be checked along the route. The absence of any piece of equipment will result in a 10-minute penalty. Please note that this is a race taking place in a mountainous area and the weather can change very quickly.

6.1. Length: 44.1 km, elevation gain + 2540 m. Route description.

6.2. The published route may be subject to change for various reasons, including weather conditions, safety, traffic restrictions, etc.

6.3. Each competitor is required to follow the official route, obey the instructions of the referees, and refrain from using shortcuts or other similar advantages.

7.1. Registration validation will take place one day before the competition between 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. and on Saturday morning between 6:00 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.

7.2. The technical meeting will take place on the evening before the race, starting at 8:00 p.m. A short briefing to communicate any news and changes will take place before the start.

8.1. The race number will be received upon validation of registration, one day before the competition, after the participant has completed and signed the registration form, the liability waiver, and paid the registration fee.

8.2. The race number must be worn and visible throughout the race. The logos on the number must be visible.

8.3. The number must not be cut or altered in any way. Failure to comply with this rule will result in disqualification.

Timing is done with an electronic/manual system.

10.1. June 6, 8:00 a.m., Buscat Ski & Summer Resort base camp, at an altitude of 1,600 m.

10.2. The start area opens 30 minutes before and closes 10 minutes before the official start time.

10.3. The start area will be divided as follows:

Sector A – the top three ranked competitors in the Carpathian Circuit (in the respective event: individual/teams/night) + the top three ranked competitors in all categories in the 2023 edition (if registered)

Sector B – all other registered competitors.

10.4. Entry into the start area is only through the access gates.

10.5. Upon entering the start area, equipment will be checked and each competitor will be checked off on the start sheet. Those who do not appear on the start sheet will be considered absent from the start and will not be ranked.

10.6. Once inside, the competitor must remain in the start area.

10.7. The start will be open for 15 minutes after the official start time. Those who miss the start and will start the race within these 15 minutes must notify the officials at the start, and the timing will be done in accordance with the official start time. Participants who start after the 15 minutes will not be included in the rankings.

A possible neutralized start will be announced at the briefing. In the event of such a start, overtaking the leading vehicle is not permitted. Failure to comply with this rule will result in disqualification.

There are mandatory checkpoints along the route. Participants who do not pass through a checkpoint in their natural order (regardless of the reason) will be disqualified. Each competitor’s race number can be noted in order of arrival at each checkpoint.

The time limits will also be announced at the technical meeting, but they may be changed by the organizer in case of changes in weather or competition conditions. Any changes to the time limits will be announced before the start. Participants must pass the announced points by the set times, otherwise, for their own safety, they will be stopped from the race and directed to retreat to safe areas.

14.1. The route may include areas with a high level of difficulty where the timer may be stopped.

14.2. The organizer may stop the clock and/or request that speed be reduced and/or that these areas be traversed on foot and with particular caution. The organizer may place markers to warn of such areas and/or may use safety features (fixed ropes, etc.).

15.1. The finish line is the Buscat Ski & Summer Resort base camp, at an altitude of 1600 m.

15.2. Upon arrival, mandatory equipment will be checked.

16.1. The organizer reserves the right to stop a participant in the following cases:

– They have been injured after the start, and their condition no longer allows them to continue the race.

– In exceptional cases.

16.2. Any participant who can no longer or no longer wishes to continue the race, regardless of the reason, is required to inform the organizer immediately at one of the following locations: at the start, at the checkpoints, at the finish, or by calling the emergency number that will be announced at the technical meeting.

16.3. Failure to announce withdrawal from the race may result in a search and rescue operation (rescue teams, mountain rescue, etc.) at the expense of the participant involved.

16.4. Withdrawal can be confirmed by signing the arbitration sheet.

16.5. Any participant who withdraws will be assisted with the best withdrawal option but is responsible for their own transportation, the route they will use, and their actions after the moment and place of withdrawal, except in serious cases that do not allow travel by their own means.

17.1. Participants in the Apuseni Marathon, nominated for the Carpathian Circuit, will receive points based on the OPEN rankings for men and women.

Leaving debris, packaging, or equipment along the routes will result in disqualification and a ban from participating in the Carpathian Circuit in the future.

19.1. Supporters may verbally encourage any competitor provided that they comply with traffic rules, instructions from authorities and/or officials, and do not interfere with the competition.

19.2. Any outside assistance (from supporters, spectators, etc.) will be penalized, with the exception of assistance provided at designated refueling points, where competitors, in addition to the drinks, fruit, and energy foods provided by the organizer, may also receive other foods and liquids. Another exception is in special cases (first aid).

19.3. Assistance between competitors is also permitted outside the specially designated areas. Assistance means support with water, food, accessories, etc.

19.4. Any assistance provided by or from moving vehicles is prohibited.

• shortening the route = disqualification

• doping = disqualification

• overtaking the lead vehicle in the event of a neutralized start = disqualification

• failure to respect the environment = disqualification and ban from participating in future races.

• race number not visible = warning

• changing the race number = disqualification

• receiving outside assistance outside the designated areas = 60 minutes

• failure to comply with other competition rules = disqualification

• lack of fair play towards other participants, officials, the public, etc. = disqualification

• lack of electronic chip (if used) = disqualification + payment of chip deposit

• lack of a mandatory piece of equipment = 10 minutes/item

  Statements by officials, video and photo evidence, and reasoned appeals by athletes may be taken into account in determining penalties. The participation fee will not be refunded in the event of disqualification.

21.1. Any participant may lodge a complaint against another participant who has not complied with the competition rules or against the decisions of the officials.

21.2. The written protest, together with a fee of 200 lei, shall be submitted to the race office after arrival or within a maximum of 15 minutes after the provisional final results are posted. The protest shall be resolved within the next 60 minutes.

21.3. The fee shall be refunded to the petitioner if the protest is accepted.

By registering, paying, and participating, each participant confirms that they have read, understood, and accepted the conditions of participation and these rules, assumes the risks of participating in the msg Apuseni Marathon, and is responsible for their own actions, which should take into account relevant circumstances such as: weather changes, traffic, weather and snow conditions, the area in which they are located, equipment.