Hammers 8 | Event Info

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Event Info

When

Sunday 20th November 2022. Race 8am til 4pm. You can arrive from 4pm Sat night if you have booked camping in advance. For on the day arrivals we will open the gates form 5am.

Where

The Nest, Hamsterley Forest, Durham. Grid reference: NZ 063 300. Pinpoint on a Google Map found here. There will be sign posts on the main roads leading to the forest. Please note that the event is not at the main forest car park/area.

W3W for the entrance location: https://w3w.co/ribs.next.hobbyists

Google pinpoint for the entrance location: https://maps.google.com/maps?z=12&t=h&q=loc:54.669327+-1.8596721

We will have markers out to guide you to the event HQ.

What are the distances?

There is a single 7 mile lap. You need to do as many as you can in 8 hours.

A link to the route can be found here: https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/NDIzMzkxMA==

It’s quite a technical course for a cross country race so make sure you bring your A game. Marshals will be positioned all along the race route for the safety of the riders. There will be a feed station to top up your water and get some nibbles. Apart from the mandatory kit it’s entirely up to you what you take round with you.

Is the course marked?

The course will be fully marked and there is a gpx available should any signs go missing.

Closed Trails

The trails that are used within this race will be closed to the public for the duration of the race. Be forewarned that this is regularly ignored and you may well bump into traffic when on the course. Please be patient

How much?

Let’s get this out the way straight away, the forestry fees have gone up significantly so the price to enter has had to go up from 2021 also. It’s not what we wanted to do but it’s either that or not do it, and we really want to do it!

Solo £60

Pairs £50

Entry includes an event memento, safety team, marshals, sign posted route, comms cover, feed/water station, lots of prize categories for the race, buckets full of climbing.

Just to be clear and up front, we offer no refunds or deferrals after 14 days. If you can sell your place and update your entry details then feel free.

Refunds, Deferrals and Substitutes

We are very clear when you sign up – no refunds or deferrals. You are welcome to sell your place on if you can’t make it. You can also switch riders within a team. You can edit your own team by logging into sientries and making the changes yourself. If you get stuck with changes then get in touch.

Event Schedule

Sat:

Those people who have booked camping can turn up from 4pm. Your parking fee is included in the camping fee and is given to the Forestry.

Sun:

05:00 – Barrier opens for competitors

06:00 – Registration opens in Event HQ

07:30 – Registration closes

7:45 – Safety briefing

08:00 – Start of Hammers 8!

Finish 8 hours later. Any laps completed after this point do not count.

One Vehicle Per Team

Due to restricted space there will be one vehicle allowed on the event site per team. Any pairs arriving in two vehicles will need to leave one of these vehicle in the Grove car park before proceeding to the site.

Parking

For people arriving for the day you can pay ON THE WAY OUT at The Grove car park using the ANPR ticket machine. Instead of entering your registration please use the code 9245 for a reduced fee of £4.

Those people who booked camping have this included in your fee which goes to the Forestry. You must have booked this in advance.

Registration

Registration will take place at the event HQ which will be a marquee in The Nest. You’ll get your number, cable ties and timing chip.

Camping

There will be an option for camping available from the Forestry England. This is really helpful for those who need to travel from distance. You are able to book this via editing your sientries. You can turn up any time from 4pm onwards on the Saturday before the event takes place. There is no camping option for the night after the event.

Camping is suitable for vans, sleeping in your car or small tents. No large tents or caravans please.

Toilets

We will have toilets on site for you to use. Bringing your won supply of refrigerated toilet roll is always a wise move for when the bog roll runs out.

Catering

One of the more curious rules of the Forestry is that we cannot provide catering. There is an “in-house” catering option at Hamsterley but we don’t know if they are coming along. In short, bring some food!

Water

There are no water supplies on site so please be prepared.

Rubbish

Take your rubbish home with you. The last thing we want to do is take a van full of other peoples rubbish away with us.

Feed Station

There will be one feed station near the highest point for those in need of some nutrition after a big effort.

Timing

Electronic timing will be used to gauge your position and all details will be available once they are posted online after the event. Due to the lack of signal in the valley live timing is not available. If you drop out of the event at any time after you have registered and collected your number, then you must go to the nearest checkpoint/marshal or Registration and let them know you are dropping out. Everyone needs to sign out whether you finished or not. Please hand in your timing chip or be charged for a replacement.

We have timing beacons placed at the outer reaches of the course to stop any shortcuts. If you do not pass through these beacons then your lap will not count. Please stick to the spirit of the race and follow the course as set out.

Transition

Teams need to ensure that two riders are not out on the course at the same time. Transition from one rider to another can be done within your own pit area when two riders are side by side. We have timing maps in and out of the lap so any anomalies will be checked. Any teams caught starting a new rider before the last rider is at the side will be disqualified.

Stopping at your Pit

You are welcome to stop at your own vehicle any time you wish to eat, drink, change clothes, fix your bike or whatever. The only rule is that you rejoin the course at the same place your left it. People may be tempted to jump a fence and skip part of the route but this will result in not passing a timing beacon and a lap not being registered. Stick to the course!!

Mandatory Kit

If you’ve entered an 8 hour race then you probably know what you’re doing.

Here is a list of kit you MUST have:

Helmet
Fully functioning bike

Here are some other suggested items:

Basic first aid kit.
Emergency whistle
Waterproof/Windproof jacket/gillet (can be one jacket)
Mobile phone. It will only work when high up but it can be a vital lifeline in an emergency.

Dropping Out

You can drop out any time you wish. You do not need to hand anything in but you are stuck on site until the race has finished. Our advice if you are struggling is to just take an extended break and see how you feel afterwards.

Medical

We will gave a medical team on site. If this team treat you then they need to fill out some paperwork so please allow them to do so. We strongly recommend that you follow their advice if it is given. If a rider is prone on the course then diversions may be put into place, the race may be paused or the race may be abandoned. The medical team may ask you to wear a face mask while close for treatment.

COVID

This is an outdoor event but please help with the reduction in transmission rates by keeping socially distanced where possible. There is no requirement to wear a facemask at this event.