Safety Briefing
BRISBANE TRAIL ULTRA SAFETY BRIEFING AND FIRST NATION PEOPLE’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT /
FORMAL ADDRESS
Brisbane Trail Ultra acknowledges Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the traditional custodians of the land. We recognise First People’s continuous connection to land, waters, and community and their continued connection to and sharing of Culture.
We acknowledge and pay our respects to Elders’ past, present, and emerging. We are lucky enough to be travelling through two traditional Owner regions, Turrbal and Jinibura Country. We acknowledge and respect the Turrbal and Jinibura the traditional custodians of the land.
Turrbal Country on the Brisbane Trail Ultra course it covers from Kangaroo Point Cliffs to Scrub Road. Runners in the BTU110 and BTU100Mile course also enter Jinibara Country, Lawyer Vine people of the Rainforest.
The traditional name of Brisbane is Meeanjin - the place of the blue water lilies, The Turrbal's tracks form the basis of many modern-day roads. Waterworks Road from Ashgrove is built on a Turrbal track that leads to Mount Coot-tha.
Many suburbs and places in Brisbane have names derived from Turrbal words. Woolloongabba is meaning "whirling water".
The Jinibara People are the mountain people. Their name means "people of the lawyer vine" (bara meaning "people" and Jini meaning "lawyer vine".
We want to look after the land as we follow in the footsteps of our First Nations people and follow the Leave No Trace Principles.
Plan and prepare.
Stay on the trails
Dispose of waste properly.
Leave what you find.
Respect wildlife.
Be considerate of your hosts and other visitors.
Trail Running is a dangerous sport, and you may be injured, lost, dehydrated, or just plain exhausted. If you are sick, DO NOT RUN. If you become unwell on the course, make yourself known to the staff and support crew, and we will get you seen by a medical officer and withdraw you from the event.
You need to look after yourself, stay alert, and watch every step. Snakes live in the national park. If you have been bitten by a snake, you must stay still, push your emergency SOS button on your tracker, and phone the MEDIC HOTLINE 0400 019 158. Avoid moving. Apply your 10cm heavy-weight snake bite bandage, and don’t move until help arrives. Lie flat and watch the leaves above you.
This year, the National Park rangers have noted the presence of pigs and dingoes in the national park. Please avoid contact if you see them and do not approach or feed them. Wait for them to move off the trails before you continue.
· When crossing roads, you MUST wear your high vis vest, and you must give way to cars and other vehicles. Cars have the right of way on the course. Only cross the road if it is safe to do so.
· Remove your earphones when crossing roads for your own safety; we highly recommend Shokz Open Ear Headphones, which allow you to hear your surroundings.
For your safety, take the direction of volunteer marshals. Be kind and respectful to all marshals and volunteers. Any runner found disobeying a marshal on the road sections of the course will be immediately disqualified.
Police will be on the road sections on La Trobe and Given Terrace during peak periods for your safety. Follow the instructions of’ instructions.
· Remove earphones when running near others, or wear Shokz Open Ear Headphones so you can hear if a runner would like to pass you;, please show good trail etiquette and give way to those wanting to pass.
· Avoid loud music so you can hear cyclists, mountain bikes and cars around you. Avoid music and other distractions through areas with road crossings. Stay aware of your surroundings
· Use the provided hand sanitiser at the checkpoints, emergency water stops, finish line, and toilets.
Please stay alert and make sure you follow the Capra App map and course markings. There will be a course marker at approximately 500m intervals. Several close markers will lead you around intersections or follow the arrow. Forested single trail markings will be placed much closer together. Pink ribbon with or without a reflective marker pink arrows and crosses will mark the course. Event notification signs may also be seen en route. Keep a map handy for when you are in unfamiliar areas, especially road sections to help you navigate in case of missing markers.
Heavily forested areas like the Black Cockatoo Single Trail on the 60km course are marked at around 100m intervals or line of sight, as it can be a bit technical in some areas. If you are injured in these locations and have little phone reception, let a passing runner know your location, or have the runner find the nearest marker and forward the message to the CP Staff. Our sweepers will be following closely behind the last runner with first aid supplies. Vehicle support is on course and stationed in locations such as the top of Black Cockatoo Trail (SES) and will be able to assist. Press the Emergency button on your hired GPS tracker and we will be alerted straight away of a situation and given your exact location. Please only use this feature in the event of an emergency, as it sends out an SOS distress call to our event operations centre and we will be calling you immediately. If you do not answer, we will send a vehicle to find you.
Follow the “Arrows” in the direction it is pointing. The symbol “X” marks the wrong way, do not go this way. There are many sections that we are unable to place the symbol “X” so please watch carefully and follow the course markers. If you haven’t seen a course marker for more than 500 meters please stop, think and retrace your steps and go back to your last marker and check your position on your map. Pull out your phone and use your CAPRA App, which is part of your mandatory gear, and follow the correct route. There are many off-shoot trails along the course. We have marked the course so there is either an arrow (continue the way of the arrow) or several ribbons leading you through an intersection. Only follow these course markings.
You will be able to jump onto your live GPS tracking which will also assist you in locating yourself.
If you are still unable to locate yourself, stop, conserve your energy, and please call the BTU Hotline for assistance. This number is 0461 422 352
Contact numbers are on your Race Bib and we will be able to help you. Use the emergency button on your hired GPS tracker to alert us if you have no reception. If you press this button, please stay where you are, and stay warm until one of our vehicles has located you. Make sure your phone is ready to receive a call from the event operations team. Wear your thermal gear, space blanket and other mandatory gear clothing to stay warm.
DO NOT put your phone on plane mode as we NEED to be able to contact you. Put power banks and chargers in your drop bags to ensure you have phone access for the entirety of your race. If we are unable to contact you, we will send a vehicle out to find you.
100-mile and 110km runners must be weighed in at the start line. Please check in with event staff at the start line. Your weight will be logged on your race bib and start line logs. You will again be weighed at CP2, 45km into your run. If you lose more than 3% body weight or gain weight then we will ask you to see the First Aid officer for further assessment. If you have lost more than 3% body weight and you are showing signs of dehydration or generally looking unwell, then we will ask you to stay at the checkpoint until you have recovered, or on the advice of the medical officer, you may be pulled from the course. Please do not stress, we’ve never pulled a runner from the course for more and 3% weight loss, we just want to look after you.
If you gain weight this is also a sign of danger as this could indicate your body is no longer regulating your salts and electrolytes properly. This can be fatal, especially if you continue to drink plain water. We provide electrolytes at the aid station. Please use them; they are for your own safety.
Please note that all 110km and 100mi runners may be subject to a welfare check at every checkpoint by the checkpoint medic prior to leaving. This is for your safety as well as the safety of your fellow runners and volunteers. Purposely avoiding a check could lead to race penalties, including disqualification.
If you run past someone injured and are able to walk to the next checkpoint, please alert any on-course personnel and checkpoint staff to know someone is injured. Please note their location (look on the next trail marker) and bib number. Please also call the Event medical hotline at 0400 019 158 printed on the back of your bib, and we will arrange help for them. This information will aid with their “ETA” time at the checkpoint.
If you come across a runner who is seriously injured, please call the emergency numbers on your bib and follow the directions given. Please do not leave the injured runner until help has arrived. Avoid hypothermia while you are waiting. Keep yourself and the injured runner warm until help arrives. Use your mandatory gear as previously mentioned. If you are out of phone reception, push the emergency button on your GPS tracker and we will find you. Tell the next passing runner both of your bib numbers and give details of the injury or sickness to them. Ask them to phone the Medical Hotline when they are in reception. Again, It is important that you stay with that injured/sick runner until help arrives. We will thank you for looking after another injured runner. The time that you lose to care for your fellow competitor will be deducted from your overall time.
The national park may be closed at any time due to extreme weather events such as bushfires, storms, high winds, or flash flooding. Continue to your closest checkpoint and we will direct you from here. Evacuation points will be the closest checkpoint. Please listen to the event staff and follow directions to the closest checkpoint for your evacuation.
Please note recent hazard control burns have been performed throughout the National Park. Rangers have stated that some trees and large branches were compromised during the burns and there may be a larger amount of trunks and branches around Township Break, Double Break, Whoa Boy, and Carbould loop.
Due to these burns, there has been a course change for BTU100Mi.
An extra loop has been added at CP3.
Taylors Break has been removed and the route will now follow Job 6 and Light Line until the Township Break junction.
As we are hosting the Golden Trail Series Final, we are offering a Bottle Service for the top 20 Male and Female Runners on the GTS Leader Board.
This bottle will be available for you at 13km E-Break, Sth Boundary Junction. All other runners will have access to water.
Please label your bottle so it can be seen easily with your BIB number on it.
To ensure a fair BTU we will be checking all podium STRAVA files of the podium runners for all events.
As many runners will be flying along the trails, please be mindful that mountain bikes are also on course. Runners must give way to mountain bikes. This is the same for horses. Horses will usually be seen on the fire trails so please give way for the horses and riders to pass safely. Although it is illegal for trail motorbikes to be in the national park, they have been seen riding on the trails. Please take care if you hear them for your own safety, let others around you know what you have heard, and notify us by calling the event hotline printed on your bib and also notify the next checkpoint of your sightings.
Look after each other. Be kind to your fellow runner, remember even though this is a race, trail running and ultra trail running can be a dangerous sport and we all need to be aware of our fellow trail runners to ensure each other’s safety.
Be careful and only pass when it is safe to pass. The best way to let someone know that you’d like to pass is to greet them so they know you are approaching. Have a chat and let them know you’d like to pass. “Passing on the right, when it is next safe for both of us”. Then pass.
Hell hole Break, Township Break, Westridge Break, and Black Soil Break are all incredibly steep descents with a slippery creek crossing at the bottom so please be careful as vehicle access to these spots is limited. If you are injured here there may be a delayed response time before help arrives. Please be careful and stay safe in these areas. We are putting out ropes on Township Break to help your descent. Be careful the ground is quite loose and it is not unusual to slip here.
Brisbane Trail Ultra, has a dedicated Queensland Ambulance Service on the course.
If you need urgent medical assistance, please call
0400 019 158.
This phone will give you a direct message to our medical commander, and they will be able to assist you.
For all other non-life-threatening race participant inquiries, contact the EVENT HOTLINE at 0461 422 352
The EVENT HOTLINE number is for urgent race information only, we do not want the Event Hotline to be clogged with questions that can be answered by reading our website.
This number is urgent race competitor-related questions like course markers have been removed from a section of the course, dirt bikes have been spotted , I am lost, I think I’ve gone the wrong way etc.
If you call this hotline with a non-race participant question, you may be putting someone’s life at risk.
All other event questions can be answered on our Race Pages, Event Itinerary, Locations, BTU Rules, Pacers, Maps, GPS Trackers, or the Information Menu on our website. Please familiarise yourself now with the website.
Vehicles are moving around on course to keep you safe. You may see them at the intersections such as Hell Hole Break and South Boundary Rd, Joyners & England Creek, Boot Break & Burnt Yard Break Intersection, Township Break, Gold Creek Rd and Gold Creek Boundary Break. We also have QAS 4WD Ambulances roaming the park in case of an emergency. All American Wheeling and SES will be our vehicular support, helping injured runners and help to sweep the course. Please be respectful of the vehicles out supporting you and please listen to their direction if they come towards you as it is likely we have contacted them to find you.
If you are going to withdraw from the event, and are faced with a “Did not Finish” please pull out at the closest checkpoint. If you are unable to make it to the checkpoint, please call the event numbers below and let the management staff know that you will be DNF-ing the BTU. Otherwise, we will have to come and find you, which could be a very embarrassing exercise for you as we would have dedicated a response team to you. You MUST let the Checkpoint Staff, BTU Event Staff know if you are DNF-ing. Return your GPS Tracker and foot pod to the checkpoint, as it will alert us and. the public on the “Track Me Live” & Onetime website that you are driving home or the course.
If you DNF, you are responsible for your own transport home or back to your hotel. Download the Uber App now: be aware of there could be long wait times if you withdraw on a Saturday night, Sunday morning in a remote area.
A High Visibility Vest IS COMPULSORY for ALL Runners BTU20, BTU30, BTU60, BTU110 and BTU100Mi when moving through the urban sectors of Brisbane. Word for word from our police permits:
“High visibility vests must be worn by participants, pacers, and volunteer traffic marshals at all road crossings and listed roads from travel between Bardon and the finish location. High visibility vests must be worn by participants, pacers, and volunteer traffic marshals at all road crossings and listed roads between sunset and sunrise.”
This is not negotiable. You will not be allowed to leave CP6 without your high vis vest on and worn through the footpaths from Bardon to the City and crossing the roads in the residential area. You will be asked by CP6 to remove this from your pack and show them before you leave the CP, this includes BTU20.
At dusk and until sunrise, everyone MUST wear a head torch and high visibility vest. For runners leaving other checkpoints after 3 pm, all competitors including pacers MUST carry with them a head torch and backup torch and batteries and high visibility vest ready to wear at sunset.
Random spot checks will be conducted over the course for the entrants. A time penalty of 2 hours will be given to a runner found not carrying the full mandatory gear list. See the detailed mandatory gear list for each event on our website. Pacers must carry mandatory gear. 100-mile pacers from checkpoint 4, must carry full mandatory gear especially if they are running through the night. Pacers starting from checkpoint 5 must carry a minimum of 60km mandatory gear, and 100-mile mandatory gear is highly recommended, especially if running through the night. Checkpoint of 6 pacers must carry a minimum of 30km mandatory gear; please ask your pacers to dress to the conditions, as it is the middle of winter and they may be meeting you in the middle of the night.
If a pacer is found without the required mandatory gear for the section they are pacing, the runner will be penalised with a 2 Hour Time penalty. The 2 Hour Time penalty will be added to their runner’s finishing time. The pacer and the runner will have to remain at the checkpoint until the mandatory gear can be added their the pacers kit. If the required mandatory gear can be located and added to the pacers kit, the pacer will be removed from the course and will have to arrange their own travel to the finish line at their own expense.
No Foul Weather Kit - Confirmed 5pm Friday before the event.
Cups and Soft Flasks
Brisbane Trail Ultra is a Cup Free Event in the National Park. We sourced different soups for the BTU60, BTU110, and BTU100Mi. Not all of our soups come in a cup. Please make sure you have a cup, plastic bowl or mug in your drop bag and a soup or a fork so you can eat your soup. A reusable takeaway bowl would be perfect.
The CAPRA App can be used offline and is part of your mandatory gear. There are “few loops” or “out and backs” on the BTU course where you have to pay special attention so you don’t miss it and get lost, if in doubt, use the app, there are directional arrows at these intersections. Cross the timing mats in these locations to make sure we know you are on the right track. Also, a failure to travel through these sections of the course and cross the timing mats will incur a 2hr or more hour time penalty or disqualification if you intentionally miss them, & do not return and complete the missed section on the course. Your GPS tracker will show us your movements on the course, so it is in your best interest to pay attention to the markers and follow the course markers closely. Please familiarise yourself with your CAPRA Map, upload the relevant GPX file onto your smartwatches. This is part of your mandatory gear. These spots include the:
Egernia Circuit and Jolly’s Lookout at the 39km mark of the 110km and 100-mile course
Double/Taylor’s/Standpipe Break turn around the loop at the 50km mark of the 110km course
On the Kulgun circuit, 12km from the finishing line of all event courses, this circuit runs in a clockwise direction and follows the natural flow of the trails in this area. Please familiarise yourself with the map and follow the signs at this junction. A timing mat will be placed on the circuit to help us confirm you have been through this area.
Other tricky turns are on the BTU100Mile Course at The Mount Nebo Waste Depot. This is a right-hand turn at the container to follow the Nebo Dump Break and then onto the Horse Trail. Keep your maps handy to help you navigate through this area.
The Mount Nebo Break turns into checkpoint 1, McAfee’s Lookout, which is also tricky. Look out for the timing mat at the top of the break on your right and follow the signage. You will then go through a gate before hitting a sharp left into the checkpoint at McAfee’s Lookout.
For the safety of tired runners entering and exiting the checkpoint, only BTU100Mi, BTU110 support crews will be allowed to park at CP6 Mt Coot-Tha Car Park. These support crews will need to make themselves known to the checkpoint staff on entry. BTU60, BTU30, support crews can find parking on Scenic Drive, Sir Samuel Griffith Drive City View Carpark. BTU10 and BTU20 runners are also to park on Scenic Drive, or Sir Samuel Griffith Drive City View Carpark. crossing this section.
Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious Roads are extremely narrow with large drop-offs with arguably the highest fatality rate in Queensland. It is a favourite for cyclists and motorbikes. Recently, large potholes have emerged on many of the bends of the road, there are traffic lights to stop traffic between CP2-CP3 and CP4-and Return to Mount Nebo, they are set on a long timer, please be patient and allow for extra time to get to the checkpoint. Please take care when driving up to checkpoints 2, 3 & 4 on Mount Nebo and Mount Glorious roads. DO NOT SPEED, the mountain road is windy and there is a large police presence here.
If you are on the course after 8 pm its is highly recommended that you have a pacer with you at CP6. Your pacer must be carrying a minimum of 30km course mandatory gear. Pacers must “Check-In” with Check Point Staff Prior to entering the course. Please note, pacers cannot pick up their race packs at the checkpoint as these MUST be picked up at registration.
There are certain suburban areas that are difficult to mark. We are not allowed to put markers on people’s fences! One example is along Northam Avenue. You will see arrows on the white fence on the middle traffic island and on trees. This year, Suncorp Stadium will be holding an event just prior and we are unable to mark fully through this area. There may only be pink ribbon through this area before you hit the Milton overpass so please have your Capra App open.
After leaving Milton Green, you will enter a well-used bike path, the Bicentennial bikeway, a shared bike, and a pedestrian area. Care when turning right here at the Coronation Drive Tunnel. Be extra careful at these intersections as they are blind spots, and a bike may be moving swiftly through this area, especially on Sunday morning at 6 am. This is also a difficult area to mark. Please enter the bikeway. Pacers are your fresh eyes for these sections!
Be careful when turning onto the Goodwill Bridge. The same applies as with The Link through Milton Green onto Coronation Drive. This is a very heavily used cyclist area.
There may be a few electric scooters out on the bikeway and city sections, so be aware that these riders may not be expecting runners and may not have much experience with these vehicles. Please make them aware of your presence and try to avoid getting too close where possible.
Look after the safety of your children. Climbing on fencing and barriers is prohibited. Swimming is not advised in the Brisbane River. Bull Sharks are very inquisitive and are abundant in our Brisbane river systems.
Congratulations!! You have just crossed the line to complete the Brisbane Trail Ultra! Please come into the recovery area, hydrate first with either a hammer fizz or enterocytes, have some recovery nutrition at Joey’s Cafe, we will have a TAB on the BAR and have a Beer, or a Vodka Mixerpost-race, pizza and chips waiting for you! RUN FAST and enjoy the post race party with the best view in Brisbane.
If you are not well, make yourself known to our first aid staff and we will look after you.
Time to hit the our activations at either CP6 Salomon GTS Party, 12:00 - 4:30pm or BTU Bar at Joeys 5-10pm
Drop bags will be delivered when possible throughout the race. Sunday, 3 pm is the cut off time to Drop bag Collection. All “finish line bags” will be delivered on Saturday or Sunday if you are in the BTU20. Please be considerate with times, we will do our best to have the bags available for you in a timely manor.
Stay safe, enjoy the beautiful rainforests, single trails and views. Look after each other and you will have an amazing adventure.
COVID-19 SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
Along with the formal safety briefing notes below, we must ensure all COVID-19 Safe event rules and checklists are followed. Please follow all regulations that apply to the Outdoor Recreational Activities Framework and Events Framework.
Our responsibilities as event organisers and your responsibilities as runners, support crew, volunteers, and event personnel are to:
· Comply with the health directions of government and public health authorities as issued
· Understand and act in accordance with the event plans as set out in this safety briefing
· Comply with any testing and precautionary measures implemented as directed
· Act with honesty and integrity in regard to the state of your personal health and any potential symptoms
· Monitor your personal health and take a cautious approach to self-isolation and report any potential symptoms
· We advise you to download the COVIDSafe App onto your phone
Please check in to all checkpoints using the QR Codes provided. That includes event staff, support crew, and volunteers.
Our key messages for COVID-19 safety are:
· Stay at home if you are unwell or have a cough, fever, sore throat, fatigue, or shortness of breath.
· Stay at home if you have been in a COVID-19 Hotspot in the last 14 days
· Stay at home if you have been in contact with a COVID-19 infected person in the last 14 days
· Maintain social distancing at all times- stay 1.5m apart at all times.
· Sanitise hands on the entry into each checkpoint with the hand sanitiser provided and as often as required
· Refrain from spitting and clearing your nose on course.
· Cough into your elbow
· Limit touching of eyes, nose and mouth
· Only touch your own drop bag and do not handle others
· If nutrition and hydration from the checkpoint is required, sanitise your hands prior to filling water bottles. Event staff will not be required to do this for you to avoid unnecessary contact.
· Follow directions as all checkpoints are one-directional to reduce bottlenecks
· When using the porta-loos, sanitise your hands prior to entry and spray the cubicle with disinfectant provided on exit.
· If you have a support person with you, please give your drop bag to them to take away
· All tissues, and other rubbish, must go into the bins provided.
· Do not share food and water with others.
· Do not share clothing, personal protective equipment, or other equipment.
· Avoid unnecessary contact with others
· Sanitise your hands as frequently as possible. We recommend bringing your own hand sanitiser in your drop bags
· All support crew members must register their attendance. Jump onto our website and go to the race entry page to register all checkpoint locations you will be attending
· If you develop any potential signs of being ill during the event, immediately isolate yourself from others and call the medical hotline for further direction.
· The BTU Event Medical Hotline Number is 0400 019 158