RULES & REGULATIONS
Photo courtesy Tim Keller
The following rules are subject to change.  Any rules shared at the event take precedence over these general rules. 
                           
DIVISIONS
Solo Male
Solo Female
2-4 Person Relay Team Men
2-4 Person Relay Team Women
2-4 Person Relay Team Coed*
Note: Relay divisions may be combined depending on number of teams registered

REGISTRATION FEES/SCHEDULE
$125 solo competitor
$85 per team member
Registration can be done online.  You can also drop off forms in person at the Raton Regional Aquatic Center.
After registration online closes, please email [email protected].

REFUND POLICY
50% refund until ONE MONTH before the race.

AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION
  • Not following the Race Rules
  • Trespassing on off-limit areas as dictated by the race map
  • Use of motorized transportation
  • Any intentional littering
  • Not assisting a fellow racer in danger or grave need
  • Assistance from any support crew member (if applicable) outside of transition areas unless instructed by specific race rules.
  • Tampering/sabotaging/disabling other participant’s equipment or gear by another participant or participant’s support team.
  • Failure to attend pre-race orientation meeting.

GENERAL RULES

Check Points and Transition area:
  • All registered relay teams and individuals are allowed one (1) support vehicle at Race starting line/transition area. Parking will be extremely limited at the starting location and around Lake Maloya. We also encourage spectators to be in place before the event starts and plan on staying in the area until the State Park portions of the event are complete to limit the amount of traffic on the road.
  • The Transition Area is for racers, one designated support person with event provided ID (per team or solo), and event staff.  It is OFF LIMITS to spectators.
  • The Transition/Staging Area will have a designated space for each participant/team by name for equipment, gear, etc.

Navigation
  • Unless otherwise instructed in the race rules, you must visit all the checkpoints in order using the mandatory mode of transportation (running, paddling, biking, etc.). Participants must follow the designated route of the race as outlined. Missing a checkpoint may result in a time penalty, being ranked below teams with more collected checkpoints or disqualification.

Teams
  • The team member that participates in the prior leg of the race MUST be the team member to pass the "baton" directly to the next team member participating in the next leg of the race. “Shuttling” the baton between team members is considered cheating and grounds for disqualification.
  • All persons/ teams must compete in the division in which they registered.
  • Teams must follow race instructions and avoid all off-limits areas.
  • Solos/Team members must sign all waivers and be present at any mandatory safety and pre-race meetings in order to participate.

Support Teams
  • Each solo participant and/or team is allowed one support vehicle at the starting area (Lake Maloya).
  • Support teams cannot trail/shadow their participant(s).  This is particularly true during the biking portion of the race.  Support crews can wait at the various check points of the biking portion for their participant to pass and/or can be called out by their participant (via radio or cell phone) if assistance is necessary.  A support crew caught shadowing its participant during the biking portion of the race can result in the disqualification of the participant/team.
  • Solo participants may have ONE support person in the transition area as needed and that ONE person must exhibit proper event provided ID.  Teams must provide support for one another.  No additional support people will be allowed in the transition area.

Required Gear
  • Participants are required to provide their own gear necessary to participate in the race. No gear will be provided by the Master of the Mountains Event.
  • Gear that is modified in such a way that is deemed non-usable or unsafe by the race staff will result in an immediate disqualification.
  • Helmets must be worn any time a racer is mounted on a bike. Penalties will be assessed.
  • In any water event, all racers must properly wear a Coast Guard Approved Type III Personal Flotation Device at all times while on the water. Penalties will be assessed.
  • Once the race begins, race numbers/bibs must be visible at all times.

Mandatory Individual Equipment List

Run Segment:
  • Portable Liquid Source (highly suggested, but not mandatory)
  • Maps provided by race officials

Paddling Segment:
  • Canoe/Kayak (any type watercraft large enough to accommodate participant and gear, and propelled only by the participant, will be permitted)
  • Coastguard approved PFD (life jacket)
  • Paddles

Biking Segment:
  • Helmet
  • Bike (mountain or road bike) Participants will be biking on a dirt road.
  • Absolutely no e-bikes or motorized bikes of any type. 
  • Participants may not change bikes. Only one bike is allowed.
  • Portable Liquid Source (highly suggested, but not mandatory)
  • One cell phone/radio per relay team/solo participant is recommended for safety emergencies.  Cell phones are to be used for emergency only.

Shooting Segment:  (See Course Details for in-depth Shooting Rules)
  • 12 or 20 gauge shotgun
  • At least 40-50 rounds of ammunition for the your gun of choice
  • Eye and ear protection
  • Securable carrying case
  • Ammunition carrier (as needed depending on the capacity of the firearm)

The day of the race should not be the first time you use a gun.  Please train and familiarize yourself with the gun you are using far in advance of the race.  This is a safety issue for yourself, our range masters and range volunteers, and other competitors.  At the range master's discretion, anyone deemed unsafe will be disqualified. 

Safety:
  • No U.S. law may be broken during the race.
  • No illegal drugs shall be used during the event.
  • Major injuries and medical emergencies take precedence over all rules.
  • A Race Director may modify race cut-off times at any time during the course of the race. This is for the safety of the group at large.
  • A Race Director or First Aid Attendant may disqualify and bar any individual from continuing that they feel the participant is injured or appears to be in health risk.
  • A Race Volunteer may hold an individual for health reasons until a Certified First Aid Attendant or Race Director arrives to assess their ability to continue the race. In the event they continue the waiting time will not be credited to the racer.

Other:
  • All racers should conduct themselves with the highest regard for their fellow racers’ safety.
  • All racers and spectators must follow a "Leave-No-Trace" ethic. No littering of any kind is allowed. If you see any trash that was left by other teams or litter in any way due to the event, pick it up!
  • A solo participant can also participate as a member of a team only if the solo participant is doing the running portion as the member of the team.
  • Non-team members are not allowed on the course without the approval of the race directors.
  • Any racer under the age of 18 requires parental consent.
  • The times recorded by the Purgatory 4 staff will be the official time. We strive to have final race rankings at the post-race party so that prizes can be distributed at that time. Formal requests or complaints entered within 30 minutes of the completion of the event will be entertained and after review from the race staff may result in changes to official times.
  • Official results of the race will be released within 24 hrs of the event. Unless the report contains the language 'Final Results' all data is considered tentative.
  • Rules may be added or changed at any time prior to the event. Racers are responsible for knowing the rules before the race starts. Rules can be altered during the event only if the change can be communicated to all participants.
  • The Master of the Mountains Event along with its host, sponsors, and /or affiliates are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged equipment.
  • Any team or individual that is caught cheating will be disqualified from the event.
  • Race Directors may specify at any time unforeseen illegal equipment.
  • All decisions of the Purgatory 4 Staff will be final.
  • Underlying these rules and adventure racing is sportsmanship and the honor system. Please keep our events honorable.
  • Race Directors may alter, modify, or cancel the event if necessary to ensure participants/spectators safety.
  • SPECTATORS who enter Sugarite Canyon State Park to watch any part of the event are required to pay $5 day use fee per vehicle. (Race participants will be given a pass for their vehicles.)
  • All solo participants/teams must have completed the event through the biking component by 2pm MST. For logistic purposes any individual/team(s) who has not completed the event through the biking portion will be asked to forfeit the remainder of the relay and remove themselves from the course.
  • Should a solo or team participant decide to not finish the race for any reason, he/she must notify a race official.
  • See Course Details for in-depth Shooting Rules

updated  12-28-24