RULES

HOW TO BATTLE THE ROMANIAN LONGHORN DRAGON (ZMEU)

The ZmeuX-Fest® is an mountain running event that takes place in northern part of Romania, Campulung Moldovenesc, Bucovina region. Is also the open event from WMRA World Cup 2025 !

Each race takes place in one single stage, at within a time limit.

  • Short Uphill: 9,8 km with 1.010 m of elevation +/- 
  • Classic Mountain: 19,6 km with 1.750 m of elevation +/-;  part of WMRA World Cup 2025
  • Long Mountain: 38 km with 2.250 m of elevation +/-
  • RUNC Everesting: 89 km cu 8.848 m of elevation +/- (19 loops)

The races are open to any person, male or female, licensed, or not. A declaration of liability has to be signed by the parents from participants born in 2007 or younger.

The participants born between 2007 and 2011 may only participate in the Short Uphill or Classic Mountain race.

Registration has to be made online at the registration official web page. The indemnity provision and the conditions for participation have to be accepted during online registration. A participant only becomes entitled to a starting slot after a successful payment provided that slots are still available.

Each participant has to pick up his/her starting pack IN PERSON with a valid ID. NO EXCEPTION ADMITTED.

Athletes who have been found guilty of doping will not be admitted. Moreover, the organizer is entitled to disqualify athletes for reasons important to the organizer as inappropriate behaviour, not carrying the mandatory equipment, being help by others in the other areas.

Registration is available online in official webpage. All registrations and management of all entrant’s data are handled by our own service. By registering to the ZmeuX-Fest®, competitors automatically accept the competition regulations. Registration is final. The fee must be paid online by credit card via a secure payment system or bank transfer.

The fee is refundable only by purchasing REFUND FEE available in registration process.

The fee covers the following:

  • personalized bib number including RFID time keeping-tag
  • extra tag for Long Mountain trace
  • starter pack with gifts
  • rich aid stations with drinks and food
  • finisher’s medal for all finisher at each race
  • medical first aid in the finish area
  • live timekeeping, interim times and results through Live Trail app and chrono website

Competitors are advised to have medical insurance. Each competitor should be covered by accident insurance. This must cover potential costs for Rescue operations (particularly helicopter evacuation, search, and action by rescue) and treatment. Any damage claims from competitors against the Race Organizer, regardless of their legal reason, are void.

For members of the ITRA (International Trail Running Association), it is possible to subscribe to an Assistance – Repatriation insurance which covers the cost of search and rescue world-wide. For more information go to www.itra.run

By registering for the Zmeu X-Fest® event, participants agree to respect the environment and the natural areas they pass through. In particular:

  • It is strictly forbidden to abandon your rubbish (gel tubes, paper, organic detritus, plastic wrappers…) along the race route. Trash/rubbish bins are available at each aid station and it is imperative that they are used. The race officials conduct random checks all along the race route.
  • All participants must keep any rubbish and wrappers with them until they can throw them in the bins which are provided for them at each aid stations. The organization encourages runners to equip themselves with a bag or pouch in which to transport their waste to the next bin.
  • It is imperative that you follow the paths as they are way-marked, without short-cutting them.
  • No disposable plastic dishes (cutlery, cups, bowls) will be distributed at the aid stations. This is to reduce the plastic usage by runners, as well as by the volunteers of the Zmeu X-Fest®. Instead of the plastic utensils, the organizer will provide wooden or paper ones.

Registration for elite athletes is not semi-automatic, each one must finalize their registration themselves upon receiving the voucher code from the organizer.

Athletes who will enhance the competitiveness of the Zmeu X-Fest® races and the international profile of the event are invited to apply for entry and travel assistance. The assistance offered is based on ITRA or UTMB performance index. We invite ELITE runners to write on email: run@zmeuxfest.ro 

Every competitor expressly foregoes the right for any images or video footage during the event, just as they renounce any right of appeal to the organizers and their partners for the use of their image. Only the organization can transfer this right for images and videos to any media, via an accreditation or relevant license. All communication about the event or the use of images or videos from the event must respect the name of the event, the registered trademark and have official approval from the organization. Please note that every BIB number is having a QR code which allows every runner to find their personal photos after the race.

With the registration, the participant agrees that personal data can be gathered and passed on to third parties for the purposes of timekeeping, rankings, and results as well as for the publication of respective lists on the internet. The information is collected as part of a registration for one of the Zmeu X-Fest® races, for the needs of the organization and in particular to identify each competitor in order to communicate his/her information’s related to his/her participation before, during or after the event. The participant agrees that his first name, last name, country, date of birth, team name, bib number and results (ranking, time) may be published in all print and electronic media relevant to the event.

The runner’s data is kept in the database for 10 years. This period is renewable at each registration and corresponds to the legal data retention period of the medical and non-contraindication to the practice of athletics or running in competition certificate, or the sports card. Beyond these 10 years, and unless the runner authorizes the organization to keep his/her data, all data are deleted except the runner’s surname, first name, date of birth, gender and nationality to maintain the rankings.

According to the General Data Protection Regulations (EU RGPD 2016/679), any competitor has the right to access and amend every information concerning him/her. This can be done via his/her runner’s page which is available at the njuko.com network platform. Any data modification can be made by the competitors themselves.

Each race bib is distributed individually to each runner upon presentation of an ID card or passport (document with the photo) and also with the QR code from the CONFIRMATION LETTER (mailed before the race); it is strictly forbidden for the BIBs to be collected by someone else.

The race bib must be worn on the chest or stomach and be permanently and completely visible throughout the totality of the race. It must always be placed on top of all clothing and can in no case be positioned on a leg or pack. The name and partner’s logos must not be either modified or hidden. The race-bib is the pass necessary for accessing the shuttle buses, refreshment posts, infirmary, rest areas, drop-off or pick-up areas for drop sacks. Except in the case of a refusal to comply with a decision taken by a race official, the bib is never taken away. Only in the case of abandonment, the bib is deactivated.

The organization ensures the presence of solid and liquid refreshments along the race-route. The aid stations supply drinks and food for consuming in situ. The organization supplies still water and energizing drink for filling water bottles/hydration packs and personal beakers. The competitor must take care when leaving each aid station, that they have enough food and drink to last them to the next aid station.

Only runners wearing a visible race-bib who have been duly checked have access to the aid stations.

The Official Race Guide Zmeu X-Fest® (to be published no later than March 2025) will have a complete list of aid stations and what they serve.

A check of BIB number, physical state and mandatory equipment is carried out at the arrival at an aid station and at certain security posts. Unexpected check posts are set-up at posts other than those of aid stations or security posts. Their location is not divulged by the organization.

The maximum time for the event, for the totality of the route is fixed at:

  • Short Uphill: (9,8 km with 1.010 m of elevation +/- ) – 2h30′
  • Classic Mountain: (19,6 km with 1.750 m of elevation +/- ) – 5h
  • Long Mountain: (38 km with 2.250 m of elevation +/-) – 9h
  • RUNC Everesting: 89 km cu 8.848 m of elevation +/- (19 loops) – 24h

These time barriers are calculated to allow competitors to arrive at the finish within the maximum time allowed while having made eventual stops (rest, food…). In order to be authorized to continue with an event, competitors must leave the checkpoint before the time limit (whatever their time of arrival at the checkpoint).

All competitors excluded from the race who wish to continue the route can only do so after having returned their race-bib and under their own responsibility and in complete autonomy.

For each race, a general ranking, male and female, and for each category, male and female, is established.

  • Short Uphill : the first 5 men and the first 5 women in the general ranking with PRIZE MONEY and trophies;
  • Classic Mountain : the first 5 men and the first 5 women in the general ranking with PRIZE MONEY (5.000 euro total value) and trophies, as well as top 3 in each category (<18, 19-39, 40-49, 50+) receive a trophy; part of WMRA Mountain Running World Cup 2025
  • Long Mountain:  the first 3 men and the first 3 women in the general ranking with PRIZE MONEY and trophies, as well as top 3 in each category (<18, 19-39, 40-49, 50+) receive a trophy.
  • RUNC Everesting : all finishers of 19 loops

Runners must be present at their prize giving. For the PRIZE MONEY local tax are applying according to the law. The trophies are only distributed at the ceremony. Results will be published at the official ranking website.

Any prize money can only be paid to a runner selected for a doping control after the negative results
of that doping control for any World Cup race.

Please note that sponsors gifts are not covered by the guarantee.

If the circumstances require, the organization reserves the right to, at any moment, modify the route, start times, time limits, the position of aid stations or security posts, and any other aspect related to the good functioning of the event.

In the case of a force majeure, weather conditions which are too unfavourable or any other circumstance which puts the security of the competitors at risk, the organization reserves the right to:

  • defer the start by a few hours maximum,
  • change the course of races,
  • modify the time limits,
  • cancel the event,
  • neutralize the event,
  • stop the race in progress.

In the case of the cancellation of an event, for whatever reason, decided more than 15 days before the date of the start, partial reimbursement of the registration fee will be made. The amount of this reimbursement will be fixed so as to allow the organization to deal with all the irremediable expenses committed to the date of the cancellation. In case of a cancellation decided less than 15 days before the departure or in case of interruption of the race, for whatever reason, no refund of registration fees will be made.

The organizer reserves the right to make short-term amendments that will be announced in a timely fair manner.

At the registration a 29 ron Refund Fee will be available. Any request for reimbursement will be possible ONLY BY REFUND FEE PURCHASE at registration time (after this won’t be possible anymore). Any cancellation of a registration must be made by email (run@zmeuxfest.ro) but no later than April 20th, 2025. No withdrawal is registered by telephone or other channels (social media, messaging apps).

The reimbursement of fees paid at registration will be made by partial re-credit to the bank account associated with the credit card used at the time of registering.

Likewise, transfer of competitor’s registration to another person/race is possible and will incur a surcharge of 50 ron paid upon registration of the new entry or the new race + race fee difference.

Note: deadline for registration transfer (name or race) is April 20th, 2025.

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