- All program coaches must hold current First Aid and CPR certifications.
- Participants are to be instructed on group running safety requirements, including:
- Stay together as a group, especially after a water stop;
- Notify the group of illness and/or fallback; and
- Promptly relay illness and/or fallback information to a coach or pace group leader.
- Participants are to be instructed on proper hydration. Water stops may be set up on long runs as determined by the Program Director.
- Each coach will carry a cell phone on group long runs. Any medical situation of a non-emergency nature should be called in by a coach to the Program Director – and, if possible, one other coach or pace group leader.
- Emergency medical situations will be immediately called in to 911, stating the condition of the participant and location information. After calling 911, the caller should report the incident to a pace coach or Program Director.
- If a participant decides to diverge from the planned group run, especially on long training runs, then a coach or Program Director should be alerted.
- Each coach will assure that all participants finish group runs or are otherwise accounted for.
- A group run will be immediately canceled at the first sign of lightning (or postponed until at least 30 minutes after the last lightning strike) and participants will be instructed to find safety or immediately return to vehicles. A run may be cancelled in advance if a lightning storm is predicted in the vicinity of the run.
- A Program Director may cancel a group run based on predicted high temperatures, poor air quality, or other treacherous conditions such as snow, wind, ice, or rain.
Additional Safety Procedures for Trail Running Programs:
- Participants will stay in groups and there will be no individual runners (the “buddy system” will be used during each trail run, and participants will be responsible for each other).
- Coaches will be notified immediately of a participant’s illness, injury, or inability to keep up with the group.
- The Program Director has the right to cancel any run based on treacherous weather conditions including snow, wind, ice, or rain.
- All participants will check in with the Program Director for each run and check out with the assigned coach when completed.
- At least one member of each group, as well as each coach, will carry a cell phone. The phone numbers of the coaches are for participants to use during group runs only, to report illness, injury, or inability to keep up with the group.
(Updated, March 2023)