The short answer
Build a 100K crew and pacer plan from the current event's rulebook and participant guide, not from general ultrarunning custom. For every checkpoint, record whether crew access, outside assistance, drop bags, and pacing are allowed; where the crew may park and stand; when a pacer may join; what the pacer may carry; and how withdrawal is reported.
Rules differ materially between events and can change between editions. Western States publishes event-specific crew, pacing, aid-station, and access instructions, while UTMB World Series events use their own regulations and race-specific information.1 Neither is a universal template.
Date every source
Start the worksheet with:
- race name and distance;
- event date;
- rulebook or participant-guide version;
- athlete-guide URL;
- date checked;
- organizer contact for unresolved questions;
- time-zone and cutoff convention.
Save the final official documents for offline access. If a rule is ambiguous, ask the organizer before race week and record the answer. A volunteer, forum, previous finisher, or old social post cannot override current officials.
Build the checkpoint matrix
| Checkpoint | Athlete ETA | Crew allowed? | Pacer allowed? | Drop bag? | Access / parking | Planned job |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Aid 1 | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Aid 2 | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Aid 3 | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| Finish | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
Write no when access is prohibited. Leaving the cell blank invites assumptions when the group is tired and hurried.
For each permitted crew point, add:
- exact meeting area;
- road closure and shuttle instruction;
- earliest and latest expected arrival;
- one primary task;
- items already laid out in order;
- what the crew must not do;
- departure trigger;
- missed-meeting fallback.
The worksheet should shorten decisions, not create a mobile aid station.
Separate four kinds of help
Official aid
Food, fluid, medical support, gear checks, and instructions supplied by the race within its rules.
Crew assistance
Help from registered or permitted supporters only at specified locations and within the event's boundaries.
Pacing
Accompaniment by an eligible pacer on allowed sections, often subject to registration, bib, age, timing, gear, and one-runner rules.
Incidental public contact
Encouragement is not automatically assistance. Receiving gear, food, transport, navigation, or physical help outside allowed places may be prohibited.
Do not merge these categories into “someone can help me.” Copy the organizer's exact definitions and ask officials about anything unclear.
Create one crew card per legal location
Keep the card short:
- confirm athlete identity and condition;
- ask the pre-agreed safety question;
- refill only planned containers;
- present the next-section food and equipment;
- handle the one expected change;
- record arrival and departure;
- send the athlete toward the marked course.
Add a stop-and-escalate box for confusion, collapse, chest pain, severe breathing difficulty, repeated vomiting, inability to keep fluid down, suspected heat illness, or an unsafe injury. The event medical team decides medical clearance; crew should not coach an athlete around concerning symptoms.
Make the pacer job explicit
Before race day, agree on:
- legal join and exit points;
- registration and bib requirements;
- mandatory equipment;
- whether the pacer may carry athlete gear or food;
- whether physical assistance is prohibited;
- navigation responsibility;
- communication cues;
- effort and walking rules;
- what happens if the pacer cannot continue;
- how the pacer returns from the exit point.
A useful pacer helps execute a rehearsed plan, notices changes, and communicates clearly. A pacer is not a substitute medical assessor, a pack animal unless expressly allowed, or permission to ignore course markings.
Use a two-word communication system
Fatigue makes open-ended questions expensive. Pair a short status with a preset action.
| Athlete says | Crew or pacer action |
|---|---|
| "Plan normal" | Run the standard checklist |
| "Feet now" | Present the prepared foot-care kit in the legal area |
| "Stomach reset" | Use the pre-rehearsed tolerated options; do not improvise medication |
| "Cold layer" | Present the labeled layer if rules allow |
| "Medical check" | Contact official medical support |
| "Withdraw" | Follow the official withdrawal and transport process |
The words are examples. Rehearse language that the athlete and team will remember.
Plan for a missed crew
Traffic, closures, shuttles, crowds, and timing error can prevent a meeting. Every checkpoint needs a no-crew version:
- athlete continues using official aid and carried mandatory equipment;
- crew does not enter prohibited roads or run along the course;
- the next legal meeting point is known;
- essential items are in legal drop bags where allowed;
- withdrawal and emergency contact procedures remain available.
An athlete should not wait indefinitely, reverse on course, or leave markings to find crew unless an official directs it.
Rehearse the handoff
During a comparable long run, simulate one checkpoint:
- approach at normal effort;
- state the two-word status;
- complete the card;
- change the planned item;
- leave on the recorded time;
- review what caused delay or confusion.
Record stopped time, food and fluid actually taken, foot or skin issues, temperature, gear changes, and any instruction that was unclear. The ISSN position stand supports progressive individual nutrition practice in ultramarathons rather than a universal menu.3 Field studies also report gastrointestinal distress and substantial fatigue in ultra-endurance events.4
The lesson is operational: rehearse the exact choices and make the safe escalation path obvious.
Keep rules separate from performance advice
Official documents answer what is legal. Training evidence can inform pacing, fueling, and recovery, but it cannot rewrite event policy.
Research on Western States pacing shows meaningful speed changes across checkpoints and finish-time groups.6 Studies of ultra-trail performance identify course, terrain, fatigue, and environmental demands.7 These findings support a flexible section plan; they do not tell a crew to accelerate an athlete or provide prohibited assistance.
Use the 100K cutoff buffer plan to connect checkpoint times to moving and stopped time. Use the 100K aid-station rehearsal to practise the stop itself.
Final rules worksheet
- Current official document and date: ___
- Crew registration required: ___
- Crew-access checkpoints: ___
- Prohibited access areas: ___
- Drop-bag rules and deadlines: ___
- Pacer eligibility: ___
- Pacer join / exit points: ___
- Pacer carrying or assistance rule: ___
- Mandatory equipment for athlete and pacer: ___
- Withdrawal reporting process: ___
- Crew vehicle / shuttle plan: ___
- Missed-meeting fallback: ___
- Medical escalation contact: ___
Print or save one clean copy for the athlete, crew lead, and each pacer. Highlight only current event facts.
This guide is educational and not medical advice, legal interpretation, or an event ruling. The organizer, officials, and medical team remain final.
Choose a supported 100K goal in 26weeks.ai so training can adapt around completed sessions, recovery, and the event date. Start training now.
References
- Western States Endurance Run. 2026 participant guide. (Official guide)
- UTMB Mont-Blanc. 2026 race regulations. (Official regulations)
- International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand on ultramarathon nutrition. 2019. (PubMed)
- Gastrointestinal symptoms, intake, and hydration in ultramarathons. 2016. (PubMed)
- Strength and power fatigue during a 156 km ultra-trail event. 2026. (PubMed)
- Pacing in the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, 2006–2023. 2025. (PubMed)
- Limiting factors in trail running performance. 2021. (PubMed)
- Epidemiology of injuries in trail runners. 2021. (PubMed)
- Exercise-associated hyponatremia consensus statement. 2017. (PubMed)