Open Course Racing

What is “Open Course” all about?

As race directors, we always worry about races cancelling due fires, air quality, extreme weather, insect infestation, and more. Weeks, days, and even hours before an event is about to happen, we often find ourselves worrying about whether our permit would be pulled. Then the pandemic happened and we found a solution to protect against any of our events from being cancelled. See, in the future, when we host live/in-person events, we will have “open course” as an option.

Open Course is:

1. Technology driven with GPS watches on your person connected to your watch app, verified through TheTrailPortal.com/PWRLab , and presented to a leaderboard like a timing system would do at a “live/in-person” event. There is no other solution out there that knows its you.

2. Similar to “virtual” in that you can participate on your time. However, it’s not verifiable.

3. A hybrid of “live/in-person” & “virtual” events in that you run the exact course on your own time.

   -You don’t on a treadmill or in your backyard. You run the event course as it was intended.

4. If the course is open then you can run it whenever you want within a certain time period.

   .- Parks have hours. Some are open from Sunrise to Sunset, some are 24 hours, etc.

   - The time period can be any time frame - one week, one month, one year.

What is Open Course Trail Racing?
Open Course Trail Racing is a new category of racing that was spawned by the creative energy of Pacific Coast Trail Runs. This new technology, developed with our partner PWRLab, enables race directors to produce events which provides runners with an experience that feels as close to “live” or “in-person” racing as possible. "Live/In-person Racing" is what you knew up until the pandemic. "Open Course" allows for you to run the actual course that was designed by the Race Director. You will run the course on your time, at your own pace, during the event time period in compliance with the local park rules.

Open Course for Race Directors
• Allows you to produce your event more than one day per year by digitizing and monetizing.
• Allows you to safeguard your brand against someone else producing an event on your course.
• Provides a safety net to protect your organization against loss of permit due to the pandemic, fire, or other cancellations.
• Allows for you to produce a safe event.

Open Course for Runners
• Allows for you to run the course of all your favorite races.
• Allows for you to compete on the actual event course against others.
• Your time will be validated similar to a timing chip on the back of your bib.
• Your name will populate on the leaderboard like a normal live/in-person event.

On-Course vs. Off-Course Participation

On-Course
• Run the event specific designed course.
• Run with GPS Watch: Garmin, Suunto, Coros, or Polar. Apple Watch to be integrated by summer 2021.
• Synch watch with TheTrailPortal & PWRLab “On-course” leaderboard.
• Eligible for all event swag.
• Eligible for finisher awards and sponsor drawings.
• Eligible for Podium & Age Group Awards

Off-Course
• Run the exact distance of the course anywhere, anytime, on any surface you choose in the world.
• Think of “Off-course” like “virtual” where you can run around your neighborhood, on your treadmill, or on a nearby trail.
• It’s important to us that even if you do not live in the area of the “open course”, that you be given the opportunity to emulate the event “Off-Course”.
• if you want to run the actual 7.7m course and do not want to use a watch, then you will manually enter your time and be listed on the "off-course leaderboard"
• You will manually enter your run to TheTrailPortal.com & PWRLab “Off-Course” leaderboard.
• Eligible for all event swag.
• Eligible for finisher award and sponsor drawings.