- All participants must be 18 or older on the day of the event, unless special arrangement has been agreed with the Race Director and captured in writing. See below.
- Whilst not banned, participants are requested not to wear headphones, either conventional or bone-conducting. We want you to stay safe and not be distracted at road-crossings.
- It is not compulsory to use the changeover points given in the instructions. Although strongly recommended these are for guidance only and teams can use their own strategies as long as the entire distance is completed in a relay fashion.
- There is a NO OVERTAKING rule for the final ~100m. There is a road crossing and a very narrow path at the finish and the no overtaking rule is there to discourage unsafe behaviour. There will be plenty of warning beforehand and all teams are asked to stay in finishing order once they pass the first “NO OVERTAKING” sign.
Under 18s
Participants under the age of 18 are permitted to take part with certain restrictions.
- Anyone under the age of 18 can run any leg if they are running with someone over 18 who will take responsibility for the road crossings.
- Participants from the ages of 13-17 are permitted to run the legs indicated in the table below unaccompanied if it has been confirmed in advance with the Race Director.
The age range 13-17 was selected to align with UK Athletics rules. Over 13s are allowed to take part in distances up to 6 kilometers (=3.8 miles), which is the approximate maximum leg distance. Over 13s are also generally deemed to have sufficient road sense to travel to school and negotiate roads unaccompanied.
The majority of changeover points are adjacent to a road. Where the running instructions describe the changeover point before the road this can be changed to after the road for under 18s.
| Leg | Start/Finish | Distance (miles) | Age 13-17 permitted? | Details |
| 1 | Peterhead to Inverugie | 2 | No | Crosses the A90 (60mph). |
| 2 | Inverugie to Longside | 3.8 | Yes | 1 x quiet, rural road with good visibility. |
| 3 | Longside to Mintlaw | 2.4 | Yes | 1 x dirt road (farm field access), 1 x single track road beside a T-junction. |
| 4 | Mintlaw to Deer Abbey | 2.2 | No | Crosses the A950 (60mph). |
| 5 | Deer Abbey to Maud | 2.6 | Yes | 1 x private road for water plant. Crosses 30mph road in Maud. |
| 6 | Maud to Aughnagatt | 4.2 | Yes | 1 x dirt track/farm road. 1 x house driveway. |
| 7 | Auchnagatt to Braemo | 3.9 | Yes | Crosses 30mph road in Auchnaggatt. |
| 8 | Braemo to Ellon Station Hotel | 3.6 | No | 1 x single track rural road (60mph). |
| 9 | Ellon Station Hotel to Ellon Meadows | 1.8 | No | Crosses Station Road (30mph). Route partly runs on the road to The Meadows. |
| Total | 26.5 |
Guidance
- Teams need to come prepared to be self-sufficient. Other than at the start and at the finish there are no officials on the course and little race-specific signage. A copy of the runner and driver instructions should be available in the team car, as should drinking water and suitable clothing for the weather conditions. Each team should also have a mobile phone with the Race Director’s phone number. Note that in some remote locations there is no mobile phone service.
- Although runner navigation is straightforward it is possible to go off-course. If this happens runners should attempt to retrace their steps and seek help from others where possible. Runners may want to consider taking a mobile phone with them although again it is important to note there is no service in some areas.
- The Formartine and Buchan Way is a cycle path and teams are invited to use bicycles instead of a car to travel between changeover points. If cycling please mind your speed and make others aware of your presence if approaching from behind.
- Please leave no litter on the course.
- Please drive and park considerately at all times during the event.