COVID-19 / Coronavirus

17th June 2020

Current States of Jersey Coronavirus Travel Info here

15th June 2020

2020 Events – Covid 19 Precautions in Place For Trail Monkey Events

The staging of all of our remaining 2020 events is subject to States of Jersey guidelines and we must await further data and information before final decisions can be made.

However, we have already started to put together a list of the risks and mitigants for these risks to enable us to put our event son whilst keeping you guys safe.

Please note some or all of these will be required, and that the list is not exhaustive, others may be added. The purpose here is to give runners as much forewarning as possible with regards to potential changes to their 2020 race.

To enable us to adhere with current guidelines and to minimise the risk of possible transmissions we will be introducing the below outlined actions for our 2020 events  (and possibly beyond if required).  We must ALL play our part in enabling race events to go ahead and therefore your understanding and help in implementing the below is required and appreciated.

Overall

The main principle in place is that social distancing can and will be maintained if advised as necessary by the government, currently at 2 or metres in all of the below settings not just the dropping bags, starting the event, aid stations, or at the finish.

All volunteers will be provided with PPE including but not limited to nitrile gloves, face masks and access to sanitiser.

All staff including set up and sweep teams will be provided with PPE and will sanitise each area on arrival and departure, eg aid station set up or sweep.

Pre Race

Runners who are displaying any possible Covid-19 symptoms including but not limited to high temperature, dry cough etc will be asked not to attend the race.

Race Bibs and Kit check: All race bibs will be sent out via post prior to the event.  Runners will not be required to pass kit check or register at the event. Any runner missing a bib or who did not receive one can still collect on the day.

Bags : Runners will be required to ensure any drop bags or finish bags are clearly labelled with their race number prior to arriving. Bag deposit will function as a socially distanced drop off with our Staff in PPE collecting and storing them, to transport and offload for the same procedure at the finish.

Race Start: The race start will be conducted in waves so as not to contravene the rules regarding public gatherings. There will be a grid system marked (distances at 2 metres in line with current guidance) where runners must stand prior to race start. At Round the Rock we will be doing wave starts on the hour then every 20 minutes of 35 people per wave. Runners will be asked to arrive 5 minutes after the time that the previous wave has left and to drop bags etc etc during that time ready for their start time. Runners may arrive directly to the start wearing their bib number and with mandatory kit and be ready to start at their allotted race time. Runners will be notified of their start time in good time before the actual race day. Social distancing will be in place and marshals and the grid system will ensure no runner is within 2 metres of another through the start process.

During Race

Kit Check : Due to elimination from this at race start runners need to be aware for safety reasons this will be randomly checked on course, by a staff member in PPE and be prepared to stop and show proof of any required items.

Aid Station Etiquette: Runners to sanitise hands at designated entry and exit points to aid stations. Runners will only be permitted into the aid station areas with social distancing and will be held at distanced intervals prior to the aid station if others are in the check point when they arrive. Aid stations will be manned by volunteers in PPE and at CP 1 & 2 we will have pre packed foods (flapjacks, crisps and sweets) as well as bottled water and coke to speed up the rate at which runners can receive aid and move on. Where possible runners should aim to be self-sufficient nutrition wise if there are further requirements than the above. Due to field sizes and the spread of start and finish times, this will likely be a short wait, nevertheless runners must be patient with staff and volunteers.

Hydration and Fuelling: To reduce/eliminate runner and volunteer contact runners must use hand sanitiser prior to using the aid station or will be refused access. There will be plastic water bottles and all aid station food will be individually packaged.  Runners must also sanitise hands on the way out of aid stations.

On Course Etiquette: At known pinch points there will be marshals deployed.  All runners must be prepared to observe social distancing at all times and slow down/stand aside to allow members of the public to pass safely without issue. Runners should call from behind if they wish to pass a slower moving runner ahead and ask them to move aside. Runners must run to one side of the trail if being passed allowing the widest possible distance between each other.

Finish

Awards : All t-shirts and medals will be individually packaged and runners are to collect these themselves at finish line rather than be presented with them. Runners must use hand sanitiser provided before and after collecting awards.

All runners will be encouraged to make quick onward travel and social distancing will be required.

May 25th 2020

An email was sent out to runners participating in the Batterie Moltke Night Run: 

“Good afternoon,

I hope this email finds you well and that despite all the craziness that has gone on since I was last in touch life has been manageable.

I have been delaying writing this email as I wanted to see whether the guidance by the States of Jersey might change and that we might be able to put the Night Race on on June 5th as we previously advised. I think we are in a much better place regarding lockdown and sporting events, but not quite there in terms of being be able to hold the event. I am so sorry and upset that this has to be the case, a lot of planning goes into these events and we were really looking forward to this one. Last year was a really special event, but the safety of our runners has to be the priority, as well as ensuring compliance with local guidelines.

In light of this we have decided to cancel the Night Run for this year as it is still unclear when things will return to a stage where we can do this safely and also in a way that is fun. We have decided to still run this as a virtual event as we have the race t shirts and want to try and do something for you guys.

We would therefore like to offer you the following options:

1 – Transfer to the Virtual Event (more details here http://wsb.iad.mybluehost.me/batterie-moltke-virtual-run/) and get 50% off entry for next years event.
2 – Defer the entry cost fully to next years event
3 – Defer entry cost to any other Trail Monkey event in 2020 or 2021

It is a difficult time for us all at the moment, we are a small company and like many we couldn’t have foreseen this issue when we put the event on sale. We are aware that for some of you it may be preferable to obtain a refund if unable to attend the event. Obviously, if you are in financial difficulty we will work with you, so if the entry money is needed elsewhere then please ask for a refund. If you are in any way able to defer the entry fee to next year then please do so, as it will help us no end and ensure we are able to ride this storm out and come back next year in good shape.

Thanks again so much for your understanding, I am so sorry that we aren’t able to do this but I am sure we will be back to normal some day and we look forward to then for sure!

Stay safe and look after each other

Paul and the Trail Monkey Team “

May 18th 2020

We sent out an email this week to runners taking part in the Canaccord Corporate Cup this year

“Good evening

I hope you are all doing well under these lockdown conditions. I just wanted to make contact to convey the news you have all probably been expecting regarding the 2nd race of the Corporate Cup. We are going to postpone this and hopefully look at the series beginning in June. The good news is we are closer to being able to hold races than we were last month, and I have begun talks with Jersey Sport and the government about the precautions we need to put in place to hold the races we have planned.

Please can you cascade this information down to your teams as this email is only going out to the email address of the person who registered the team.

Thanks for your support and understanding in this difficult time, once we have a confirmed date for race one, we will reschedule all the missed races and make up for lost time

Stay safe and see you very soon

Paul Burrows – Race Director”

May 17th 2020″

We sent out an email this week to runners taking part in Round The Rock in August 2020

“Hi

Further to the message I sent out a few weeks ago, I just wanted to make contact again regarding this years event. I am sure that in this period of uncertainty a lot of people who will be travelling from the UK to Jersey to take part might be facing a lot of other issues other than as to whether the event will actually go ahead, maybe relating to availability of flights to get here, accommodation whilst on the island and also the potential health concerns about travelling. We are confident that the event will go ahead here in Jersey as our lock-down restrictions have eased a lot sooner than in the UK, however I realise that there may still be complications with travel and the like from the UK.

With this in mind, if you are unsure about whether you will be able to travel or to take part in the event for any other reason relating to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, I can offer you one of the following 3 options:

-Deferral to the Double Top Ultra (due to take place on September 19th 2020 – link – http://wsb.iad.mybluehost.me/double-top-ultra/)

– 100% Deferral to the 2021 Round the Rock Event (on sale August 2020)

– Use of 100% of the Round the Rock entry fee towards entry to any other Trail Monkey event in 2020 or 2021 (events link here: http://wsb.iad.mybluehost.me/events/ )

It is a difficult time for us all at the moment, we are a small company and like many we couldn’t have foreseen this issue when we put the event on sale. We are aware that for some of you it may be preferable to obtain a refund if unable to attend the event. Obviously, if you are in financial difficulty we will work with you, so if the entry money is needed elsewhere then please ask for a refund. If you are in any way able to defer the entry fee to next year then please do so, as it will help us no end and ensure we are able to ride this storm out and come back next year in good shape.

Please can you let me know your choice by return email and I will be in touch to confirm

Thanks very much and I hope you stay safe and healthy.

Paul Burrows (Race Director)”

April 22 2020

We have sent out an email out today to all runners taking part in Round The Rock in August 2020:

“Good afternoon

I hope that in this time of lockdown that firstly you are healthy and that you are coping ok with the limitations in place at this time.

I just wanted to make contact re Round the Rock here in Jersey in August. I am still hopeful that the race will go ahead at this time. Obviously with everything going on at the moment it is difficult to predict when we will be able to travel and hold events again, but if the restrictions get lifted in time we will definitely go ahead, albeit with more stringent precautions in terms of health and safety.

As we all are at the moment, we are taking everything day by day and week by week and reacting to what this situation throws at us. Should we get to early June and still not have a good idea of what is going on then we will start to think about the viability of this years event and options.

I want to reassure everyone that should we not be able to hold the event that we will work with runners to ensure that outcomes are satisfactory to both the race and you guys, and we will offer plenty of options to make up for the race not occurring.

We will of course be in touch in due course as and when we are closer to the event, or if we get more information as to restrictions being lifted.

Please stay safe and I really do hope to see you in August

Paul Burrows (Race Director)”

April 1st 2020:

We have sent out an email out today to all runners taking part in the Canaccord Corporate Cup starting in April 2020: 

“Good Afternoon

I just wanted to let you know our position regarding the Canaccord Corporate Cup – Race One on 22nd April. I have been monitoring the UK Government advice and also that of the States of Jersey and have been hoping in my heart of hearts that this would play out and things would blow over in time for the race.

In light of Jersey now being in lockdown for April I think it is now time to accept that this is not going to happen and things are much more likely to go on for longer than first anticipated, and in light of this I have decided to postpone the first race in April and hopefully start the series on race 2 which is scheduled for May 20th 2020. Hopefully this will give us enough time for the Coronavirus events to play out and for some kind of normality to return. I will of course keep on monitoring the guidance and advice with the ultimate goal of your health and wellbeing being the priority as well as minimising the risk of spreading this virus. If for some reason we are unable to begin in May, we will then defer to race 3 and then look to reschedule dates so that we might do the first couple of races fortnightly just to catch up to the original schedule.

Please bear with us in these crazy times, obviously in an ideal world the race would go ahead in April, but due to the severity of this situation that none of us predicted even a couple of weeks ago we are in a different world. We are a small business but I can assure that this event will go ahead eventually albeit with slightly different dates and format perhaps.

We will of course keep in communication with you and let you know as soon as it is clear when we can start the series.

This message has only been sent to team captains so please be sure to pass this on to the other runners in your team as this mailing system only emails the primary email on the race registration.

Thanks and please let me know if you have any queries or concerns relating to this email.

Stay Safe

Paul Burrows”

March 24th 2020:

We have sent out an email out yesterday to all runners taking part in the Double Top Ultra in May 2020: 

“Good Morning

I just wanted to let you know our position regarding the Double Top Ultra on May 2nd. I have been monitoring the UK Government advice and also that of the States of Jersey and have been hoping in my heart of hearts that this would play out and things would blow over in time for the race.

I think it is now time to accept that this is probably not going to happen and things are much more likely to go on for longer than first anticipated, and in light of this I have decided to postpone this race to September 19th 2020. Hopefully this will give us enough time for the Coronavirus events to play out and for some kind of normality to return. I will of course keep on monitoring the guidance and advice with the ultimate goal of your health and wellbeing being the priority as well as minimising the risk of spreading this virus.

You have the following options:

1 – You can defer entry to this date of 19th September 2020 or:
2 – You can defer entry price to the Double Top race in 2021 or any other Trail Monkey event in 2020 or 2021

Please bear with us in these crazy times, obviously in an ideal world the race would go ahead in May, but due to the severity of this situation that none of us predicted even a couple of weeks ago we are in a different world. We are a small business and will make this right to each and every one of you I can assure you and as well as this I will definitely be organising some more social events once we are back up and running and back to some semblance of normality.

Relay teams please be sure to pass this on to the other runners in your team as this mailing sysem only emails the primary email on the race registration.

What to do next

Please email me by return email and let me know what you would like to do and I will then update my records and send acknowledgement of your decision.

Thanks and please let me know if you have any queries or concerns relating to this

Stay Safe

Paul Burrows”

March 20th 2020:

We have sent the following email out to all runners taking part in the Batterie Moltke Night Run: 

“Good Morning

I just wanted to let you know our position regarding the Bunker Night Run in two weeks. I have been monitoring the government advice and also that of the States of Jersey and have been hoping in my heart of hearts that this would play out and things would blow over in time for the race.

I think it is now time to accept that this is probably not going to happen and in light of this I have decided to postpone this race to June 5th 2020 which was the date earmarked for the Val De La Mare night race. Hopefully this will give us enough time for the Coronavirus events to play out and for some kind of normality to return. I will of course keep on monitoring the guidance and advice with the ultimate goal of your health and wellbeing being the priority as well as minimising the risk of spreading this virus.

You have the following options:

1 – You can defer entry to this date of 5th June or:
2 – You can defer entry price to any other Trail Monkey Event in 2020 or 2021

Please bear with us in these crazy times, obviously in an ideal world the race would go ahead in two weeks, but due to the severity off this situation that none of us predicted even a couple of weeks ago we are in a different world. We are a small business and will make this right to each and every one of you I can assure you and as well as this I will definitely be organising some more social events once we are back up and running and back to some semblance of normality

What to do next

Please email me by return email and let me know what you would like to do and I will then update my records and send acknowledgement of your decision.

Thanks and please let me know if you have any queries or concerns relating to this

Stay Safe

Paul Burrows”

March 17th 2020:

We have taken the steps of cancelling the weekly running classes for the foreseeable future due to the current health circumstances. England Athletics have issued guidance to say that that all face-to-face activity such as club training sessions, events, competitions, club committee and face-to-face meetings, athlete camps, running groups and social events should be suspended until at least the end of April.

As Leaders in Running Fitness we are insured by England Athletics to do the weekly sessions and so feel that it is right that we follow their guidance in this instance relating to the group runs.

In relation to the upcoming races, namely the Batterie Moltke Night Run (April 3rd), the Winter Trail Series Race 4 (April 19th), Race One of the Canaccord Corporate Cup (April 22nd) and The Double Top (May 2nd) we are monitoring the Jersey Sports guidance on how we should proceed with these. We are keen to go ahead, with the right precautions being taken, but will yield to any guidance to the contrary from Jersey Sport or the States of Jersey. Rest assured that we will monitor the situation closely and communicate as and when these situations change. We will also provide alternative arrangements to put these races on when the crisis has passed should the need arise. 

March 12th 2020:

With the rapidly changing global environment, Trail Monkey understand that these are anxious, unpredictable times. We wanted to take a moment just to provide some clarity on our position regarding the upcoming races we have in the next few weeks.

We have been actively monitoring the Coronavirus, COVID-19, and planning since January. We are monitoring the local Health and Government websites and will follow all recommended safety and health measures to protect the interests of everyone involved in the community and the event.

With a negligible amount of confirmed cases in Jersey at this time, at this time, the race taking place this weekend at Jardin D’Olivet is still set to go ahead.

As runners, we are all part of a great community here in Jersey and I am sure that together we will get through this. We would ask you all to be vigilant, to refrain from taking part in a race if you have flu-like symptoms, and to follow general hygiene guidelines in respect of washing hands and the catching of coughs etc.

We promise to keep you updated as we navigate this ever-changing situation.

Thanks for your support

Paul and the Trail Monkey Team”