EPS Half Marathon, 10K and 5K Race Rules:

1. For the safety and enjoyment of all participants, pets, bicycles, wagons, roller blades, skateboards, hand cycles, motorized vehicles, motorized wheelchairs, unregistered runners, strollers, baby joggers, are not allowed. For your safety, running with headphones or ear buds, make it difficult to hear bike and pedestrian traffic or marshal instructions and therefore discouraged. This is extremely important for the safety of all runners as 10K participants will be merging with the half marathon participants at 2.3 km (10k turn around point while the race already in progress.

2. Most of the race takes place using the Edmonton River Valley Park trail system. The path will not be closed to the public and therefore expect to share the path with other users and in some instances, their pets. Runners should remain on the right side of the divided path throughout the race. In the instance where runners are required to use residential roads, they must follow the direction of the race marshal, keeping to the right of the road as indicated or directed by race marshal, and be aware of possible road traffic.

3. The EPS Half Marathon will be using a colour coded Event Alert System (EAS) to communicate the status of course conditions to participants, event staff, leading up to and on race day.

4. Race Bib must be pinned to the front of your shirt so that it is visible for race officials. You will get pulled of the course if you don’t comply. You will not receive a finishers medal if your bib is not visible.

5. Timing: Gun time will be used to determine the top 3 Overall Female and Male Finishers. Chip time will be used to determine age group winners.

6. Participants must be able to complete the half marathon course in 3:15 minutes. 10K runners should be able to complete the distance in 90 minutes. 5K participants must be able to complete the event in 70 minutes.

7. The course will be marked with traffic cones and athletes must stay withing the traffic cones and barricades unless otherwise directed by a race official. Be aware that some section of the course may be uneven or have potholes.

8. Medical personnel and race officials reserve the right to remove any participant from the race judged to be physically incapable of continuing without a risk to their health.

RACE DAY FAQ – Frequently asked questions

Where is the event taking place?
Kinsmen Park (Kinsmen Baseball Field)

Where can I park?
Parking West of the Kinsmen Baseball Field will be restricted and available for
volunteers only. There is plenty of parking available at Kinsmen Park and
surrounding area. Please make sure lock your vehicle and keep anything valuable, out of sight and locked up.

Is there a bag check?
No.

What is the start time for each race?
Festival grounds open: 07:30 AM
Half Marathon: 08:00 AM
10K: 08:15 AM
5K: 08:30 AM

Is there a minimum time requirement for finishers?
Participants must be able to complete the half marathon course in 3:15 minutes. You should be able to complete the 10K in 90 minutes, however the 10k event will officially close as we shut down the half marathon course. 5K participants must be able to complete the event in 70 minutes.

Are runners seeded based on projected finish?
No. However, please pay attention to signs located in the starting corral that
indicate where you should be lining up based on your goal finish time.

Are there any Aid Stations?
Aid stations are located on the Half Marathon Route at approximately 5K, 10K, 15K, and 18K locations. As the 10K shares the same route as the Half Marathon, aid
stations will be at 4K and 7K location for 10K participants. There are no aid stations on the 5K course.

What will be offered at the Aid Stations?
The event provides water and electrolytes in a disposable cup. Biosteel (Mixed
Berry) Electrolyte drink will be available at all aid stations. Science in Sport (SiS) Gels will be available to half marathon participants at the 15K Aid Station (ForestHeights Park.)

Is the course marked?
There will be km markers located on the right side of the path going out for the 5K, 10K and Half Marathon course. The KM markers for Half Marathon are BLUE. The KM markers for the 10K course are RED. The KM Markers for the 5K are GREEN.
Note: There may be variation depending on markers being moved/removed by
reasons outside our control. Also, there will be some variation in the distance by KM, but the length of each event has been measured using several GPS devices.
Please make sure you know where key distances are for your pace times.
The turnaround points, for 5K, 10K, and Half Marathon will be marked by a pylon and a sign. 10K runners, please pay attention to this so that you don’t end up on the Half marathon course!

Are there washrooms on the course?
Portable toilets are located at all four Aid Stations. In addition, Public Washrooms are also available near the Louise Mckinney Riverfront Park – River Valley Adventures.

Race Etiquette

1. Line up correctly at the start line. Larger events will assign corrals that
places faster runners up front and slower one behind them. Please look
for signs in the start corral of the race so you may line up in the
appropriate zones. In smaller events, please line up according to how fast
you plan to run or walk. Slower runners and walkers should move to the
back of the group. In addition, most races use timing chips, so you don’t
need to move right up to the front of the line to hit your best time.
2. The Bib goes on the front. The race bib must go on the front so race
officials can know at-a-glance that you are registered participant and to
identify which event you are running. This is especially important for
events like ours that hold multiple distances sharing the same course.
3. Pay attention to the pre-race instructions. What you hear will not only
help guide you through the course but will also keep you safe. For
example: stay on the right side of the road, or stay inside the traffic cones,
or watch the course marshals (they control traffic to make your race a safe
experience). Listen to pre-race announcements that may include
information on water stations, course direction, finish-line procedures and
what to do with your race number as you finish.
4. Do not stop abruptly at the start of the race. If you drop something,
pull off to side and wait for runners to pass through before collecting it.
5. Do not run or walk more than two abreast. Unless you’re leading the
race, faster runners will need to pass you (especially if you lined incorrectly
at the start of the race.) Don’t create a roadblock!
6. Let them know you are passing. If you are about to pass someone, let
them know you are coming so they can move to the side for you. Say
something like “Coming through”, “Excuse me” or “Passing on your
left/right.”
2025-08-18
7. Move to the side. If you need to slow down or stop for any reason, pull off
to the side and make sure that no one is directly behind you. It is
important that you not block or impeded the runners behind you.
8. Don’t stop at the aid Station. If you are planning on using an aid station,
move all the way over to the table (or volunteer), grab the drink and move
away from the area so others may have access to it as well. If you need to
stop and drink, move to the side of the road so as not to impede other
runners. If there is a garbage receptacle nearby, use it to discard your
cup. If not, then try not to carry it too far as event staff have clean the
area up.
9. Be kind to volunteers. Without volunteers, this event would not happen.
Our volunteers get up early, make sure that you get your race packet,
water, finisher’s medal, and basically everything else. Thank them! Just
because you are tired and sore, or having a rough day, it is not a reason to
be rude to them.
10.Encourage. Feel free to encourage your fellow runners. It’s great thing to
hear when you are going through a rough tough.
11. Pay attention during the race. Expect the unexpected. As most of our
race is being held on the shared river valley pathways, think unleashed
dogs, playing kids, low branches, uneven surfaces, and potholes.
12. Don’t stop abruptly at the finish. Follow the instructions and keep
moving through the finish line, slow to a walk, but keep moving to get out
of the way of other finishers.
13. Don’t hoard the post-race refreshments. Trying to stock your
cupboards with free food at the end of the race is generally frowned upon
and not great etiquette. Leave some for the slower finishers.
14. Cheating. It happens more than we’d like to admit. For example,
cheating may include running without a bib, helping someone else get a
better time by wearing their bib, or cutting the course.
15.Have fun. It’s not etiquette per se. But what is the point of doing this if
you can’t have run!? Most of us are not going to win the race, we are here
to challenge ourselves. So, let’s enjoy the journey (training) and the
destination (race)!

Refund and Bib Transfer Policy

1. No Refunds: Refunds will not be issued unless the Race Roster Enhanced Refund Protection is purchased. Most expenses for organizing an event are incurred prior to the actual event. These expenses include marketing, socks, medals, permits, deposits, and insurance. Processing refunds would place the event at a financial disadvantage. By registering, you acknowledge and accept the risk that if you cannot attend or if the event is canceled, a refund is not guaranteed unless the Refund Protection is purchased.
2. Entry Conditions: All entries are non-refundable (unless Refund Protection is purchased), non-transferable to another person, and non-deferable to future events unless explicitly mentioned otherwise.
3. Transfer Restrictions: Sale or transfer of race entries or bib numbers is strictly prohibited. This policy is in place primarily for safety and administrative reasons. Accurate participant info is vital for emergency situations, and allowing transfers could lead to errors and increased risk. It also prevents scams, ensuring all entries are legitimate. From an administrative standpoint, it minimizes workload, allowing volunteers to focus on key logistics for a successful race. – Update – in recognition of the necessity for flexibility and to accommodate the needs of our participants, we have decided to make a temporary exception and allow bib transfer until August 31, 2025 at 5pm.  
4. Transfers to an alternate distance are permitted until August 31st, 2025, unless the chosen race is already sold out, in which case we cannot accommodate the transfer.

These policies ensure the financial stability and integrity of the event. By registering, participants agree to abide by these terms.