COVID Plan (TBD)

What follows was the COVID Plan for 2021.  At this time we anticipate returning to a Lost Lake Run with all the events returning, including the Spaghetti Feed, the DJ, the beer, the BBQ, and the awards ceremony.  There will be more information on this as we get closer to race day.

2021 COVID Plan — This was last year’s plan.  We will update this for 2022 as we get closer to race day.

It goes without saying that the past two years have been difficult for the Lost Lake Run community.  In 2019 we had to cancel because of fire and flood, and in 2020 we had the COVID pandemic.  We are very optimistic that we will be able to return to the trail in 2021.  However, we also need to recognize that COVID is still a part of our lives.  To that end, the Lost Lake Run Board of Directors, in consultation with several of our cherished volunteer organizations, have developed a COVID plan for the 2021 Lost Lake Run.

NOTE:  Our U.S. Forest Service Permit states: “The holder shall comply with all federal, state, county, and municipal laws, ordinances, and regulations, which are applicable to the area or operations covered by this permit.”  As such, if there are any federal, state, or local health mandates in place we will be required to follow them. 

We have approached the development of this plan with safety for our participants and our volunteers as our primary concern.  With this in mind, we have modified several elements of the Lost Lake Run.  Please read on for more details.

Also, we will be reviewing this plan on our inaugural 2021 Lost Lake Run webinar, which will be announced shortly.  If you have questions regarding the plan, please attend the webinar and present those during the Q&A session.

What follows is our current plan for the 2021 Lost Lake Run.  If there are any additional changes, we will notify you through email with additional postings to our two Facebook pages (Lost Lake Run and Lost Lake Runners).

Spaghetti Feed and Bib Pickup at Resurrection Roadhouse

Traditionally we have had spaghetti feed and bib pickup at the Resurrection Roadhouse the evening before the race.  We will not have either of these functions this year.  There will be only one opportunity for bib pickup, which will be at the Seward Parking area prior to taking the bus to the starting line at the Primrose Campground.

Portable Toilets

There will be portable toilets at Seward parking, at the starting line, and at the finish line.  These toilets will be regularly cleaned and there will be sanitization wipes available outside of the portable toilets to allow you to pre-clean the facilities before use.

Bib Pickup

Participants will collect their bib at the Seward parking area prior to boarding the bus for the Primrose Campground.  There will be five waves of buses from Seward to Primrose.  We will be sending out a registration link in March that will ask you for your estimated finish time.  This time will be used to assign you to a wave.  In addition, we will attempt to place all of the team members together.  If there are walkers and runners on your team, they will likely be assigned to different waves, but we will attempt to have all the walkers from a team together and all the runners from the same team together.

When you pick up your bib, you will also be given a “buff” – a garment that can be a neck gator, a mask, or a head band.  We ask that you use this mask, or another of your choosing, when you are on the bus and when you are in any line (bibs, t-shirts, food).  Volunteers will be asking a standard set of questions regarding recent exposure and they will be taking your temperature with a contactless thermometer.

In the past we have asked for a photo ID.  We are leaving this to the discretion of the volunteers at the bib pickup this year.  If they feel there is a discrepancy between the registration information and participant, for example if a man shows up to collect a female bib, then they can ask for the photo ID.

You will not be asked to sign the registration book this year.  To eliminate the potential transmission of COVID through pens, we will be having the volunteers provide their initial to signify that you have picked up your bib.  Similarly, when collecting your t-shirt at the finish line, the volunteers will be initializing the race books.  We will also have the 2019 t-shirts for those that did not pick one up two years ago.

Bussing to the Start (Primrose)

There will be five waves of seven busses that will operate between 6:30 am and 9:50 am from Seward.  You will be sent a wave assignment the week of the race.  We will only be filling the buses to half their capacity, allowing one person per seat.  If you would like to sit next to someone in your “bubble” – a family member or friend that you have already shared close contact – this will be fine.  However, we are asking that all participants wear a mask when on the bus, either the mask that was given to you earlier with the bib or one of your own choosing.  We will also be handing out antiseptic wipes when you board the bus.  Please use these to wipe your seat before leaving the bus.

When you arrive at the Primrose Campground we ask that you immediately drop off any items that you will not want with you on the trail at the runner’s bag station (more on this later), affix your bib and run across the mat and up the trail.  Because we are using mats at the start and finish, your time will be based on when you cross each mat.  We are requesting that you do not wait for others on later buses.  To ensure as much separation between participants as possible on the trail, we ask that you are expeditious when leaving the bus and get onto the trail as quickly as possible.

Runner’s Bags

If you have items that you do not want to take with you on the trail, please go to the runner’s bags tent and leave those items with a volunteer.  Volunteers will mark a plastic bag with your last name, first initial, and bib number.  You will then be given this bag to place your items into and deposit this bag into the truck for transportation to the finish line.  At the finish line, you can retrieve your runner’s bag at the tent found at the far end of the parking area, near the food tent.

Coffee

We will be eliminating the coffee service at the starting line to reduce the potential transfer of the virus.  We look forward to bringing this back for future races.

BBQ and Beer

We will be providing each participant with an individually wrapped sandwich and a bag of chips.  We ask that you pick up this meal after you retrieve your runner’s bag and t-shirt(s).  Please do not eat on the buses.

Top of Trail and Hydration

We will have emergency water available at the top of the trail, but we will not have the usual water distribution because of the potential for virus transmission.  We are asking everyone to carry enough water with them for the entire trail.  If, however, you find you are in need of water when you reach the top, we will have the Scouts there to provide assistance.

On the Trail

When you are passing another Lost Lake participant on the trail, we ask that you cover your face.  We will be providing a “buff” at bib pickup that will hopefully make it relatively easy for you to cover and uncover your nose and mouth on the trail.

Along the trail we will have our partners from the Anchorage Nordic Ski Patrol.  If you need assistance from one of their team, please be certain to cover your face before approaching them.

Finish Line

Providence will continue to provide volunteers at the finish line.

In the past we have had beer, a BBQ, and a Disc Jockey at the finish line.  This year we are scaling this back to reduce contact.  We will be offering a pre-packaged sandwich and chips for our finishers in lieu of the BBQ.  We will not be have beer at the finish line this year, but hope to be bringing this back in 2022.  And, we will not have a DJ this year, but hoping to have one in 2022 and beyond.

This year we are asking folks that complete the race to get their t-shirt, runner’s bag, and food immediately after finishing and then head back to their vehicles as soon as possible to prevent congestion in the finish area.

There will be a bus waiting to return folks to their vehicles at the parking area.  Please wear your mask on the bus.  Also, we will be distributing antiseptic wipes when boarding the bus.  Please wipe your seat when you leave the bus.  Bus capacity will be limited to 50% to ensure we can have only one person per seat.  Like the earlier guidance for busing out to Primrose, if you have someone in your “bubble” that you would like to share a seat, that would be fine.

Timing

Finish times will be posted to a web site.  We will have QRS codes distributed throughout the finish area that will allow you to use your smart phone to query your finish time.

Awards

A virtual awards ceremony will be held during the following week after the Lost Lake Run.  Awards will be mailed out following the ceremony.  We will be re-registering everyone to gather some additional information (e.g. COVID release, estimated finish time).  When you are re-registering, please make certain you have a good mailing address listed.