Plan & train

FAQs

These frequently asked questions will cover most of the areas/topics you might be wondering about in preparation for the Sydney Coastrek.

If you can't locate your answer here - please contact us.

Plan and Train

• How should I prepare for Coastrek?

  The first thing you need to do is enter to secure your spot. Coastrek registrations will open to Wild Women On Top members on the 19^th September 2011, and to the public on 21st September. Registrations will close Friday 4^th November unless they fill up prior. There is a $50 late fee after that date. Enter online at www.coastrek.com.au  and then start recruiting your team…fast! We only have space for 300 teams for the 2012 event, and this will fill fast. Start training by walking along suburban coastal and bush tracks, gradually working your way up from 5 k to 50k, with weekly or fortnightly long walks. More detailed information will be available on the Coastrek website and via our Newsletters once you have entered.

• How can I find a Team Mate?

  Ask your friends and family - people that are like minded and fun to be with. You will be amazed at who can be talked into walking 50km or 100km with you when you try!! Send out a message on our Facebook page - email the Coastrek e-flier to everyone you know, check out the Find a Team member on our Coastrek Website. Someone will be happy you did!!

• What should we do if we need to change a team member?

  If your team changes from when you register, to when you start the actual event, don't worry. This is a normal part of proceedings! You do however need to update any team details via our Coastrek website, and this will need to be reflected in the Fundraising area as well. If you do pull out and arrange for a replacement - you are responsible for organizing your reimbursement of monies with that person or team. Wild Women On Top do not organize for reimbursement of monies between one party and another.

  Please not - You CANNOT change team members once the Event has started. If a team member withdraws during the event, the rest of the team can continue as per our Rules and Guidelines.

• Will the route be mainly on the roads or in the Bush?

  The route will include many different types of terrain including bush tracks, stairs, grass, sand and roads. Maps will be available for participants online at www.coastrek.com.au so you can familiarize yourself with the route. However, if you wish to start training on the route immediately, simply walk along the coast anywhere from Palm Beach to Coogee, keeping the ocean on your left and walking out to every headland and exquisite view you can find. Some sections of the route are tidal and teams should carry appropriate footwear for ankle deep water crossings. We recommend boots with ankle support at night, and runners/trail runners for the bush and along the footpaths during the day. We recommend you or your Support Team carry an alternative pair of shoes to ensure you can make the right choice at the time. Changing shoes will greatly assist with blister prevention.

• Is there any age restrictions for Sydney Coastrek?

  Unfortunately due to insurance issues you cannot participate in Sydney Coastrek if you are under the age of 18, which includes being a;

  • Team Captain
  • Team Member
  • Volunteer.

  Sorry - Please come back when you can!

• I didn’t get a confirmation email upon registration?

  Fill out a Contact Us Email and let us know and we will reissue the email.

Gear

• What should I wear?

  Wear shorts & a light weight wicking t shirt with a cotton long sleeved shirt over top, hat, trail runners and good quality socks. If it's hot, keep a wet bandana around your neck and soak every 30 mins if temperatures over 25 degrees. 

  If it's cool, wear light long sleeved wicking shirt to wick sweat away from body. Carry a light rain coat at all times.

• Is there compulsory gear to carry?

  Fluro vests are required by Councils when crossing and walking along roads and road reserves at all times. (The vest must have reflective strips.) Failure to do this will result in disqualification.

  All trekkers must carry a mobile phone. Please ensure that within the team, two of your mobile phones are on two different networks with full battery charge. Please save all emergency numbers in all phones prior to the event and submit the phone numbers of the phones that you will be carrying on the day to the organisers at registration at the start of the event. In addition to contacting your support teams, you'll need your mobile phones to check in with Event Headquarters as you pass through each unmanned check point so that your supporters and fans can monitor your progress.

  Wicking shirts are recommended for all Coastrek participants. These shirts will wick sweat away from the body, keeping your body as dry as possible during the event.

  Wild Women On Top members will be provided with a complimentary Wild Women On Top bandana, which can be collected at the information night.

  Please ref www.coastrek.com.au for more detailed information under Plan & Train.

Nutrition

• What should I eat and drink in the lead up to the event?

  You must hydrate well in the days leading up to the event. Aim to drink at least 4 litres of water per day in the preceding 3 days. You should also ensure that you eat a well balanced diet, low in fat, in the lead up to the event, so that your body is well supplied with carbohydrates and proteins for energy and repair during the event. You should 'practice' your food and drink during training so that you know what works for you. If you plan to run Coastrek, you'll require different nutrition to trekkers so ensure you practice all aspects of the activity if you want to have a pleasant experience. Please refer to the Nutrition section in our e-Book under Plan & Train on our web site.

   

• What food and drink should I take with me?

  You should aim to be self sufficient during Coastrek but we will supply light refreshments and chocolate at manned Check Points. Our experience shows that if you stop too often for food and drink, you'll take too long to finish and this will make the event much more difficult. Plan to carry enough food to cover hourly snacks to keep you topped up while you walk, then get additional supplies from your support team or manned Check Points, or at cafe's along the way.

  Ensure you drink at least one litre of water per hour during a hot day and 500ml per hour at night.

  Gastrolyte is needed for electrolyte replacement NOT Gatorade! Ensure every team member drinks Gastrolyte throughout the event, especially during the day. (for more info see EATING FOR ENDURANCE EVENTS)

  We recommend you carry at least 500 calories worth of food with you at all times and 2 litres of water.

  Snacks such as VITA WEETS, Mars Bars, Snakes, Salted peanuts, Bananas, muesli bars,  sandwiches, Fried Rice, Sustagen, Potato chips, fruit, scroggin, muffins, sport drinks, Gu, Peak Fuel etc all work well. However, each individual is slightly different so practicing your food during training is as important as practicing the route. This will allow you to know what you'll feel like DURING the event so you can ensure you have what you need at hand. Remember to re-hydrate when you've finished, especially if you're training the following day.

Event Day

• What is the Emergency Procedure?

  If a participant incurs an injury that prevents them from walking you must ring your Support Team to assist. If your Support Team cannot get to you because you're in the bush, one team member must stay with that person while the other gets help. Once you've notified the Support Team of the incident, and they are on the way to assist, focus on making the injured person comfortable and reassuring them that help is on the way. If the injury/illness is serious please call 000.
  You must also call Event HQ to advise them of any incidents and withdrawals.

  NOTE: As with any such activity, there are hazards and risks associated with the Coastrek.  WWOT recommend that you have Ambulance cover in case of emergency during the event.

• What happens if our team is reduced to only 2 members due to the withdrawal of a team member?

  If this happens at night, for safety reasons, you and your team mate must wait at the next manned Check Point then link up with another team and travel with them for the remaining part of the trek or withdraw completely. If it happens during the day, you may continue to walk unless your team is reduced to one member, in which case you must link up with another team at the next check point.  

  There are no other reasons other than withdrawal that a team would not be walking as a team of 4. Your team will be disqualified if you do not come across the finish line as a team.

• What is the procedure for going through the checkpoints?

  There are four manned checkpoints, at the 25k, the 50km, the 75km mark and the 100km finish. However, you will be passing through a number of additional unmanned checkpoints to ensure that you visit every stunning headland and scenic location that Sydney Coastrek has to offer. At these points, you will be required to register your presence by punching your Timing Stick in to the Control Point at each checkpoint - both at the manned and unmanned CP's. Each unmanned checkpoint will be marked by a rogaining flag which will be attached to a post, fence, pole or other significant feature at the location marked on the map. .

  Checkpoints will be located randomly throughout the event, and they will be clearly marked on the Event map to ensure that you cover the entire 100k.

• Where can our Support Crew meet us along the way?

  You will be able to meet your Support Crew as many times as you like along route, when it is safe and appropriate to do so. However, you should remember that each time you stop, you lose time which will make your Coastrek take longer. Support Crew will also be able to meet you at other times/locations in an emergency or when a team member is withdrawing. Teams should carry a day pack and be self sufficient for the duration of the event, topping up food and water as required en route. Water is your responsibility and is located at all surf clubs and several other locations along the route. Support Crews CANNOT transport you along the route by vehicle, unless you have withdrawn from the event.

• Does my team need to stick together at all times?

  Yes. For morale and safety reasons, teams must start together, travel together and finish together.  Do not become separated during the event, and remember, you're only as fast as your slowest walker, and they will walk faster at the front than at the back! Remember, Coastrek is a TEAM event and the most successful teams are those that walk close together, encouraging each other all the way. TEAM: Together Everyone Achieves More!!!

• Can I start or finish at other times?

  No. You must start at your events allocated time. Sydney Coastrek begins at 6am on Friday 2nd March and finishes at or before 6pm on Saturday 3rd March 2012.. Cut off times are as follows:

  9 hours for the 25k mark, 18 hours for the 50k mark, 27 hours for the 75k mark and 36 hours for the 100k mark.

   

• What should we do with our rubbish?

  The Wild Women on Top Sydney Coastrek subscribes to a "Leave No Trace" policy of bushwalking, which requires that all rubbish is taken out and trekkers leave only footprints. Please adhere to this - and support our wonderful National Parks and Coastal Councils in their endeavor to keep Sydney as stunningly beautiful as nature intended it!!

• Can the event be cancelled or postponed?

  The Event will only be cancelled for reasons of force majeure, and in these cases no refunds will be provided. In the event of electrical storms, gale force winds or temperatures over 36 degrees, the Event could also be cancelled - as rescheduling the event with all the logistics, people from interstate, and the huge numbers of third parties involved…would just not be practicable.

• Can we have more or less participants in our team?

  No. You must start and finish with 4 trekkers. If you lose team members due to injury or for any other reason, the rest of the team may continue trekking. If a team is reduced to two or less members during the night they must link up with another team and walk with at least 3 trekkers for safety purposes. If a team is reduced to one member during the day, they must link up with another team and walk with at least 2 trekkers.

• Can we get friends to join us on they way?

  No. You may not have friends join you as they are not covered by our insurance and we cannot take any responsibility for their involvement. Get them to sponsor you and meet you at the end instead!

Fundraising

• How do I get my friends to sponsor me to get to my fundraising target?

  Using the Coastrek website www.coastrek.com.au , it's really easy to fundraise for The Fred Hollows Foundation. The approach we find works best is as follows: First email ALL your friends inviting them to join you for the 50 or 100k trek. If they say yes, enter them with you. If they say no, invite them to sponsor you instead. Let them know that for as little as $25 you can restore sight in a third world country - which is completely life changing. Most people would much prefer to simply donate $25 online with their credit card, than trek 100k, so you'll find that your friends are extremely generous and will be happy to support you!!

• How can I raise money for The Fred Hollows Foundation?

  As a Coastrek participant, you will be required to pledge a minimum of $400 per person for The Fred Hollows Foundation. But this is not as hard as you might think. You'll be surprised at how generous your friends and family will be when they learn that you're going to walk up to 100k to raise money for charity. You raise the money for The Fred Hollows Foundation by asking friends and family to sponsor you and donate online via the Coastrek website www.coastrek.com.au

  Your team should create a mini web page to share with your family and friends and encourage them to get involved in your event.  They might even like to join you for some of the training just so they know how much of a challenge you're setting yourself. You can also run a little event such as a movie night, a lingerie party, a dinner dance or a garage sale. Or you can ask your friends or business colleagues to sponsor you a little amount per kilometre, per section between checkpoints or for completing the 50 or 100km. By raising $400 per person, this represents restoring sight to 16 people!

  One technique we've found that works really well is to invite your family, friends and work colleagues to join your team and trek the 50 or 100k with you. If they refuse and say that sounds too hard, ask them if they might like to donate some money instead. You only need 16 friends to give you $25 each and you've done it! This is truly awesome and life changing. For more information on how to fundraise, go to http://hollows.org.au . Thankyou for your support!

• What does the $197 entry fee cover?

  Wild Women on Top Sydney Coastrek is passionate and committed to providing each participant with a high quality, well organised and safe trekking experience. In order to achieve a world-class result Sydney Coastrek calls on years of experience and extensive planning to provide a unique and seamless event for all involved.

  The registration fee for participants taking part in Wild Women On Top Sydney Coastrek covers costs directly associated with the administration and implementation of the event. These items include but are not limited to:

  • Event infrastructure (checkpoints, refreshments, team tracking, time keeping, race bibs, etc)
  • Office administration
  • IT facilities (website, registration, financial systems, newsletters, route maps, etc)
  • Information and awards nights (venue, catering, trophies, etc)
  • Insurance
  • First Aid (St Johns Ambulance) and emergency service
  • Promotion and marketing
  • Communication
  • Council and local authority liaison (9 councils, 4 safety authorities, etc)

  Fortunately we have many many wonderful volunteers to support Sydney Coastrek - the event could not happen without our team of volunteers.  There are of course costs associated with engaging over 100 volunteers, including the provision of food, training, communication systems  and clothing.

  If you would like more information on all the fabulous people who are involved in getting the Wild Women On Top Sydney Coastrek off the ground, please go to our website www.coastrek.com.au and check out the details.

   

  Look forward to seeing you on the track!!

• Why don’t I have a fundraising page?

  Personal fundraising pages are only created once you have logged in to the Team Management area using the username and password emailed to you upon registration. You need to login and check all your personal details and tick the mandatory check boxes to complete your profile. Within 4 days you will receive an email from The Fred Hollows Foundation regarding the setup of your fundraising page.