Juniors policy

We welcome runners and hikers of (almost) all ages! All of our runs require self-sufficiency out on the trails and being comfortable in the bush. It is the parent/guardian’s responsibility to ensure the junior runner has the fitness, bush skills and confidence to complete the run safely.

• All runners/hikers under 18 at time of registration require parent/guardian consent
• All minimum ages are as of 31 December 2027
• Parent/guardian’s running with Junior runners will receive a 50% discount on registration fee
• If your junior runner is younger than the minimum age, and they’re super keen, capable, and confident to run on rough trails in remote bushland, then please send an email to register@diverge-skyruns.au with a description of their skills and experience and the parent/guardian’s (and coach or PE teacher if applicable) contact details so our Run Director can assess and discuss with them prior to approving their registration.

Pregnancy & Birth Policy

1. Women who have entered a DIVERGE Skyruns event and are, or become, pregnant prior to race day can defer their entry for up to three years.
2. Woman who fall pregnant again during the deferral period may request another deferral for up to an additional 3 years.
3. Partners are also able to defer for one year if the birth is imminent.
4. To defer, please email register@diverge-skyruns.au with medical certificate of the pregnancy/birth.
5. All other rules and requirements for race entry will apply, including having valid qualifiers.
6. An admin fee and any difference in registration fee is payable when re-registering.

Transfer & withdrawal initiated by the runner

If you are unable to participate in the event you’re registered in for any reason, the options available are:

1. Transfer to a different distance
2. Transfer your registration to someone else
3. Withdraw from the event (see refund policy details below)

If a runner/hiker misses payment of final instalment by the due date, this constitutes a runner/hiker-initiated withdrawal and the refund policy below applies. If you need a little more time to pay then let us know and we can support you in that.

1. TRANSFER YOUR ENTRY TO A DIFFERENT DISTANCE

Participants can request to transfer their entry to a different distance run up until that event is sold out or you can go on the wait list. The difference in entry fees will not be refunded for transferring to a shorter run, and the difference in entry fees will be payable within one week to confirm your entry. There are no admin fees.

To request a transfer from one distance to another, email the organiser at register@diverge-skyruns.au

2. TRANSFER YOUR ENTRY TO SOMEONE ELSE

Runners/hikers can transfer their entry to someone else for the event you are registered in via the registration system.

To transfer an entry to someone else:

• The original participant must log into their registration profile, select 'Sell/transfer ticket' and follow the prompts
• The new participant will be sent a link to complete the registration. There is a $10 fee, payable at time of transfer
• It is up to the original and new participants to organise transfer of the entry fee between themselves

3. WITHDRAWAL

Entry fee refunds are available as outlined below only. After these dates, entry fees are non-refundable for withdrawals initiated by the runner.

Any requests for a refund must be notified via email at register@diverge-skyruns.au

Refunds for runner withdrawals are not available after 8pm AEDT 7 April 2027. If you decide to withdraw at the event, please communicate this to run registration staff at the event hub.

Event postponement or cancellation

Courses may be adjusted at any time as required for safety purposes. If the event cannot be held on the scheduled dates due to a force majeure event such as severe weather warning for damaging winds, bushfire, a pandemic outbreak, etc, or any other reason, we will reschedule the event for a later date and notify runners as early as possible of the reschedule. In this case, your event registration will be automatically transferred to the new event date. If you are unable to attend the rescheduled event date, you can defer your entry to either of the following two years.

DIVERGE Skyruns Code of Conduct

All DIVERGE runs will take you across land that is owned and managed by public and private landholders. We are guests on all these trails, and we are sharing them with you, so your correct and good behaviour on the course is critical for us to continue in future, and for the sport of sky/trail running to prosper. All runners, hikers and their supporters must always adhere to this Code of Conduct. Failure to do so may lead to you or your runner/hiker being potentially disqualified and banned from future events.

Your Safety

1. You are responsible for completing sufficient training (physical, mental, hydration & nutrition) to prepare you for your DIVERGE run/hike. You must ensure that, on event day, you are sufficiently fit and healthy to complete your DIVERGE run/hike within the official cut-off times.
2. Both before starting and during your DIVERGE run/hike, you must monitor your own health and well-being and withdraw if you feel you are no longer fit enough to continue safely.
3. Likewise, DIVERGE staff and volunteers will visually monitor the wellbeing of runners/hikers and direct you to withdraw if they consider it unsafe for you to continue. Whilst ultimately, responsibility for your health and safety remains with you, DIVERGE has a duty of care.
4. If you are directed to withdraw by a DIVERGE volunteer or staff, or rangers or emergency services, for any reason, you must comply.
5. If you witness another runner/hiker in any form of distress, please stop and help them and remain with them, if required, until help arrives. Where possible, the time it takes to assist another runner will be deducted from your total completion time, and we will give you a 30% (or maybe more!) discount on next year’s event for the same or lesser distance.
6. Please be familiar with what to do in an emergency, including having all the relevant phone numbers easily accessible in your phone before starting the event. Rescue may be difficult and slow to arrive on some parts of the course so you must do all that you can to avoid the need for rescue including, but not limited to, adequate run training (physical, mental, hydration & nutrition), following all instructions and information supplied and watching out for fellow runners/hikers.
7. If you are fortunate enough to come close to any wildlife, including snakes, give them a wide berth, try to remain still until they pass and keep your movements slow and unthreatening. The wildlife will likely leave the area quickly and you can then continue safely.
8. You must always carry all your mandatory gear on course. It is there for your safety and all runners/hikers will be subjected to the same minimum standards. Random gear checks will be conducted on course and at the finish line.
9. If you withdraw from the event, either at a designated aid station or on course between aid stations, you must notify DIVERGE staff. Any costs incurred from search and rescue operations that arise because of your failure to withdraw officially may be passed on to you.
10. The use of headphones is strongly discouraged. However, if you choose to use them, they must not impair your ability to hear instructions, calls for help, warnings or the sound of others approaching from behind or ahead - ie, they should be open ear headphones.
11. You must not be wearing any headphones when running on or crossing public roads.
12. If you miss your cut off time, we will make sure you get back to the event hub safely. The quickest way back will often be with your support crew, friends, or family.
13. If you are directed to withdraw by a DIVERGE volunteer or staff, or rangers or emergency services, for any reason, you must comply.
14. If you witness another runner/hiker in any form of distress, please stop and help them and remain with them, if required, until help arrives.

Social Responsibility

1. Volunteers and Event staff must be treated with respect and their directions always followed. Any individual who is rude, abusive or wilfully ignoring the request of these individuals may be disqualified from the run and may be banned from entering future Trail Ventures events.
2. Fellow participants must also be treated with respect. Demonstrations of poor sportsmanship such as verbal or physical abuse will not be tolerated.
3. All trails and paths will be open to the public and must be shared. Allow members of the public to pass safely and offer a smile, nod and friendly 'hello' or 'thank you'. If you are approaching from behind, offer plenty of warning with a friendly call and slow to a walk whenever passing others on the trail.
4. Please be considerate of the residents around our start and finish areas as well as all checkpoints. Follow road rules, park only in designated areas and keep noise to a minimum as you pass to and from these points.

Environmental Responsibility

1. Littering will not be tolerated from any individual. Anyone seen to be dropping litter of any kind may be disqualified. There will be bins at each aid station if you wish to remove any litter that you have created during the run from your pack.
2. Participants found damaging or vandalising any part of the course will be disqualified. This includes damage to natural elements such as trees, creeks, rocks etc.
3. You are to always remain on the marked paths. Do not go off-trail, take short-cuts or trespass on private property outside of the course. If you accidentally find yourself off course, consult your digital map, return to the last known point of the course and continue from there.
4. Creek crossings must be completed at the marked entry and exit points only. If you feel it is unsafe to cross, perhaps due to a sudden change in the weather, please discuss with a course marshal or call the DIVERGE hotline or emergency number for further instructions, or return to the last point that you had reception and call the DIVERGE team from there. Do not make the decision to cross at a different point as this may be more dangerous or may cause damage to the environment.
5. There will be toilets available at the event hub and aid stations. If you absolutely cannot wait until you reach the next toilet, ensure you bury any waste that you create in a hole 15-20cm deep, at least 100m from the nearest water source and/or path. Carry out anything that will not decompose such as used sanitary products.
6. Dogs are not permitted anywhere on course with DIVERGE participants. Support Crew can bring dogs to aid stations or the outdoor event hub, but only if they are under effective control and do not cause a nuisance to anyone.
7. We operate under a government approved Smoke Free Management Plan and Smoking or Vaping is not permitted at any DIVERGE venues or on course.
8. Obey all signage and written instructions, as well as the instructions of any Rangers, or Council staff that you encounter while on course.
9. All runners must completely clean all soil of shoes and other gear prior to arriving at the event for biosecurity purposes.

Support Crew and Spectators

1. Support crew and spectators ("Supporters") must adhere to all aspects of the Code of Conduct and Rules. Failure to do so may lead to the person they are supporting being penalised or disqualified.
2. Supporters are permitted to cheer from any points of the course that are accessible to the public but may only offer assistance to runners/hikers within 100m of aid stations.
3. Supporters must follow all road rules, speed limits and other laws, regulations and official instructions of the areas they pass through.
4. Where relevant, Supporters must use the designated event parking areas and not park on public roads, in public carparks or similar.

Run/Hike Rules

1. Participants must complete the event course on foot.
2. All switchbacks must be fully run, shortcuts are not permitted.
3. Pacers, support crews and non-official participants are not permitted to run/hike with or pace event runners.
4. Participants must compete under their own names. No one else can wear your bib in the event.
5. Bibs must be visible and clearly read at all times on the front of your belly or chest. You must not fold, cut or change your race number in any way.
6. Access to private property is granted only during the event. Entry any other time is trespassing.
7. Aid Station cut-off times will be strictly applied and runners must withdraw from the race if cut-offs times are missed.
8. Participants must obey all course marshal and landowners directions which may include course diversions or shortening due to extreme weather.
9. Trekking poles are permitted.
10. Aid of any kind including picking up or dropping off gear can only be provided within 100m of aid stations.
11. Drop bags and the items within them remain the responsibility of the runner/hiker at all times.
12. Performance enhancing drugs are prohibited and runners may be required to satisfy the World Anti-Doping Code and the QUARTZ Event Program. Prohibited substances and methods can be found under Sport Integrity Australia.
13. Breaking any of the rules, or Code of Conduct, may incur a time penalty, disqualification or pre-race withdrawal. Any such penalties are at the organisers' discretion and are final.
14. We reserve the right to alter or amend the run courses from the routes published for safety or change of landowner requirements, or any other reason. We will notify you as soon as possible of a potential or actual change. In extreme cases such as during extreme or catastrophic bushfire danger, the runs may be postponed.
15. These rules, the Code of Conduct, and the registration policies may be amended from time to time.