2021 Garmin UNBOUND Covid-19 Guidelines
Updated May 14, 2021
As we promised, we are keeping you updated on the Covid-19 situation and there are some recent changes to guidelines in our community that we want you all to know about. The deadline to defer at a 50% rate to 2022 is May 22, and we want you to have the intel you may need to help you with your personal decisions. A few weeks ago, both Lyon County and the City of Emporia lifted our mask requirements. As such, we’ve seen many businesses opt to remove their mask required signs. Our health department has done an excellent job with vaccine clinics and every Lyon County resident has been eligible for a Covid-19 vaccination for the past few weeks. With the newest CDC guidelines just out this week, vaccinated people are no longer required to mask up inside in most situations. If you are not vaccinated, we encourage you to wear a mask and keep yourself and those around you safe.
If these new guidelines for Covid-19 make you uncomfortable and you are signed up, now would be the time to defer to 2022. Email us!
During the weekend’s events, all of which will be hosted outside with the exception of packet pick up, we are still encouraging masks if you are not vaccinated. With packet pick up inside at the Lyon County History Center, masks are suggested if you are not vaccinated and will be required of staff and volunteers that are not vaccinated. All vendors and staff members that are not vaccinated will still be required to wear masks in public situations. We will still ask that all athletes on our start lines mask (or buff) up as they roll out of town. While Emporia is seeing low numbers, we do ask you to help us during your time here by doing your part to keep everyone safe and numbers low – be a good and responsible human please!
Group rides are back…. Well, sort of! With the new guidelines from the CDC, we are going to provide 5 organized UNBOUND Gravel Shake Out rides on both Thursday and Friday. We do ask that you sign up for these as we are limiting them to 100 riders. Please mask or buff up for the roll out! Check our Group Ride page on Tuesday at 9am CT for the link to sign up.
Make sure you’re confident and ready to grind some gravel:
Routes:
Head to your event page on our website and click the ‘2021 Route’ toggle to find and download the course map and GPS files.
Schedule:
Support Crew Guides:
If you’re racing 200 or 100 miles, head to your event page on our website and click the ‘Support Crew Guides’ toggle. We recommend having your crews print this out and carry it with them on race day.
Start Line Protocols/Self-Seed Information
Gravel Guides
Find your event page on our website and click the ‘Gravel Guide’ toggle. We recommend printing this out and bringing it with you on race day!
Emergency Text Services:
What will Packet Pick up look like?
We will be conducting an in-person packet pick up. Checking in is vital for your safety and the effective management of UNBOUND Gravel. That means we will be taking precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of all participants, volunteers and the UNBOUND Gravel team.
- Only riders will be invited to enter the building. Sorry family and support crews, but we need to keep the numbers to a minimum.
- Masks will be mandatory at all times throughout the PPU procedure.
- Signage will help everyone maintain a safe social distance throughout the process.
- All riders will be assigned a time window to pick up their packet, in order to distribute flow in and out of the building.
- Volunteers and staff will be screened and masked for your safety as well.
What will the Rider’s Meeting look like?
We love coming together in the beautiful Granada Theatre, it’s become a staple of our event. We are still evaluating if we can hold this in-person, but at minimum we can guarantee it will be recorded live. You will be able to tune in and watch the full meeting during or after it has been recorded.
What about on course?
Once on course, we ask that you use common sense and apply appropriate social distancing protocol when needed. For example, if you are riding closely together with a moderate to large group of people that you don’t know, we recommend you wear your mask or pull your buff up above your nose. There’s a lot of space out there, and we are relying on your common sense and our wide open spaces to help keep us all safe. Please also feel comfortable saying something to folks you may find yourself riding with – it’s ok to ask them to mask up if the situation calls for it.
What will the Check Points look like?
Check points are a vital component of the event experience, and it’s one of our favorite parts of the event. But 2021 may require extra precaution in these towns as well. This is another area that we need to take some extra precautions. Please….
- Make It Quick – We know it’s great to see friends and loved ones at a checkpoint, but this is a great reminder to get in and get out as quickly as you can. You might even just Beat The Sun or set a new PR!
- The Crew Abides – All riders and support crew folks will be required to abide by mask and social distance guidelines. That means wearing a mask any time you are outside of your car and around other people and maintaining 6 feet of separation.
- Minimize – In an effort to minimize contact with others, we ask that support crews remain inside their vehicles until their rider has entered the support zone.
- Assigned Parking Areas – As in years past, each rider will be assigned to a designated parking area, as indicated by the decal the rider receives at packet pick up. Please only enter the zone your rider is assigned to.
- Volunteer Checks – For participants using our support crew-for-hire program; know that all volunteers will be wearing masks and will have completed a temperature check and health screening prior. Water will be provided by our foot pedal operated Water Monster Hydration system.
- Crew Guide – Keep your eye out for our full Support Crew Guide to read up on all crew guidelines. We will provide tracking your athlete information in this guide as well to assist you in following their progress across the course.
Will we have a Finish Line?
Finishing your journey back in Emporia is one of the highlights of the whole weekend. It also has the potential to be packed full of people. In order to keep everyone safe, we will be enacting covid-19 specific safety measures.
- Support / Public – Sections of the finish line area will be segmented for rider support and general public. This will help us control the number of people congregating in a certain area.
- Finish Line Capacity – Number of visitors in the finish area will be limited in order to abide by local health department regulations.
- Mask Up – Social distancing protocol will be in place, which means masks on at all times while in the finish area and maintaining a distance of 6 ft between people.
- Livestream – We will aim to provide a livestream feed, so your loved ones can watch from home or other outdoor areas throughout Emporia if needed.
Will there be an Expo?
The All Things Gravel Expo has grown to be a highlight of the UNBOUND Gravel Weekend of its own right. We LOVE seeing all the different partners and industry folks showing off their “latest and greatest” as well as just another chance to socialize. We will be monitoring this closely and will take the necessary precautions to keep all parties as safe as possible.
What is your Deferral/Refund/Transfer policy?
One thing we have all learned from 2020 – it’s going to take all of us adjusting to be able to come together in the community spirit of UNBOUND Gravel. We want you to be aware of our fee and refund structure now, in the event you need to change your plans or in the event of a catastrophic event causing a 2021 cancelation. We hope all of this helps guide you in your deferral decision.
The Event Cancels (due to a series of reasons, including pandemic, natural disaster, etc.)
Athlete Option 1 Refund Option
- 90+ days out – 70% refund
- 60-89 days out – 50% refund
- 30-59 days out – 40% refund
No transfers! No refunds on service fees or donations
Athlete Option 2 Deferral
Complimentary, guaranteed entry into the following year’s event.
Participant Pulls Out
Athlete can defer into the following year’s event and repay 50% of entry fee at time of registration, no deferral fee.
Should athlete defer less than 2 weeks prior to the event – defer into the following year’s event and repay full entry fee, no deferral fee.
No refunds, no transfers, no exceptions.