Rules

Mission Statement

The Montana Cup cross-country meet offers an exploration of Montana’s vast & magnificent open spaces: the racecourse is a new discovery for participants. It is not a road race, nor is it an ultra-endurance trail run. It is a team race, which brings together runners from all of Montana’s regions for competition, racing across country, for the glory of claiming a “traveling trophy” – the Montana Cup.

The Montana Cup’s underlying mission is to unite the state’s widespread runners & running communities, to foster continued training & racing among Montana runners of all ages, and to leave each participant thinking “that course was excellent, exciting & beautiful!”

Montana Cup Rules

These rules were established to provide the event’s direction, design, and consistency. The current USATF Competition Rules will apply as default rules in situations where the Montana Cup Rules inadequately address important rules issues that must be resolved.

1. Host city will be selected from this rotating schedule: Bozeman > Billings > Great Falls > Kalispell > Butte > Missoula > Helena

  • A city may forgo its turn to host in which case the next in the rotation may host.
  • Hosts may switch hosting turns upon mutual agreement.

2. Host city/organization shall retain all of the financial proceeds or absorb all losses.

  • Host will produce & release (to subsequent hosts) a profit / loss statement for the event.
  • Host is responsible for organization, promotion, and staging expenses incurred by race officials.
  • Host will inherit (at no charge) all surplus jerseys from the previous host.

3. Men’s & women’s races shall be run separately but over the same course, starting about mid-day (typically at Noon and 1:00 PM; and, at the race director’s discretion) on the weekend following the state high school cross-country meet. Men race first in odd-numbered years, and women race first in even-numbered years.

4. Racecourse specifications: A centrally important task for successfully hosting the Montana Cup is thoughtfully designing and then preparing a simple, safe, fun and effective race route. The following specifications are required:

  • From 5 to 8 kilometers in distance, marked in kilometers (additional mile markers also allowed), and with prominent safety & directional markings.
  • Blaze orange flags / cones (or another high visibility/contrasting color) shall be used to mark the course adequately under all possible race-day conditions. Paint/marking chalk may supplement (but not replace) flags / cones. Space the flags / cones to be clearly visible and so that the next marker along the course shall always be easily within the line of sight/visibility.
  • Course marshals / physical barriers shall be provided on courses where there is any critical location that could, even with good markings, have the possibility of someone going off course.
  • Adequate shelter & toilet(s) will be provided for runners near the start & finish area(s).
  • Course audit – course setup decisions are the responsibility of the host; however, before the ~September 1st opening of participant registration, host will invite Cup Committee members (see “Cup Committee” rule below) to preview the tentative race course to discuss/review/consider/advise important course design/setup issues. Committee members are not obligated to attend; but, the goal is for committee members from at least three team-regions to attend.
  • Host shall produce & distribute a course map on race-day.

5. Seven standing teams exist, representing Montana’s largest cities (see “Uniform” rule below). A runner must compete for the city that he/she lives in or geographically nearest to (reckoned by the nearest courthouse as the crow flies). Eligible runners (see “Eligibility” rule below) who attend a college in a Montana town other than their hometown can choose to run for either their college town or their hometown.

6. Registration:

  • Done exclusively via online registration service. No USPS mail-in registrations allowed.
  • No race-day registration. Registration closes 24 hours before the start of the first race.

7. Eligibility:

  • Each scoring runner must be a current Montana resident & must not be a member of a collegiate cross country team (‘redshirt’ or otherwise). Endurance / distance runners who intend to be included on the following spring’s collegiate track team rosters are also excluded by this rule.
  • State residency is defined as “currently living, working, or schooling inside Montana.” This includes military personnel stationed in state.
  • Non-resident / collegiate runners may enter to run unaffiliated, but they must wear an official purple jersey, and they will not be eligible for team scoring.

8. Captains (aka “regional team organizers”): Each region should designate one (or at most two) captain(s) for each division (e.g. open women, open men, masters women, masters men). Captains should be passionate about the event (ideally having run it before) and willing to vigorously organize runners from their region with the goal of fielding a complete team (5 or more scoring runners). Each team captain shall be reimbursed a sum equal to his/her entry fee, provided he/she competes as part of a complete team (masters captains must assemble a complete masters team). Host may grant additional incentives.

9. Uniforms: Participants may not race without wearing an official MT Cup jersey with logo (owned, borrowed, etc.) unless the Meet Director certifies that no such option was available to the participant. In such cases, the entrant must wear a shirt/jersey color consistent with the team color.

  • Team jersey colors are: Billings – Black, Bozeman – Gold, Butte – Green, Great Falls – Red, Helena – Blue, Kalispell – White, Missoula – Maroon, Unaffiliated – Purple
  • Pre-race jersey inspection required.
    • Conducted by Meet Director or designee ~five (5) minutes prior to each race start.
    • Team captains responsible to make every reasonable effort to supply an official jersey for each runner.

10. Each master and junior competitor must be able to verify her or his age. Masters (40+ years) must compete with an “M” on the back of race jersey. Juniors (19 and under) must complete with a “J” on jersey back.

11. The Montana Cup does not regulate footwear, except to comply with venue requirements (e.g. spike length on a golf course).

12. Finish line procedure: At a minimum, primary and secondary methods of recording participant finish order & time will be employed by the meet host.

      • In the event the computerized scoring system(s) malfunctions on race day, the meet host shall be prepared to hand-score the meet and give awards with accuracy and in a reasonable amount of time following the meet.
      • Motion filming is recommended as a final backup.

13. Scoring: The second of the two centrally important tasks for successfully hosting the Montana Cup is being prepared on race-day to perform a well-practiced effort in scoring the meet. The rules are:

      • There is no limit on individuals per team, and top seven (7) are not declared prior to racing.
      • Individual places of each team’s top five (5) runners will be totaled, and low team score wins.
      • A team’s 6th and 7th runners increase other teams’ scores by displacement.
      • Additional team runners (8th, 9th, 10th…), all unaffiliated runners, and all teams with less than 5 scoring runners are removed from scoring.
      • Team scoring ties are decided by the placing of each team’s 6th runner.
        • If one of the tied teams does not have a 6th runner, that team automatically loses the tie.
        • If none of the tied teams has a 6thrunner, the place of each team’s 5thrunner will decide the tie.
      • Race results (team) are removed from public access and confidential until announced at the awards ceremony.

14. Runners may only be disqualified or removed from team scoring by ruling of the Jury of Appeals (see “Jury of Appeals” rule below) for:

      • Lying on his or her entry form.
      • Not completing the prescribed course.
      • Any action that results in an unfair advantage, or the wrongful impedance of another runner.
      • Any action deemed unsportsmanlike.
      • Not racing in an official team jersey with MT Cup logo (Jury of Appeals will remove offender(s) from team scoring if it was reasonable to expect that a jersey could have been worn).
      • Any current meet official or Cup team captain may report rules violations to the Meet Director or designee. Violations must be reported within 30 minutes following the completion of the final race in the meet.

15. Jury of Appeals: Seven (7) member group formed to make race-day decisions regarding any reported rules violations.

      • Chosen and announced by Meet Director (MD) prior to the meet.
      • Picked from the pool of team captains, and comprised of at least one representative per Cup team region.
      • Goal to have at least 3 of each gender on the jury.
      • Each jury member should familiarize themselves with Montana Cup rules prior to meet.
      • Each jury member must linger near the finish line for 40 minutes following the conclusion of the meets’ final race.
      • MD not included as part of jury but may attend jury meetings to provide information in a non-voting (ex-officio) capacity.
      • MD designates substitute jurors as alternates in case one or more region reps absent. Such substitutes can only serve with the unanimous consent of the other jurors. If there is an objection, MD will select another juror.

16. Awards:

      • Open team champions will be awarded the Montana Cup. This class includes runners of all ages in the race.
      • Masters team champions will win the Masters Cup. This class includes runners aged forty (40) or older.
      • Individual recognition (and tangible awards at the discretion of the meet host).
        • Given to the first seven (7) finishers in each of three age divisions: Junior (19 and below), Open & Master.
        • Junior and master runners who place among the top seven (7) open division finishers will be included in the awards for both categories.
        • Any individual award presented to a current Montana HS (or younger) athlete must comply with MHSA eligibility rules.

17. Cup Committee: A group of volunteers including not more than two representatives per Cup team region, who gather when needed (typically once or twice per year) between Montana Cups to:

    • Refine Montana Cup objectives, rules & procedures.
    • Assist meet hosts in designing fun and fail-safe race courses.
    • The committee shall strive for consensus before resorting to majority vote on rules issues.
    • Informal gatherings of multiple representatives from any/all regions may also be held to discuss ideas of interest.