FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

OPTION 1: Be sitting at your computer at 7pm on October 1st and buy your entry before they sell out.

OPTION 2: Volunteer at WMM this year and the following year you will have an opportunity to enter 1 week before entries open to the public.

OPTION 3: If you live in Alice Springs, sign up as a member of Alice Springs Running and Walking Club and you will also receive an opportunity to enter 2 days prior to entries opening to the public

OPTION 4: WMM allows up to 2 male and 2 female elite entries into sold out events, the main criteria being that the runner must have a current ITRA ranking of Advanced Level 2 or above. See other details relating to elite entry in the next drop down.

OPTION 5: You may apply for a Committee Discretion Entry via email to run@westamcsmonster.com.au. Typically these entries will be awarded to those in unique circumstances, have a special relationship to the event or are running to raise a significant amount of funds or awareness for a charity.

The Ekistica West Macs Monster loves it when athletes who have a proven track record of strong performance in trail running come to see what they can do on the Larapinta Trail. We also love to see elite athletes connect with a grass roots event like the Monster.

WMM doesn't pay any money for airfares, accommodation, or other travel expenses for elite athletes. We are privileged to have elite athletes join us when they do, but it is not the primary focus of our event. Trail running is the primary focus.

WMM also doesn't normally provide an elite entry discount, though we are happy to consider this on a case-by-case basis if asked.

WMM does allow entries into sold out events for up to 2 male and 2 female elite athletes per distance.

Unlike other events, if you qualify for elite entry, WMM doesn't expect you to give us anything in return on your socials etc, we will just be stoked if you have a great time running one of the most memorable races of your life in a landscape we love to share with anyone and everyone.

ELITE ENTRY CRITERIA:

1. Evidence of a current ITRA ranking of Advanced Level 2 or above.

No.

The one we get the most questions about is the 55km qualifying run for the 128km race. 55km was chosen specifically to rule out the abundance of 50km races. The 128km Ellery Monster will take a 100Miler's worth of time on feet and effort to complete. The principal is the same for all events though. A 21.1km qualifier must be at least 21.1km (not 20km, not 21km), a 100km qualifier doesn't mean 99km or a stage race of 100km or more unless the race is specifically listed (such as Run Larapinta). If you have DNF'd a race but still completed the qualifying distance you can email us and we might consider that, but successful completion of the qualifying race is the goal.

For Alice Springs and Darwin based athletes - there are specific local qualifiers available to you to complete in your own time in recognition of there being no other qualifying options in the NT except for the WMM itself.

Why are we so strict on this? Because we have a risk management plan that we follow with integrity.

What are your options if you can't fulfill the pre-qualification run criteria? You can defer your entry to the following year as per our Refund Policy.

A final general comment...we absolutely understand why anyone would want to run a West Macs distance, we are as obsessed as anyone about trail running in this landscape! However, in a day and age where 'patience' isn't valued like it used to be, this is a space where if you haven't done the work to get your pre-qual in place in the 18 months prior to the event, then hold your horses, get organised (like everyone else has to), and wait for an extra year if you have to.

It will be possible to buy most items you need in Alice Springs from event sponsors Lone Dingo and Intersport, however no guarantees can be made, so ring ahead or just bring all your gear with you. Ideally, you will have spent the last 2-3 weeks of your weekend long runs with all of your mandatory gear in your pack, fine-tuning the gear and giving your legs the benefit of specificity.

Telstra satellite messaging is not a requirement, but is recommended for ultra distance entrants. In an emergency or near emergency scenario, the ability for you to send and receive text messages will be a game changer.

The SPOT Tracker that ultra distance entrants receive only enables the sending of pre-set messages ('I'm ok', 'send help', or 'SOS'), and you can't receive messages on these devices.

There will be moments of traditional mobile coverage on Telstra or Optus along the course, with most of the final 15kms of the course getting good coverage.

Having a pacer, particularly on the 128km and 231km course is a huge advantage compared to not, and will be a major boost to your experience. Both because of the assistance they will be able to provide, but also because of the memories you will share.

If you have an entry but for whatever reason can no longer run in the event the fine print is here and summary is below:

More than 12 weeks out from the event you can receive a 100% refund or 100% credit transfer for the following years event (minus admin fee).

Between 6-12 weeks out from the event you can receive a 50% refund or 100% credit transfer (minus admin fee).

Less than 6 weeks out from the event there is no refund or a 50% credit transfer (minus admin fee).

Or at anytime up to Sunday 5pm prior to the event you can choose to transfer your entry to someone. This is arranged between yourself and the person you are transferring to and attracts an admin fee which either party can pay.

To transfer to another competitor, you need to log back into your entry in eventplus.

You should see a summary of your entry details. Click the ‘Transfer’ button then enter the email address of the person to whom you are transferring.

They will receive an email from Eventplus which asks them to click a link, accept the transfer and pay a $25 transfer fee.

It is up to you and the new competitor to make arrangements for payment of the ticket.

There are bus transport options to all of the event start lines that can be booked as a part of your registration.

There will also be a 'WMM Shuttle Bus' operating during Race HQ open times available at no cost to assist interstate entrants with getting to and from the accommodation to Race HQ and back. The shuttle bus will do a regular loop and won't need to be booked. It will operate as a hop-on, hop-off service.

• Mandatory Gear List
• Race Rules
• Cancellation Policy
• Larapinta Trail Information
• Alice Springs Tourist Information