In addition to the following rules, the General Can-Am Crown Rules also apply to this race.
Entries will not be confirmed until Can-Am Crown receives the entry fee and all properly completed and executed documents as described in the General Rules.
Any musher who registers before January 1st, 2019 will be eligible to have 1/2 of his/her registration fee refunded. One musher per race will be picked by a drawing at the mushers’ meetings. To be eligible for this drawing, all paperwork must be received by Can-Am before January 1st. including the vaccination papers.
Bib numbers shall be assigned as described in the General Rules:Confirmation of Entries & Assignment of Bib Numbers.
While there is an active waiting list, any driver withdrawing before the race will receive a $75 refund. If the race is canceled, then the entry fees will be refunded in full.
The 250-mile race trail is a scenic loop that traverses varied terrain including forests, brooks, lakes, fields and populated areas. The distance, terrain, and variable weather make this a very challenging race. It is a qualifier for the Iditarod and Yukon Quest. Due to the rigors of the course, drivers will have to exercise good judgment in pacing themselves and their teams. Simply finishing is a great accomplishment. The cost of rescuing teams/drivers will be borne by the driver/owner.
There are four checkpoints on the trail. The locations and mileages will be announced as early as possible, but they are subject to change up to the time of the drivers' meeting.
This race is limited to 30 teams.
In order to ensure the entry of recent title holders and their closest competitors, the top three finishers in last season's (2018) 250-mile race and the first place finishers in the previous two seasons (2016 & 2017) will be guaranteed entry provided that their applications are received before Sunday, November 18.
Each driver must designate a handler at the registration check-in on March 1. The handler must be available to pick up or receive dropped dogs. Drivers will not be allowed to race without a handler.
All entrants must attend the drivers' meeting on Friday, March 1, at 5:30 p.m. at the Fort Kent Municipal Building. Any driver who misses roll-call at 5:30 will risk losing his/her place in the race.
After November 1, 2018, Can-Am Crown will begin to accept applications from drivers who have achieved one or more of the following goals:
No race or portion of a race will qualify if the musher did not finish the entire race. However, Can-Am Crown reserves the right to accept or reject any entry.
Drivers must start the race with not fewer than 8 dogs and not more than 12 dogs.
The official start date is Saturday, March 2, 2019. The race will start on Main Street, Fort Kent. The starting time is 10:20 a.m. eastern standard time. To allow for verification of dogs and gear by race officials, teams are required to be present at the staging area on Saturday morning by 8:30 a.m..
On the Main Street start, the driver may be required to carry a passenger provided by the CAC. All passengers must sign a document releasing the driver and the CAC from liability. Teams will leave the starting line at two-minute intervals.
Drivers shall wear their identifying bibs throughout the first and last legs of the race, that is, from the start to Portage and from Allagash to the finish. Between Portage and Allagash, the driver must wear the bib or have the bib number clearly displayed on the sled.
All dogs shall be harnessed in single or double file. All harnesses shall be padded around the neck and chest areas. Reflective tape is required on harnesses.
A flashing light must be worn by each lead dog from sunset to sunrise.
Ganglines may be cable, cable core, or any synthetic or natural material, but chains are not allowed. If cable ganglines are used, the driver must have easily accessible cable cutters which are known to be capable of cutting the gangline.
At least eight booties per dog are required at the race start.
Spare keys to the driver's vehicle shall be left with the designated handler.
Each driver must have in possession at all times during the race:
Life-threatening hypothermia can develop rapidly when clothing becomes wet due to weather conditions or excessive perspiration. Therefore, Can-Am Crown strongly recommends that each musher carry a complete change of clothing in a waterproof container.
Gear will be checked at the start and the finish, and upon departure from Allagash. Gear may also be checked upon arrival at one or more of the checkpoints. Each driver shall submit to the same number of required gear checks, but they may occur at different checkpoints. For reassurance and safety, drivers may also request a gear check upon departure from any checkpoint.
Missing equipment will result in a time penalty of up to one hour per item, and the equipment must be replaced before a driver can continue the race. If required gear is missing upon arrival at a checkpoint, then a re-check of gear is mandatory before departure from the checkpoint.
Food and gear for shipment to checkpoints must be brought to the parking lot of the Fort Kent Municipal Building (the site of the mushers' meetings) on Friday, March 1 and loaded on the trailers which will be parked there after 4:00pm. The food and gear must be in coolers or double bagged in cloth, burlap or woven plastic bags weighing no more than 50 lbs. each. Food and gear will be shipped only if clearly marked with the name of the driver and location for delivery. Fuel must be in a separate, labeled container. All shipments shall be made only by Can-Am Crown staff. Each team is allowed no more than three (3) containers per checkpoint. The fuel container counts as one of these containers. Containers should be labeled as "1 of 3" or "1 of 2", etc.
Drop bags are to be used at all checkpoints. Access to vehicles is not allowed at checkpoints.
Non-mandatory gear and rubbish may be dropped only at checkpoints and will be delivered to the race finish site in Fort Kent only if clearly tagged with the name and bib number of the driver. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that all such items are properly tagged. Plastic trash bags should not be used for salvageable items! A labeled drop bag is preferred. Unmarked or unclaimed food and equipment will become the property of Can-Am Crown.
Each driver must personally sign in and out of checkpoints before continuing. Veterinary assistance will be available at each checkpoint (including the start) until all teams have passed the next safety station.
Any driver who has not left the checkpoints by the following deadlines will not be allowed to finish the race.
CP #1 Portage Sunday Day 2 06:00:00 (6 a.m.)
CP #2 Rocky Brook Sunday Day 2 20:00:00 (8 p.m.)
CP #3 Camp Syl-Ver Monday Day 3 10:00:00 (10 a.m.)
CP #4 Allagash Tuesday Day 4 06:00:00 (6 a.m.)
Drivers may drop dogs only at official checkpoints or near the start. Dogs shall not be dropped at safety stations. For more specifics see the General Rules: Treatment of Dogs.
If the Race Marshal and the Chief Veterinarian agree that a dog is not fit to continue the race, then the dog must be dropped.
Each dog dropped must be left with at least a 3-day supply of food, a 24" tether, and a food bowl (at least one quart capacity). Food for dropped dogs should be in a bag clearly marked with the musher's name and bib number. Dropped dogs will be examined by a veterinarian and will receive appropriate care.
When leaving a checkpoint, a driver must have at least 6 fit dogs attached to the gangline and traveling under their own power. During the race, the number of dogs pulling must always be greater than the number of dogs in the sled.
At every checkpoint, the driver must present his/her veterinary diary for review by a veterinarian.
Veterinarians are required to examine all dogs at the start, Allagash, and the finish. At other checkpoints, if a Can-Am veterinarian wishes to examine a particular dog or dogs, then the driver must allow it, and the veterinarian will perform the examination as promptly as possible.
If, at any point, a driver requests a veterinary examination of a dog or dogs, then a veterinarian must provide it as soon as possible.
When a team finishes, a veterinarian will examine the finishing dogs and make the appropriate final entries in the veterinary diary. The diary shall then be delivered to Can-Am Central. A Can-Am official will copy the diary and promptly return the original to the driver.
Total required layover time shall be a minimum of 17 hours. There shall be a required layover of at least 5 hours at Allagash, the fourth checkpoint. The other 12 hours (floating layover) may be divided among the first three checkpoints at the musher's discretion. A layover begins when the driver signs in and ends when the driver signs out. If the team returns to a checkpoint for any reason, the additional time spent at that checkpoint will not be credited towards the minimum layover requirement, but will count as race time.
The two-minute start intervals will be offset by requiring additional layover time for the earlier starters. These offset times will be added to the 12 hours of floating layover required through the first three checkpoints.
Each driver is required to designate a personal handler who must be available to pick up dropped dogs at Portage and Allagash. The handler shall wear an armband with the bib number of the driver. Can-Am Crown will provide the armband.
Personal handlers are only allowed to be present at the start, Portage, Allagash, and the finish. If personal handlers appear on the race course or at any other checkpoint, then the team shall be disqualified. At Portage and Allagash, personal handlers may observe the race and pick up dropped dogs, but they are not allowed to help the drivers or teams in any other way unless the Race Marshal, a Judge, or a Checkpoint Coordinator specifically authorizes it. To avoid disqualification, drivers should be certain that their handlers are aware of these restrictions.
On Tuesday, March 5, 2019:
To win prizes, a driver must finish the race by 14:00 (2 p.m.).
Drivers are invited to attend a race review at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 4:00 p.m.
To collect prizes, drivers must attend the Awards Ceremony at 6:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall.
Prize money will be awarded to the twelve teams with the best finish times.
| Total Purse = $20,000 U.S. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Place | Prize$ | Place | Prize$ | |
| 1 | $4500 | 7 | $1000 | |
| 2 | $3500 | 8 | $900 | |
| 3 | $2500 | 9 | $800 | |
| 4 | $2000 | 10 | $700 | |
| 5 | $1600 | 11 | $650 | |
| 6 | $1250 | 12 | $600 | |
Prizes will also be awarded for the fastest eligible times in each of the five stages between checkpoints. To be eligible for stage prizes, a team must be among the first twelve to finish the entire race. For each stage, first prize is $300, second prize is $250, third prize is $200, fourth prize is $150, and fifth prize is $100.
An additional purse of $4,000 will be set aside to be divided equally among all teams that finish the race before 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 5.