As an athlete in the 2023 Shepherd Center Wheelchair Division of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race, we welcome you to a highly competitive field. We hope you enjoy your stay in Atlanta and all the festivities associated with the AJC Peachtree Road Race.
1. General:
a. The wearing of helmets is compulsory in all road wheelchair races. The helmet shall be a hard protective shell with a recognized international safety standard, e.g., Snell b-84/90/95, BSI 6863, EN 1078.
b. Numbers must be visible on the athlete and the athlete’s chair per the instructions given at the pre-race meeting
c. Eye protection is allowed.
d. Grip assistance products are allowed.
2. (Race Specific Rule) To compete in the Wheelchair Division, entrants must have at least ten percent (10%) loss of function of their lower limbs. Competitors without such disabilities will be disqualified and barred from future participation in the race.
3. All competitors may be drug tested and will abide by the rules relating to doping as set by regulations of the USATF, the IAAF, and the International Paralympics Committee Athletics Sections. Any competitor in suspended status will not be allowed to compete because of doping.
4. No wheelchair competitor shall be permitted to release bodily fluids to the ground while in the racing chair. Any competitor found in non-compliance shall be disqualified.
5. Drafting:
a. Competitors may “draft” within their same category (e.g., female push-rim wheelchairs may not draft off male push-rim wheelchairs, off male or female handcycles, or anyone else apart from another push-rim wheelchair in their division).
b. Drafting “out of class” can be protested if it continues for more than 400 meters.
c. Competitors may not draft behind or aside from lead vehicles or any other vehicles on the course, including police cars, police motorcycles, photo/camera trucks, cars, motors, or support cyclists.
6. Passing:
a. During the race, an entrant coming from behind to overtake carries the responsibility of ensuring full clearance of the chair being overtaken before cutting across.
b. The entrant being overtaken has the responsibility not to obstruct or impede the overtaking entrant once the front wheel of the overtaking entrant is in sight.
c. When being passed by vehicular traffic or runners, all wheelchair competitors must stay to the SIDE of the course. Failure to do so may, at the discretion of the race organizer, result in disqualification of the competitor and, possibly, his/her being barred from participation in future marathons.
7. Assistance:
a. Except as provided in these rules, no competitor in the Wheelchair Division may receive assistance during the race's progress from anyone else, including an accompanying support cyclist or motorcycle, in the venue.
b. Assistance is direct help conveyed by any means and includes drafting in violation of #5 above and pacing by a person not officially entered in the race.
c. Competitors may receive technical advice from cycle computer-type devices installed on their wheelchairs if they are self-contained and are not receiving information from devices not on their chair (e.g., computers or devices) except for GPS information.
d. Competitors who suffer a mishap may be assisted in righting and remounting their chairs; assisted does not cause forward movement.
e. Competitors may receive mechanical or other assistance to repair their chairs, including wheels/tires, provided that such assistance does not impede the progress of other competitors or result in the forward progress of the competitor (replacement parts shall be of the same size and sort as the original parts). All broken or replaced parts are subject to inspection by the race organizer, if requested, after the race. All Parts must be carried by the athlete only (IE, Parts may not be given to any support personnel accompanying the athlete)
f. Competitors may not engage in conversations with persons in or on accompanying vehicles or support cyclists that could be deemed to constitute pacing, coaching, or cheering on the part of such persons (e.g., providing advice as to the competitor’s position in the race, encouraging the competitor)
8. Competitors who cause a crash or spill by another competitor or otherwise improperly interfere with the progress of another competitor for any reason may be penalized or disqualified from the race.
9. Competitors' use of any audio electronic device, including cell phones (except for calling for assistance), is prohibited.
10. (Race Specific Rule) Small video recording devices are permitted if used for personal use and/or mounted by the organizing committee. Video from such devices may not be sold or released to the press without permission by the race committee and must be available to the race committee for review if requested. Failure to abide by this rule may result in any race compensation being withheld and/or the competitor being barred from future events.
11. Competitors may carry refreshments, which may be replenished at any refreshment stations provided by the race organizer.
12. A competitor must withdraw, at once, from the race if ordered to do so by a member of the medical staff or another member of the race organizer’s staff officially appointed and identified.
13. The following specifications/regulations will apply to racing wheelchairs (current World Para Athletics (WPA) racing wheelchair specifications supersede the below (WPA Section III, Rule 14):
a. At WPA Competitions (Part B: -3.1.2), the wheelchair shall have the following:
i. two (2) large wheels and one (1) small, or the wheelchair may have two (2) large wheels and a maximum of two (2) small wheels. In all competitions, the small wheel/s must be at the front of the chair.
ii. All wheelchairs must have a functional braking system for safety purposes.
iii. No mechanical gears or levers for propelling the wheelchair.
iv. The use of mirrors is not permitted.
v. Only hand-operated mechanical steering devices are allowed.
vi. In all races, the athlete must be able to turn the front wheel(s) manually both to the left and to the right.
vii. No part of the main body (defined as the vertical plane of the back edge and wheels, including the seat) of the wheelchair may extend forwards beyond the hub of the front wheel or be wider than the inside of the hubs of the two rear wheels.
viii. The maximum height from the ground to the main body of the wheelchair shall be 50 cm.
ix. No part of the wheelchair may protrude behind the vertical plane of the back edge of the rear tires.
x. The maximum diameter of the large wheel, including the inflated tire, shall not exceed 70 cm. The maximum diameter of the small wheel, including the inflated tire, shall not exceed 50 cm.
xi. Only one plain, round, push-rim is allowed for each large wheel.
Note (i): This rule may be waived for persons requiring a single-arm drive wheelchair if stated on their IPC Athletics Classification Form or at the discretion of the Technical Delegate. Note (ii): For T32/33/51/52 athletes who may experience a limitation in their ability to stabilize the wrist during pushing, this rule may be waived, and a modification allowed so that a push-rim and wheel disk may be fused and incorporated into the racing wheel. No other modification that would defeat the general intent of IPC Rule 14.4 is allowed. Note (iii): No part of the athlete's body shall be strapped to the push-rim or to the wheel.
xii. The use of fairings or similar devices for the purpose of improving aerodynamic performance of the athlete in the wheelchair is not permitted.
xiii. No element of the wheelchair or its attachments or accessories may incorporate energy storing capacity (e.g., elasticity) for the purpose of enhancing performance.
b. Wheelchairs will be measured and inspected at race day check-in and once inspected, must not be taken from the competition area before the start of the event. Wheelchairs can be reexamined by the officials before or after the event.
c. It is the responsibility of the athlete to ensure that their wheelchair conforms to the requirements stipulated above. No event shall be delayed while an athlete adjusts their wheelchair.
d. If the Technical Officials believe that a wheelchair and/or the athlete using it represent a safety risk, they shall be authorized to disqualify the athlete from an event. Note: For safety, athletes should secure their lower limb(s), so they don’t fall to the ground and cause injury.
14. Protest:
a. Barring special circumstances, any protest involving incidents during the race or violation of any of these rules must be filed by a competitor in writing within one (1) hour after crossing the finish line, or no later than 8:00 a.m. on the day of the race.
b. The protest will be heard and decided by a Protest Committee, consisting of three (3) persons selected by the Wheelchair Division Coordinator.
c. The committee will review the protest submission and examine all evidence. The committee will interview all parties involved and take testimony or review video if available, as it deems appropriate.
d. The committee will deliberate in private and decide by majority vote. e. The decision of the Protest Committee will be final. 15. You must provide a 45-minute qualifying time for a 10K race.
16. You will need to be available for any press coverage requested the day before and the day of the race.
17. You must adhere to all rules or policies set by the Peachtree Road Race Committee.
18. Rules, as dictated by IPC Athletics, will be followed.
19. You will not be allowed to finish the race if your time drops below a 9-minute mile or if the AJC Peachtree Road Race Committee determines that the foot racers are getting too close from a safety standpoint.
20. You are expected to attend the overall awards ceremony in Piedmont Park if you place in the top 3 men, top 3 women, top 3 open quad, 1st place masters, 1st place T1 quad, or 1st place junior.
21. You must attend the Atlanta Journal- Constitution Peachtree Road Race Post Race Brunch to receive any prize money for which you are eligible.