General conditions of participation (Regulations) 2025

A. GENERAL RULES

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1. Validity of the hereby general conditions, the applicable law and forum

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The person who registers for one or more races organized by the Bellinzona Castles & GO Association accepts the hereby general conditions. The Italian version is predominant in case of any inconsistencies with the versions translated into other languages.

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These provisions shall also apply in case of registration of other persons or additional persons (third parties). It is assumed that these third parties have authorized the person who registers them. If underage participants are registered by third parties, it is assumed that the consent of the legal representatives has been obtained.

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The contractual relationship between Bellinzona Castles & GO and the registered persons is governed by the Swiss material law (excluding the rules concerning conflicts of law) and the ordinary Courts of Bellinzona are solely competent in case of legal disputes.

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2. Organizer and information

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Bellinzona Castles & GO Association

Vicolo alla Monda 17a

CH 6517 Arbedo (hereinafter “the organizer”)

President: Mauro Bissolotti, Bellinzona-Monte Carasso

Website: www.castlesandgo.ch

Email: castlesandgo@gmail.com

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Both the distances of the Running and Walking/Nordic Walking races (non-competitive, but with ranking) are 11 KM.

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3. Cancellation or change of the event

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The organizer reserves the right to cancel, reschedule or change the event, in whole or in part, even without prior notice, either following the indications or recommendations issued by the competent Authorities (the Confederation and/or the State Council of the Ticino Canton and/or the Municipality of the City of Bellinzona and similar), or following their own assessments and decisions due to safety reasons, weather, etc., or in case of a proven situation of emergency, danger, epidemic or pandemic. In case of cancellation or changing the date of the event following such reasons, no claims for compensation will be considered.

 

In case of failure to participate in the races due to illness or injury, the reimboursement of the registration fee shall be provided only if the cancellation insurance was checked/chosen upon registration. The conditions for the latter can be found on the timing site: https://www.performance-timing.ch/assicurazione (see also point 6).

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B. REGISTRATIONS

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4. Registration fees

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The registration fees are those indicated for the various competitions on the www.castlesandgo.ch website.

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5. Registration deadline

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Registrations are possible starting the dates indicated on the www.castlesandgo.ch website and will end within the established dates, also indicated on the website.

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The race pack is guaranteed only for the participants in the races who registered online.

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Own name affixed on the bib is guaranteed only for the participants in the races registered online by 12.00 noon on Tuesday, May 21st, 2024.

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The organizer reserves the right to disqualify the participants at any time and without the reimbursement of the paid amount, if they provided false personal details upon registration.

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6. Registration and payment methods

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Online, through the www.castlesandgo.ch website, with link to Performance Sport Switzerland SAGL (hereinafter Performance Sport), following the provided instructions (https://www.performance-timing.ch/race-info/278789).

 

Payment by credit card or bank transfer. No reimbursement will be provided by the organizer in case of cancelling the participation.

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The indication of the domicile address is obligatory (the residence address will not be taken into account for the evaluation of the ASTi Cup).

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The minimum age for registration is 14.

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The categories of participants provided for according to age groups are shown on the www.castlesandgo.ch website.

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Upon registration, it is possible to state a cancellation and/or waiver insurance in case of illness or injury. Any requests should be addressed directly to the insurance. This service is not a service provided by the organizer. For more information, see the https://www.performance-timing.ch/assicurazione website.

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The organizer may set a limited number of participants. In such case, the registrations received later cannot be taken into account. The registrations will be validated after receiving the payment.

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The registrations made two or more times will not be refunded, but will entitle to a free participation the following year.

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The start number may be transferred to another person upon the payment of a CHF 10.-/EUR 10.00 fee. It is not possible to change the type of race for which registration was made. Changes are only possible by the date the bibs are printed and will only be made by presenting a registration or a payment confirmation upon issuance of the start number.

 

In cases provided for at point 3 above, or due to other reasons of force majeure or following the directives of the public authorities the event could not take place on the scheduled date, the person who registered and paid the respective fee has the right to participate, at no additional cost, in the next edition, in the same type of race. No refund of the paid fee will be provided.

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7. Bib collection

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Bibs shall be collected in the manner and in the places indicated by the organizer on the www.castlesandgo.ch website.

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C. SECURITY

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8. Safety and health of the participants and spectators

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No medical certificate or Federation membership is required for participating in the Bellinzona Castles & GO races; however, upon registration, each participant takes responsibility, self-certifying “to be sufficiently trained to participate in this race, to be in good physical health and to have a medical confirmation of his/hers good state of health”.

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The organizer declines any responsibility in case of accident or illness. The insurance is the responsibility of the participants. The organizer declines any responsibility in case of accident or injury.

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The organizer recommends drinking enough water before, during and after the competition. If, during the race, the participant suffers from an injury, from pronounced breathlessness, evident tiredness, dizziness, severe pain, etc., he/she must immediately stop and abandon the race. It is not recommended to participate in the race for those who have suffered feverish conditions or other health problems in the days and weeks preceding the respective race.

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The Samaritans of the Bellinzona Green Cross will be present along the routes.

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The Race Directorate of Bellinzona Castles & GO and/or the Samaritans of the Bellinzona Green Cross in place may force the participant in evident state of distress to immediately stop the race. If the race is continued despite these recommendations and indications, this will be on the responsibility of the participant, without any claim for services (including medical) from the organizer, who takes no responsibility in case of health problems.

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In case of emergencies and/or provisions of the Swiss public Authorities (for example in case of COVID-19 provisions), the organizer may request, at any time (therefore even after registration), as a prerequisite for participating to the event, that the participant posseses and presents certificates and/or other current documentation (for example a vaccination certificate, a “covid pass” and similar). The failure to comply with these provisions will result in disqualification; in such case, no refund of the registration fee shall be provided. The participants are invited to keep themselves regularly updated on this subject, also (but not only) by consulting the www.castlesandgo.ch website.

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3 refreshing points are provided along the routes.

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It is absolutely forbidden to use headphones during the races. The Race Directorate may, at any time, interrupt the race for those who do not comply with this requirement.

 

It is absolutely forbidden to run during the WALKING/NORDIC WALKING RACE. The Race Directorate may, at any time, interrupt the race of anyone who does not comply with this regulation.

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The organizer declines any responsibility concerning spectators and third parties.

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9. Security concept

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The organizer is responsible for setting up a safety concept and for coordinating all the necessary security forces (Police, Civic firefighters, Samaritans, etc.).

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The instructions of the security personnel (in particular of the local Police) are mandatory and prevail in case of conflicts with various indications coming from third parties.

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The routes, however kept under surveillance, may be partially open to traffic. The participants must respect the traffic rules, stay on the right side of the roadway (unless otherwise indicated) and follow the indications of the signaling staff and of the placed signage.

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One or more safety vehicles precede the head of the race: it is forbidden to overtake the safety vehicle opening the route.

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The assistance of the participants in the race is prohibited, except by the organization’s cars or other vehicles.

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The inner or surrounding parts of the historical monuments (e.g. Castel Grande Castle, Castel Grande Walls, Montebello Castle, Sasso Corbaro Castle...) may present situations - direct or indirect - of potential danger to one’s own physical safety (narrow crenellated passages, embrasures, battlements, loopholes, unprotected steps and stairs, parapets of drawbridges or, in general, low ceilings, protrusions of any kind, ditches, irregular soils, etc.) for which each participant is responsible.

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In particular, it is not recommended to walk the underpass of the Castel Grande Walls, an enclosed and relatively dark/narrow place, wearing sunglasses.

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Along the routes, there may be paths, construction sites or irregular, potentially dangerous stretches of road, etc. Even if these are adequately signposted by the organisers, it is the responsibility of the participants to pay the utmost attention and to adapt their running/running pace to the individual situations in order to avoid accidents or injuries.

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Participants in the RACE and participants in the WALKING/NORDIC WALKING RACE may on occasion cross each other in narrow passages: in this case, participants in the WALKING/NORDIC WALKING RACE must keep completely to the right of the road and make it easier for the participants in the RACE to pass them.

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Participants in the RACE who wish to warm up by running sprints on via Artore (just before the Montebello Castle car park) may only do so from 10.25 a.m. to 10.35 a.m. (the time from which all registered participants must report to the starting group formation).

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The participants in the WALKING/NORDIC WALKING RACE equipped with sticks are required to pay particular attention during the passages on the two wooden drawbridges of the Montebello Castle, to not infix the sticks in the wood and/or to apply rubber pads to the tips.

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The organizer provides for the transport of bags or similar containing spare clothes or similar from the starting area of ​​Montebello Castle to the changing rooms (or to another indicated place). Delivery must take place at least 15 minutes before start.

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A broom vehicle or broom man shall close the race and shall provide assistance to those participants who would withdraw early.

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The participants in the race are required to respect each other and to respect both the public and the organizers and their collaborators.

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10. Insurance

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Insurance falls under the responsibility of the participants, should they wish to use it.

 

The organization declines any responsibility in case of injury, damage and/or theft.

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D. DATA PROTECTION

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11. Data protection

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According to the competition rules, the participants also agree the data protection statement upon registration.

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The collection and the management of each participant’s details shall be carried out by the Performance Sport timing company.

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Upon registration in the race, the participant authorizes the organizers to publish his/her name, surname, date of birth, address, bib number, race time and race rank. This authorization is valid for publication on the internet and in various media (newspapers, television, teletext, etc.) and for the announcements made by the speaker of the race.

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The videos and photos taken during the event can be used by televisions, on the Internet, by advertising channels, magazines and books without any right of indemnity of the individual participant.

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To the extent allowed by the data protection law in force, the organizer considers that the participant has given his/her consent to the submission of his personal details (name and surname, address, date of birth, telephone number and email address) to partners (e.g. photo and video services) and sponsors, unless he/she states the denial for submitting his/her data to the following e-mail address: castlesandgo@gmail.com.

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The partners have the right to use the data for their own services or for advertising purposes and, in the case of sponsors, for targeted written and telephone contacting, previously defined with the organizer, in connection with the running event. The participant may revoke his consent to the submission of data to third parties at any time by communicating it by email or in writing to the organizer: castlesandgo@gmail.com.

 

During the event, video and/or photographic recordings may be made. The images will be freely used by the organizers (or by ASTi) for advertising purposes or for publications (on TV, on the internet, in newspapers, in our advertising material, in our magazines and our books, etc.). Anyone who does not want to be included in these publications and does not want for his/her images (in which is clearly recognizable) to be disclosed, must state so upon registration.

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E. RULES RELATING TO THE COMPETITION

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12. Competition

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The indications and orders of the Race Directorate, of the security personnel and of the organizer must be strictly observed.

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The event will take place according to the regulations of the Ticino Sports Association (ASTi) and according to the main categories listed on the https://www.asti-ticino.ch/asti-new/storage/documenti/regolamento-podistico-cantonale-asti.pdf website. Anyone who has reached the indicated age may participate.

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The time is measured by means of a chip integrated in the bib. The bibs must be clearly visible from the front and must be worn on the chest.

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Private companions with vehicles of any kind are not allowed, in particular bicycles and roller skates. Dogs, baby strollers, etc. are not allowed.

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Route cuts as well as any type of unauthorized aids are prohibited.

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For safety reasons, participation with a wheelchair is not possible, unless otherwise provided by the organizer, in particular for some types of races.

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13. Doping

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Doping checks may be carried out at any time (even without notice).

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14. Start

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The participants must go to their start points at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the races. In case of delay, the Race Directorate reserves its right to disqualify the participant and to not allow him/her to start.

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Each participant must follow the official route; this is for both security and equity reasons. In case of non-compliance, the participant may be disqualified.

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The participants who wish to abandon the competition must notify the refreshing point or the first organization’s collaborator closest to the finish.

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15. Time limits

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A time limit has been set in order to ensure a correct performance of the races and to avoid that the last participants are overtaken by the first ones (in case of two or more laps) or other inconveniences or dangers.

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Unless indicated otherwise by the Race Directorate, the time limits are as follows:

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• 11 KM RUNNING RACE - time limit: 1 hour and 30 minutes

• 11 KM WALKING/NORDIC WALKING (non-competitive, with ranking) - time limit: 2 hours and 30 minutes

 

The participants who reach the finish line after this time will not be ranked.

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The end of the official race is determined by the broom-vehicle or the broom-man, who travels on the race courses in order to reach the finish line after the time limit. The participants overtaken by the broom-vehicle or the broom-man must hand over the bib and will be excluded from the race; if they choose to go on with the race, on the race course, they will do so on their own responsibility, given that the safety (including medical) of the people overtaken by the broom-vehicle or broom-man shall not be guaranteed.

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16. Timing

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The timing service shall be carried out by a Performance Sport microchip inserted in the bib. During the competitions, this shall be worn on the chest and always made visible, under penalty of disqualification.

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17. Changing rooms, storage of personal effects and valuables

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For all the competitions, changing rooms, personal belongings storage and valuables storage are available. The respective locations are indicated on the www.castlesandgo.ch website.

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There is the possibility to deposit personal effects (spare clothes, bags, backpacks and similar) in a covered and delimited area, which can only be accessed by the people registered in the event. This deposit is not guarded nor surveilled by the organizer. It is not recommended to leave valuables in this area (for which the organizer is not liable in case of loss, theft and/or damage). The location is indicated on the www.castlesandgo.ch website.

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Small valuables (wallets, keys, cell phones, personal documents and similar) can be deposited in a special area, under the organizer’s keeping and supervision. The deposit of such objects is made upon the issuing of a receipt for their subsequent collection.

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18. Rankings

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The rankings will be shown online on the Performance Sport website, immediately after finish (in the Castles & GO Village) or later, on the www.castlesandgo.ch website.

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Any objections to the rankings may be submitted in writing to the organiser no later than 30 minutes after their publication by the latter on the competition notice board.

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19. Awards

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Both the prize pool and the various categories to be awarded are indicated on the www.castlesandgo.ch website.

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The prizes not collected during the award ceremony on the day of the event by the entitled person (or by a person empowered by him/her in writing) will remain the property of the organizer and will not be sent home.

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20. Public transportation

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Any facilities and possibilities of public transport and/or shuttle service are indicated on the www.castlesandgo.ch website.