A: If you have been in contact with membership@clubrunning.org, then contact support@clubrunning.org with your name, club and the email you received from the membership team. We will help you from here.

If you have not been in contact with membership@clubrunning.org then contact them.

Q: Can I use my club’s joint email account for my own profile?

A: No, you cannot. clubrunning.org allows you to make any number of your runners in your club officers or race directors, so if you want to make sure key people get comms or be able to register or make changes to how your club engages with NIRCA, you should make them an officer.

Your clubrunning.org account provides personalised data - such as your race results - directly to you, which may not be appropriate for joint or shared email accounts. Further, your individual email account is used for a variety of essential actions with NIRCA, such as signing your season waiver. All of these needs and services are according to NIRCA’s terms of service and privacy policy. If you use a joint or shared email account with us, we have limited ways of verifying that you are the person completing your season waiver and accepting our terms, which could mean that you would be considered ineligible to participate in NIRCA events...noone wants that!

If you want to make sure that important comms from NIRCA go to a joint account, you can enter this in your club’s information page.

Q: My runners can't find their email to set up their account and I want to resend it to them. How can I do this?

A: Go to your club roster and use the "resend email" link for that runner.

Q: My runners haven't signed their waivers and so I can't register them for races! What do I do?

A: Go to your club roster and send them a reminder email for their waiver (it's the "reminder" link).

Q: How do I know that my runners have set up their account and signed their waivers?

A: If a runner has signed in to clubrunning.org the "resend email" link will disappear and show a green check mark. Likewise, if they have signed their waiver, there will no longer be a "reminder" link and instead it will show a bright green badge that says "complete"! If either of these aren't completed, use the links there to resend or remind them.

Q: How do I register runners for a race?

A: When a race opens for registration, a green "register" link will show up on the races page next to the race if you're logged in. As long as you are a club officer and logged in, your roster will show up on the next page and you can use the "plus" icon to register runners that have completed their waiver for the race.

Q: Why can’t I register runners for a race? (Troubleshooting)

Log in and view your Roster.
Here's how you'll see if anything is missing, and why someone can't register.
You can only register AFTER the athlete’s waiver shows as complete.
If the waiver link was bulk-emailed to the club or if the account was not activated/waiver not signed, then you will not be permitted to register athletes in NIRCA events. This is the most common reason for inability to register.
The "Reminder" and "Resend email" buttons send a message reminding the club member to take action.

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Q: Why do waivers need to be completed to register for races?

A: Our first priority at NIRCA is your safety when racing in one of our events or in an event organised by our clubs. We brought in a waiver requirement to collect key contact information about each runner and make it clear the nature of our responsibilities and your responsibilities when participating in our events. This forms a key part of the individual eligibility requirements for participation in NIRCA events. To keep things streamlined for later in the season at our events, we ask that these waivers be completed before registration occurs for any registrations conducted through clubrunning.org.

Q: I can't find the email from clubrunning.org to set up my account or sign my waiver or [insert expected email here]...what do I do?

A: Contact support@clubrunning.org

Q: My question isn't here! Who do I call?

A: Ghostbusters...or you can contact support@clubrunning.org

USING CLUBRUNNING.ORG - RUNNERS

Q: I'm a runner (not an officer) and don't have a login for clubrunning.org! What do I do?

A: Email your club officers and ask why they haven't set you up in the club roster.

Q: I can't find the email from clubrunning.org to set up my account or sign my waiver or [insert expected email here]...what do I do?

A: Contact support@clubrunning.org

Q: Can I use a joint email account for my own profile?

A: No, you cannot. clubrunning.org allows your club officers to designate other club officers or race directors, so if you want to make sure you receive comms or can register or make changes to how your club engages with NIRCA, you should ask an existing club officer to make you one as well.

Q: I've filled out my waiver and set my account password, but I can't register for races...why?

A: Runners cannot register themselves for races. That's the club officers' job. Contact your club officer.

HOSTING A MEET

Q: Who do I contact about meet-related questions that aren’t listed here?

A: Your NIRCA Event Director, Stephanie Bartley, can handle those inquiries. Email Steph at: stephanie.bartley@clubrunning.org

Q: My club is trying to decide whether or not to host a meet. What can you tell me?

A: Hosting a meet is a great way to start a club tradition, meet other clubs, and fundraise.

NIRCA can provide you with publicity for your race on the NIRCA website, guidance on managing your event, and give you the contact information you need to contact and attract attendance from nearby schools. Currently, only Championship Series (Regionals, Nationals) meets are funded by NIRCA.

Q: I have no race directing experience. Where is a good place to start?

A: The Race Directors section on the NIRCA website also contains some helpful tools and how-to documents to help you organize your meet. It can be found at: http://www.clubrunning.org/race_mgmt.php

Q: We just decided to host a meet. Now what?

A: As soon as you know you're going to have a meet, email your NIRCA Event Team immediately (race.management@clubrunning.org). Then, you’ll work together to decide on dates and work around football schedules, other meets, etc.

Also, if you're hosting a meet, ensure that your meet is designated as a NIRCA qualifying meet to get the best chances for attendance. Information on qualifying meets can be found on this page, or found at: http://www.clubrunning.org/race_mgmt.php.

Q: I need to spread the word about my meet. What can I do? Can NIRCA help?

A: Yes. Definitely! The extent depends on whether you are a NIRCA-sanctioned race or a promoted event. Sanctioned races are typically Fall cross country meets and adhere to certain minimum standards. Alternatively, promoted races may cover a wider range of events, with examples like: Penn Relayz (a club-hosted track meet), club-hosted open cross country meets, or club-organized charity 5ks. Learn more about sanctioned and promoted events here: http://clubrunning.org/races_guidelines.php.

A few ways to promote your race:

For qualifying meets, you will receive access to post all of your meet information on the NIRCA website, where all club leaders and members go to see the full fall schedule and get meet information. Make sure your race is promoted by NIRCA for best attendance; See below for information on how you can publish your race details to the NIRCA Races page.
For non-qualifying events, you can submit your event name and date, which will show as a listing on the NIRCA Races page.
NIRCA has a Page on Facebook, which updates our fans with news feed information on upcoming races, NIRCA news, and race results.
For clubs in newer NIRCA regions (Pacific Norwest, Mountain West, Gulf Central, Southwest), hosting a meet can help to attract new clubs to NIRCA and help you to increase your meet attendance. Many clubs join NIRCA because they're looking for opportunities for competition, so it's a win-win scenario!
Talk to your friends at other schools. Many of your club leaders and members have friends who are in running clubs at their schools, too. Take advantage of that and use them to spread the word about your meet and about NIRCA.

Q: How can I publish my race information on the NIRCA website?

A: We've made it easy for you to share and edit your race information throughout the season. Follow these steps:

Email race.management@clubrunning.org and let us know the name of your race.
You will receive a confirmation email with a link to a Google document template created specifically for your event. It is not complete or published on the NIRCA website yet!
Access the document and add your race details.

As the Race Director, you are responsible for editing, maintaining this document, and ensuring its accuracy. Add as much or as little information as you want -- you can come back anytime to edit and add new information.

In the early stages, it's ok to have the document created and specify only the date.

4. Publish the page by emailing race.management@clubrunning.org once your first revision is done. The page is not published or viewable to anyone on the NIRCA website until you complete this step.

5. Once the page is initially published, you may access and edit the page at any time to reflect changes to your race information.

You will not need to contact us when you make changes - it's a live document and changes are effective immediately.

Q: What requirements do I need to meet to have my event sanctioned by NIRCA?

A: There are a few requirements. They are:

Your event must be insured by your university/college or a third party.
Race distances must be between 4k and 10k. You can find more info on approved race distances in the NIRCA constitution.
All race participants in NIRCA sanctioned races must be members of NIRCA clubs. You may, however, submit an additional request for an “open” race.
Results must be submitted electronically to NIRCA Event Director within 48 hours of the event.

Q: I know people who want to compete in my event. They're not a NIRCA club or not involved with a club, period. Can they race?

A: While only NIRCA club runners can compete in NIRCA-sanctioned events, you give them the opportunity to race by holding a separate, open event for these individuals. If the runners are from another college running club, they can still race in the sanctioned event -- new NIRCA clubs get free membership for their first year, making them eligible to attend any NIRCA races. This includes Fall and Champsionship Series (National & Regional) meets, so encourage them to join NIRCA today.

NIRCA ELIGIBILITY & COMPETITION

Q: Are Fall meets “classic” cross country meets? In other words, are we only allowed to send one team of 7 men and women each?

A: No-- you can send as many people as you'd like, since our goal is to allow as many people to compete as possible. Some schools consistently send over 30 runners each year! As with tradition, only the top 5 runners for a team will score, with the 6th and 7th runners acting as displacers.

Q: What are the eligibility requirements for competing in the NIRCA meets?

A: Requirements exist on a team and individual basis; both requirements must be met to ensure eligibility to compete.

Team: For all meets, the team must consist of club members from a NIRCA member club. In order for the club to be eligible to attend the National Championship, the club must be represented in the NIRCA Regional Championship meet prior to the National Championship.

Individual: Each individual must compete in at least one NIRCA qualifying meet (such as in Regional Championship or a regular Fall season meet designated as a qualifying meet) prior to the National Championship in order to be eligible to race at the National Championship.
Graduate and undergraduate students may compete in NIRCA meets as long as they are in good academic standing with the university and are considered full-time students during the quarter/semester of the meet. Staff, faculty, and community members are not eligible to race.

Q: Are “red shirt” or varsity athletes (former and current) eligible to race in NIRCA meets?

A: Every runner gets unlimited eligibility.

Any runners that are "red shirting" or currently training on/with the varsity team during the NIRCA Fall Season are not eligible to compete in NIRCA races. Coaching allows these athletes a competitive advantage not available to all other NIRCA athletes.

Q: Is there a special process for validating runner eligibility for the National Championship meet?

A: Yes. The club leader must submit an eligibility form that is completed by the university Registrar, which verifies academic standing and full-time status for each club member. The form must be received before or on the day of the event.

Submitting an eligibility form does NOT function as registration; runners must also be registered via the online registration form to compete. The eligibility form can be found on the NIRA Races page.

Q: Does NIRCA provide any financial assistance for clubs to attend meets?

A: Currently, NIRCA does not offer financial assistance for club activities, including travel or registration. Most clubs fundraise on their own throughout the year by holding fall XC meets, cleaning up the stadium, etc. etc. We have seen most clubs allocated money for travel expenses from their club sports or university. Of course, many of our clubs charge member dues, which also go towards offsetting competition costs.

Q: I just registered my club for a regular Fall season meet. How do I pay for my club’s entry fees?

A: Payment for Fall season meets is up to the host club. Contact the race director if you have questions about payment, but make sure to check for instructions on the “More Information” link beneath each meet listed on the NIRCA Races page, at http://www.clubrunning.org/races.php

Q: Are my club members required to race in matching uniforms?

A: NIRCA’s uniform policy seeks to ensure a fair competition for all athletes in our championship events. The following specifications apply to uniform tops:

The club or school name must be prominently visible on the front of the uniform.
Uniforms must predominantly feature school colors.
All athletes' uniforms must be matching or appear similar at a close distance.

Materials and style/cut of uniforms are open to the club's decision, within the above criteria. Example: short-sleeved and singlet-style versions of the same uniform are acceptable. Cotton shirts are acceptable.

Not sure if you meet the standard? Contact Race Management with questions.

Q: Does NIRCA have a track series and/or road championship?

A: The inaugural NIRCA Track and Road National Championship races took place over the weekend of April 30th, 2012. The Spring National Championship weekend now includes track and field events, as well as a half marathon.

NIRCA CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Q: Is it mandatory to stay at a “preferred hotel” for Nationals weekend?

A: It is not mandatory to stay at a preferred hotel. Since we're expecting hundreds of runners at Nationals, it's important for us to make sure everybody can get a hotel room. We typically block off rooms at three different hotels (at three different price points) in the area, and because we reserve so many rooms, we can help by offering you a group discount.

Q: How do I register for the National Championship? Is there a deadline for registration?

A: National Championship registration will be available online – club leaders are responsible for ensuring all of their team’s runners are registered for Nationals and are eligible by completing the eligibility form. Registration usually closes one week prior to the event at midnight, but will be noted specifically on the event’s registration page. Club leaders, you may add, change, or delete your roster/registrant list until that time with no penalty. There will be no late entries or race day registration. Your club will be invoiced based on the number of runners registered at the registration deadline without exception.

Q: I registered 20 runners, but only 14 came to compete. How much do I owe?

A: Your club will be invoiced based on the number of runners registered at the registration deadline (one week prior to the event). The club is responsible for this fee, regardless of the number of runners that actually compete on race day, as a number of per-runner expenses have already been incurred by submitting their registrations.

Q: How much are entry fees for Regionals? How much for Nationals?

Entry fees depend on your NIRCA dues option (see http://www.clubrunning.org/clubs/dues.php).