Randonneurs USA's Rules for Organizers are adapted from the Audax Club Parisien's (ACP) l' Additif au Règlement Déstiné aux Sociétés Organisatrices. For grand randonnées, these rules also take into account the Event Regulations of Les Randonneurs Mondiaux.

Rules for Organizers

Randonneurs USA

Introduction

These rules cover (a) RUSA brevets sanctioned by the ACP (as Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux or BRM), (b) RUSA grand randonnées sanctioned by Les Randonneurs Mondiaux (LRM), and (c) RUSA populaires and non-ACP / non-UAF brevets. Team events and UAF Audax brevets are governed by separate rules. In the following, “event” or “events” refer to events of the abovementioned event types - brevets, populaires, and grand randonnées.

More details behind these rules can be found in the RBA Procedures document and additional resources on the RBA Resources web page.

Regional Brevet Administrators requesting permission to organize these events are bound to strictly enforce the Rules for Riders, as well as to comply with the Rules for Organizers.

These events are not casual affairs. Event organizers must take their responsibilities seriously. Organizers must respect the events and those who regularly participate in them. To assure the events maintain the reputation, which any of those worthy of the title randonneur have come to expect, do not hesitate to penalize any participant for any violation of the rules.

RUSA, the ACP, and LRM thank all volunteers who contribute to the organization of these events, and thereby promote long distance cycling worldwide.

Representatives

The RUSA-appointed Regional Brevet Administrator (RBA) is the liaison and responsible individual to RUSA for the sanctioned events in the RBA's region. RUSA's relationship to organizing regions is with the RBA.

For questions about organizing events. RBAs should contact the RBA Liaison. For questions about calendaring an event or submitting results, RBAs should contact the Brevet Coordinator.

RBAs must maintain an active email account and phone number for communicating with RUSA, and must respond in a timely manner to email and phone communications from the RBA Liaison and RUSA President. RBAs must also follow any deadlines for calendar, route, or results submissions.

► In the following, "organizer" denotes the individual in charge of organizing an event. This may be the RBA or a delegate of the RBA.

Requirements and Deadlines for Organizing Events

These are the deadlines for organizers’ submissions to RUSA. Organizers interact with the RUSA Brevet Coordinator for calendaring events and submitting results, with the RUSA Routes Committee for new and revised routes, and with the RUSA President for proposing new LRM events.

Absolute Dates

July 31 -- Application for 1200km or longer Grand Randonnée
August 1 -- Application for new RBA wishing to organize ACP or LRM events for the next year
September 30 -- Calendar submission for ACP-sanctioned and LRM-sanctioned events for the following year (to schedule November-December ACP brevets, submit them as RUSA non-ACP brevets and consult the Brevet Coordinator for converting them at the appropriate time)

Dates Relative to an Event

7 days after event's finish / 9 days after month’s end -- Submission of event results
1 week after originally calendared date - Latest to postpone the event (because of safety / route issues).
6 days prior -- Calendar submission for RUSA-sanctioned brevets and populaires
5 weeks prior -- Calendar submission for RUSA-sanctioned events not yet having an approved route
5 weeks prior -- New or updated route submission (5 weeks prior to earliest event using it)

Insurance

The Audax Club Parisien and RUSA require that all organizing clubs and event participants be covered by liability insurance. Before the event, organizers must ensure that each participant is a member of Randonneurs USA and has provided a signed RUSA waiver.

Routes

Route Certification - Each event must use a current and well-maintained RUSA-certified route. An event's route may be assigned or reassigned after the event is approved for scheduling. New or changed routes must be submitted to RUSA at least five weeks before the date of the event where it is first to be used. (See Deadlines above.)

Route Shape - A route may start and finish at the same point, or at different points, and may be any shape so long as there are no repeated loops.

Cue Sheets and Distance - Cue sheets should be clear and accurate, and contain all relevant details. Mileage must be determined from state road maps, odometers, or computer mapping programs. Total route distance for an event must always be at least the official published distance for the event and may exceed the official distance by 20%. Riders get credit for the official distance. The cue sheet must include the location of all checkpoints, and, for timed checkpoints, their opening and closing times. We recommend that, even for untimed checkpoints, the calculated opening and closing times be included as pacing guidance for riders.

An event may have only one starting point. Organizers in the same region or locality may, however, organize events starting on the same date and time and using the same route. This exception to the rule is allowed only for those clubs which agree to coordinate their checkpoints, so that a checkpoint serving as the start point for some riders will also be an intermediary checkpoint for those having started at another checkpoint.

Unpaved Distance - The event route’s unpaved distance is credited to the rider. For RUSA brevets and populaires (i.e. RUSAB and RUSAP codes) where the organizer has calendared the event as using gravel rules, riders get an extra minute to finish for each unpaved km. Therefore, the route’s unpaved distance needs to be verified by the organizer and supplied to the Routes Committee.

600 km ACP Brevets with 8,000 m of Climbing - 600 km brevets with 8,000 m of climbing count towards a requirement of the ACP Randonneur 10000 award. To have an event count towards that, the organizer must consult with the Routes Committee and the Brevet Coordination team.

Route Design That Limits Riding Time - Time when the rider is not riding counts against the total available time for the event (unless because of substantial and unforeseen issues). While brevets’ generous time limits are meant to absorb some riding issues, they are not meant to account for route design which could keep riders from riding for extended periods. This may be time in transit (on a ferry or other conveyance) or when a route segment is closed (e.g., night closure of bridges or trails, outside ferry operating hours, etc.). So routes should minimize the potential for substantial and foreseeable forced time off the bike based on route design.

Checkpoints

Checkpoints should be located along the route so as to prevent material shortcutting. The organizer may add secret checkpoints to enhance route integrity, e.g., where otherwise a route segment might require too many regular checkpoints. The start checkpoint must be staffed by one or more people selected by the organizer. For the finishing checkpoint, the organizer must provide a secure method of obtaining timed proof of passage for that checkpoint and for acquiring proof of passage materials (e.g., brevet card and receipts, photos, GPS tracks).

Timed and Untimed Checkpoints - Start and finishing checkpoints are timed (riders must transit the checkpoint between its opening and closing times). Intermediate checkpoints are untimed except that, for LRM-sanctioned events, the organizer can choose whether a checkpoint is timed or untimed.

Type of Proof of Passage - Below are some admissible types of proof of passage. For each checkpoint, the organizer chooses which types of proof of passage are acceptable, with the exception that a "traditional" form of proof-of-passage must be allowed for each checkpoint. (See note below.)

event staff annotation on a brevet card, at a regular or secret checkpoint; *
clerk or other staff annotation at establishments, or store receipts, including time and date of passage; *
a postcard mailed from the checkpoint, with the rider name and checkpoint information (location, time, and date);
the answer to a question posed on the brevet card, discoverable at the checkpoint location;
a receipt from an ATM or other automated device that includes time, date, and location; *
a photo incorporating date and time taken and including the rider and an identifying artifact from the location; *
data from a GPS or other location device that includes location and time of passage. *

* May be used for timed checkpoints (as well as untimed checkpoints).

"Traditional" Proof-of-Passage Requirement - For each checkpoint, a "traditional" form of proof-of-passage must be offered, i.e., one not requiring a rider device. These are: event staff or establishment staff annotation on a brevet card, info question, postcard, or receipt from an automated device. The organizer determines which additional traditional and/or other (GPS, photo, etc.) proof-of-passage option(s) are allowed. In any case, proofs of passage for timed checkpoints must provide date and time. In all events, the final checkpoint must be timed. In LRM events, the organizer may make one or more intermediate checkpoints timed.

Event Distances

Allowable event distances depend on the type of event:

RUSA Populaires	100 km - 199 km
RUSA non-ACP Brevets	200 km - 1199 km
ACP Brevets	200 km, 300 km, 400 km, 600 km, 1000 km
LRM Grand Randonnées	1200 km and longer

Brevet Cards

RUSA brevet card templates are available online under RBA Resources.

Organizers must make available a brevet card for each participant. They may be made available electronically. The card must include any event-related information required on the card (date, distance, the address of each checkpoint). On the inside of the brevet card, organizers must note the place name, address, mileage, and - for timed checkpoints - the opening and closing times for each checkpoint.

Checkpoint Opening and Closing Times

Start Checkpoint

The start time is set by the organizer. The checkpoint is open from that time until 1 hour later. Riders may start no earlier than the checkpoint opening time. If the organizer must materially delay the start - e.g., for reasons of safety - the closing time of the finish checkpoint (and for LRM events, timed intermediate checkpoints) is adjusted accordingly.

Intermediate Checkpoints

Intermediate checkpoints are untimed, except at the organizer's discretion on LRM-sanctioned events. For LRM-sanctioned events, the organizer may calculate opening and closing times on any reasonable basis. For example, they may impose a flat minimum required pace across all checkpoints, or follow the calculations for non-LRM intermediate opening and closing times, or some other variant.

Finish Checkpoint

For Non-LRM Events - The opening and closing times for the finish depend on the distance of the event. The times are calculated by first segmenting the distance to the checkpoint into the distance ranges in the following table, calculating the time allowed for each segment, and summing them.

Distance (km)	Minimum Req. Avg. Pace	Max. Allowed Avg. Pace
1 - 200	15 km/hr	34 km/hr
201 - 400		32 km/hr
401 - 600		30 km/hr
601 - 1000	11.428 km/hr	28 km/hr
1001 - 1199	13.333 km/hr	26 km/hr

Opening is the sum of each segment's distance divided by maximum avg. pace allowed in that distance range.
Closing is the sum of each segment's distance divided by minimum avg. pace required in that distance range. *

The exceptions to this are that:

200 km brevets allow 13½ hours to finish (10 minutes extra). *
400 km brevets allow 27 hours to finish (20 minutes extra). *

* plus 1 minute for each unpaved km on the route, for RUSA brevets and populaires calendared using gravel rules.

For a 700km RUSA brevet (with no unpaved distance), that would be:

For Opening: 200km / 34 kph + 200km / 32 kph + 200 km / 30 kph + 100 km / 28 kph = 22h22m
For Closing: 600km / 15 kph + 100 km / 11.428 kph = 48h45m

This is simply to explain the scheme of opening and closing times. A times calculator is available online under RBA Resources

LRM-Sanctioned Events

For LRM-sanctioned events, the opening and closing times are calculated simply based on the total distance, not the sum of distance segments as for non-LRM events above.

Distance (km)	Minimum Req. Avg. Pace	Max. Allowed Avg. Pace
1200 - 1299	13⅓ km/hr	30 km/hr
1300 - 1899	12 km/hr
1900 - 2499	10 km/hr
2500 km +	200 km / day

Extra Time to Finish

The organizer may extend the closing time for the finish checkpoint for one or more riders if an unanticipated issue has arisen that delays or prevents finishing within the normal time limits. Issues may include road or weather safety issues, or road closures and detours, including those caused by police actions. Potential delays thanks to the route design (roads/paths/bridges closed at night, means of transit with restricted service hours, etc.) are not unforeseeable, and therefore do not apply.

Extra Time for Climbing

For LRM events where the average rate of climbing is greater than 11 meters per kilometer, the organizer may request an added time allowance of the LRM (via the RUSA Brevet Coordinator). This will normally be a 5% allowance for every full m/km of extra climbing.

Higher Minimum Pace Options

For LRM events, the organizer may request of the LRM (via the RUSA Brevet Coordinator) to offer a higher minimum pace options - i.e., lower time limits to finish the event. (This would be like the 84- and 80-hour options at PBP.) In any case, the normal time limit option must always be available to riders.

Examples

Event	Allowed Time	Notes
100 km RUSA populaire	6:40	100 km / 15 kph minimum required average pace
205 km RUSA non-ACP brevet	13:40	205 km / 15 kph minimum required average pace
200 km ACP brevet using a 205 km course	13:30	time allotted to any 200k brevet
300 km brevet	20:00	300 km / 15 kph minimum required average pace
300 km RUSA brevet using gravel rules with 20 km unpaved	20:20	300 km / 15 kph minimum required average pace + 1 minute for each unpaved km
400 km brevet	27:00	time allotted to any 400k brevet
600 km brevet	40:00	600 km / 15 kph minimum required average pace
700 km RUSA brevet	48:45	600km / 15 kph + 100 km / 11.428 kph
1200 km grand randonnée	90:00	1200 km / 13.333 kph
1200 km grand randonnée w/ 15,000 m of climbing	94:30	90:00 + 5% x 90 hours, because the climbing ratio is 12.5m/km above the threshold 11m/km
1300 km grand randonnée	108:20	1300 km / 12 kph minimum required average pace

A times calculator is available online under RBA Resources.

Event Procedures

Before the Event

Before the start, the organizer must make available to each rider a cue sheet, a brevet card if requested, and the brevet Rules for Riders. (This can be done electronically.) Organizers may require riders to:

register in advance for the event,
impose a deadline for registration,
and require the riders complete qualifying rides, particularly for long or hard events, and impose a deadline for qualifying.

The organizer must assure that all riders have supplied a signed waiver using the approved RUSA language.

After the Event

At the Finish

At the finish, the organizer must have a way to collect the proofs of passage of each rider who has completed the brevet within the time limits (including penalties) and has not been disqualified. This may include brevet cards, receipts, GPS tracks, photos, and other valid proofs of passage.

Checking Brevet Cards and Other Proofs of Passage

For checkpoints using cards, verification is that each card has the following

proof of passage from each of these checkpoints:
- store receipts if that is an option for establishment checkpoints,
- answer to the question for info checkpoints,
the time of arrival at each timed checkpoint,
the signature of the rider.

Verification for checkpoints allowing other proofs of passage,

for GPS tracks, that the track transits the checkpoint (and within opening and closing times for timed checkpoints),
for photos, that identifying landmark(s) are visible (and timestamp within opening and closing times for timed, checkpoints),
for postcards, that the rider's postcard has been received.

Official Finishing Time - The organizer must calculate the total official time for the rider, and note it on the rider's route card in the space provided if a card is being used. Total official time is the time from the official start (which may have been delayed from the published start time) to the actual finish time plus any time penalties. If the rider’s time is greater than the max for the event, but extra time has been allowed because of an issue during the event, the rider is credited with the max time for the event.

Time Penalties and Disqualification

The organizer may impose a time penalty or disqualify the rider for infractions of the Rules for Riders. Examples might include riding without reflective gear or lighting at night, being disrespectful of event volunteers, violating local rules of decorum, shortcutting the route, etc. The rider shall be notified of a penalty or disqualification as soon as feasible. Time penalties are assessed at the final checkpoint.

Riding before the Event Date for Workers / Volunteers

The organizer may allow riders to ride an event for credit up to 15 days in advance of the calendared date, for example, in order to verify the route and services, or because the riders will be volunteers on the actual event. It is up to the organizer to allow this option, determine the date(s) of these rides, and who is allowed to ride.

Postponing an Event

The organizer may postpone an event up to one week after the original calendared date because of weather or other safety issues, or because the route is temporarily blocked at some location. The organizer shall notify the Brevet Coordinator in advance. The original calendar date remains the official one for purposes of event credit and awards credit.

Event Results

A finisher’s official time for the event is the rider’s arrival time at the finishing checkpoint minus the actual start time of the event (not the time the rider departed) plus any time penalties. (The actual event start time is normally the published start time, but may be later if the event is delayed for some safety or other reason.)

Results include the names of all starters, including their RUSA member numbers, and their official finishing times or non-finishing status.

Any published event results shall list riders alphabetically by last name and not by the order of the riders' arrival or total elapsed time.

Event results must be submitted to RUSA no later than 7 days after the event concludes or 9 days after the month’s end with special accommodation for events that finish after month’s end, either because of their initial calendaring or because they were postponed for the allowed reasons. Notifying the Brevet Coordinator will facilitate that accommodation.

Organizers who are organizing a RUSA event for the first time may be asked by the RBA Liaison to submit brevet cards (if used) and/or proof of passage materials (photos, GPS tracks, etc.). This allows RUSA to verify that the organizer fully understands the Rules for Organizers and has properly implemented them.

Official Certification

RUSA will review event results submitted by organizers and verify that the event has been properly executed. Upon verification, RUSA will post the results including - when available - the certification number for each rider. (Certification numbers for ACP and LRM events may take some time to return to RUSA, and then will be posted.)

For ACP and LRM events, the organizer may request physical homologation stickers, or a file for printing the stickers. Stickers are to be placed on the riders' brevet cards in the space provided, for riders using cards. Completed cards shall then be returned to the riders by the organizer.

Original translation by Johnny Bertrand. Adapted by the RUSA Board and RUSA Rules Committee. REV. 8/2024