RULES OF THE HITCHHIKING RACE "BALTIJA 2020"

12-13 September 2020

Vilnius hitch-hiking club


PARTICIPATION AND MAIN PRINCIPLES

1. Only couples of two people (disregarding gender) are allowed to compete.

2. Participants shall be aware of potential dangers of hitchhiking and take personal responsibility for whatever can happen to them during the race. They shall not blame the organisers for it.

3. Participants must take safety precautions on the road, strive not to endanger themselves and other road users by choosing a stopping point, stopping, getting into or out of the car, and communicating with the driver. It is forbidden to ask the driver to violate the Road Traffic Regulations.

4. During the competition, both members of the couple must wear numbers in a visible place. It is forbidden to cover the numbers.

5. During the race, travelling is only allowed by hitchhiking and free of charge. Exceptions:

– It is allowed to pay for regular ferries;

– On the day of the finish, upon reaching the Vilnius city limits it is allowed to use public transport (no taxi or similar) to reach the finish object.

6. The goal of the participants is to collect as many points as possible by visiting the checkpoints (CP) indicated in the online map of the race.

7. The checkpoints are visited in an optional sequence. This sequence depends only on the participants and can be modified during the race.

8. It is prohibited to visit more than three checkpoints (including the intermediate finish and finish) in a single car.


CALCULATION OF RESULTS AND TIME LIMITS

9. Checkpoints have different values – they are indicated on the race map. A couple visiting a checkpoint and taking their picture next to it collects the number of points equal to the value of that checkpoint.

10. A couple visiting a particular checkpoint first among all the participants (counting both days together) receives 10 extra points.

11. The winner shall be the couple collecting the highest number of points. If two or more couples collect the same number of points, the winner is the couple that has visited more checkpoints.

12. TIME LIMITS:

– for collecting points: 9 hours from the start time of a particular couple;

– for reaching the intermediate finish (on the first day) or the finish (on the second day): 10 hours from the start time of the particular couple.

For reaching it late for up to an hour, a couple shall get minus 20 points (subtracted from the result). Subsequently, for each late hour, 20 additional points are subtracted.

13. The start of the second day is only possible from the intermediate finish.

14. Coefficients for male and female couples are not applicable in this competition.


MARKING THE VISIT TO A CHECKPOINT

15. Participants shall mark their visit to a CP by taking a picture and adding it to the specific Facebook group. Next to each picture there should be the following text: #baltija(couple number) kp(checkpoint number). For example: #baltija7 kp12

The photo must clearly show the two members of the couple with visible competition numbers with the object of the checkpoiunt in the background, not more than 5 km away. Any member of the couple can post the photo. It is recommended to charge the phones of both members of the couple before the race as well as carry the necessary phone charging equipment (for example, car charger).

16.The time of posting the photo on the mentioned Facebook page will be considered as the time of visiting the checkpoint, so the posted photos should not be edited later.

17. The arrival at the intermediate finish and finish should also be marked with pictures, as with other checkpoints. The object of the (second-day) finish will be announced at the intermediary finish.

18. It is prohibited to post other pictures than those intended to mark your arrival at checkpoints on the specific Facebook page intended for that purpose.


STOPPING A CAR AND TRAVELLING TOGETHER

19. If one or several couples are already standing at a hitchhiking position, another couple arriving later to that place may hitchhike in the same direction (within the visibility zone) only behind the last couple after the normal car-stopping distance. This is not applicable for hitchhiking in any other direction (sideways or opposite).

20. If a couple starts walking from its position, it loses priority vis-a-vis other couples.

21. If one couple has stopped a car and chooses to ride it, the other pair can only go together subject to agreement from the first couple.

22. If a couple is in a moving car and another couple is stopping it, it is prohibited to ask the driver not to stop. In this case, the driver him/herself shall decide whether to stop and take the other couple.

23. The members of one couple are allowed to hitchhike individually, but they are not allowed to travel in separate cars, except when they travel in a convoy.


RACE CHRONICLE

24. During the trip, each couple must write a chronicle of the race, in which it should record:

– start time

– location and time of entering a car;

– car model;

– place and time of leaving a car;

– time and place of passing with other pairs;

– time of arrival at each checkpoint (this information will be important if you have trouble posting a picture on Facebook);

– Intermediate finish and finish time.

Even if the race takes place in other time zones, Lithuanian time shall be written everywhere.

25. Upon request, the Chronicle shall be submitted to the Competition Judge. It is necessary to bring it to the post-race meeting.

26. If you meet a particularly kind and helpful driver, it is important to take his/her contact for the smartest driver competition.

27. If you decide to withdraw from the race, you are required to inform the organisers or a Judge immediately.


PENALTIES FOR BREAKING THE RULES

28. Compliance with these rules is controlled by the competition Judges, whose demands and directions must be fulfilled by the participants.

29. Penalties for the violation of these rules are granted at the discretion of the Judges.

30. For serious violations, including fraud, use of public, personal or pre-arranged transport, payment for the ride, excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages, provoking accidents, police simulation, coercion, theft, etc., participants shall be eliminated from the race.