Risk Assessment - Run Like Hell
Risk assessment carried by: Martin Penney (Event director & sole owner, Bys Vyken Events)
Conducted on: 27th February 2026
Event date: 18th April 2026
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Parking
Parking for the runners will be at the Hells Mouth Cafe. the start of the race is across the road. (medium risk, there will be marshals present),
The Cafe is responsible for its own public liability and risk assessments.
Registration & Race Start
Registration & marshal meeting points will be at the Hells Mouth Cafe.
Marshals will pick up supplies and runners will pick up their race numbers at the café, after being checked for identification.
Marquees set up in the outside area of the cafe. (medium risk).
In the event of adverse weather these will be removed. They will be secured safely and weighted/fixed into place to not cause harm.
Runners will be made aware of the dangers of tide/ cliff edges, if they wish to warm up pre-event (medium risk).
Runners will be ID checked.
All enquiries will be answered here at this point. Official documents including insurances and licences will be available for everyone to inspect including the race risk assessment, association of running clubs permit and corresponding insurance, notes from Devon & Cornwall police and anything else that is relevant to the event.
We will be available for answering enquiries from the general public and authorities at the Race HQ for the event. All runners’ information will be kept in accordance with the data protection act of 2018 and GDPR regulations. Data will only be used for emergency purposes and for safety reasons only. (data protection is low risk)
No other covered accommodation at the start area (Hells Mouth Cafe) other than aforementioned marquees. Plenty of space in and around for competitors and staff to not get crushed and injured. (low risk)
Toilets there will be 2 x portable toilets. This is an outside location with no indoor W.C, runners will be made aware of this
The toilets will be/are hired by ‘Andy Loo’s’. They are responsible for maintaining their own insurances and risk assessments.
Runners will be responsible for cleaning their own hands after the toilet visits with the hygiene gel provided. If the toilets need cleaning because they are unhygienic, we will manage that (medium risk).
Aid Stations and finish
Refreshments:
There will be water/cola plus snacks at Bassets Cove car park with hot/cold food & tea/coffee facilities at the Café. These will be provided by those qualified correctly in food and hygiene. (certificates available on request from authorities).
All food items will be served in reusable containers. Food will be packaged and it will be self-service only. Any hot food and drink will be supplied by those who are trained and qualified, or those under supervision from those trained and qualified. Food issues will be low risk due to competent staff and foods which have a low allergen risk.
Handling of cash: there will be some minor handling of cash from commercial sales only. This money will be padlocked and kept out of the reach of any single participant or staff member other than those trusted with such a task by the event director. To keep the handling of cash to a minimum to avoid potential theft, contactless payments can now be made to us using ‘sumup’ . We will have 1 x sumup readers. (low risk)
The course/route
Police and local authorities notified prior to the event taking place. The route is 8 miles from Hells Mouth to Western Hill and back. We will provide a bag drop area, along with a wash bucket area so the runners can get clean at the end. Bag drop will be for minimal items only and will be labelled by the runner. There will be a reduced bag drop service and runners will be made aware that they should only use it if they have no other option.
The route is made up of coastal trails only. (medium risk). All entrants are made aware of what to expect by pre event information, constant website and social media updates. They will also be directed towards event literature before they enter the race and through the terms and conditions, (low risk).
Notices are posted to all landowners on the route. These letters are available if requested.
There are 5 marshal points, and an aid station at Bassets Cove. There will be correx signs to mark directions out on the course. All marshals have access to the race directors and medics phone numbers. All marshals and tail runners are in a Life360 group when we can track all volunteers. Each marshal will be recognisable due to the official team member lanyards each of them will be wearing. Main marshals will also be wearing Bys Vyken charcoal T shirts and blue hoodies.
The route will be marked with blue correx triangles.
All runners will be warned of any hazards including: coastal sections, cycles; pedestrians etc prior to the event and again in the events’ safety briefing before the start of the race. (high risk).
Upon entering the race, a runner would have agreed to the terms and conditions on the website. They are responsible for reading the terms and conditions. All entries are collected online only and through no other method. Entrants are responsible for providing their own emergency contact details on not only the entry system but also writing them on the back of their bib number, which has to be worn at all times.
There have been id checks at registration to determine if the runners are who they say they are for the purpose of medical emergencies, and contacting next of kin in the event of such an occurrence.
Litter
This will be managed by last runner or sweeper marshals and every single marshal will have bin bags to pick up waste. The event director will do one final sweep of the course by the middle of the following week to remove any signage. All runners caught littering will be disqualified.
We will also be selling reusable and collapsible cups that everyone can purchase pre and post event. These items are deemed fit for purpose by the companies in which we purchase. (low risk)
First aid cover
The race support will be provided by Omega Medical. They will be given all crew notes, pre event information and total number of entrants, along with any other relevant information. The medics on the course will also be part of the Life360 group.
Our senior marshal/director will be in charge and will be responsible for our accident book and all emergency first aid will be done in compliance . The governing event director is qualified in Level 3 First Aid at Work. qualifications will be on display
During the event, there will be marshals instructing participants where to go on the course alongside aforementioned signage to prevent runners getting lost/taking a wrong turn (medium risk).
There are signs and markings to help. The runners will also be provided with refreshments. Marshals entrusted with course marking roles will be instructed on correctly placing signs and sawdust to maximise safety of all involved. Anything that requires lifting will have a label determining the correct weight (in kilogram/kg), and manual handling guidance is advised. anything over 10kg will need two people to lift. Other than advice and guidance, we have no control over the individual actions of the marshals, but are ultimately responsible. (medium risk).
All marshals will also be provided with full ppe (personal protective equipment). (high risk)
Marshals of an adult (18+) age will be provided at any critical points on the course, particularly significant road intersections, if any. Their duties will include some or all of the following: · placing (and recovering) warning and directional signs · preventing competitors following the wrong route · acting as an additional means of warning drivers (if necessary, but not stopping the drivers) · liaising with and assisting police officers in controlling the traffic pace · controlling spectators and other pedestrians · directing competitors at, or close to the finish · summoning first aid assistance · conversing with each other through in person, phone or allocated radio for emergency/safety purposes. marshals are at high risk during any of these duties if they are not trained adequately by the event director. Marshals must arrive well in advance of the event and be fully briefed on their duties. . written instructions for marshals will be useful. Some marshals will be equipped with commutative tools, particularly those in remote parts of the course (if any are remote. in this instance, not). The course/event/race directors telephone numbers are available to all runners and marshals, in case of emergency. Marshals must remain in position until the last runner has passed or any cut off time has been reached, or their shift comes to an end and they swap with someone else. For longer events, marshals are provided with hot drinks and food. We will advise that they dress for the weather.
Sweep marshals/tail runners will be responsible for not only the removal of signage but also with keeping everyone at the back together and monitoring the participants. They will all communicate via telephone or radio, plus they will have the directors and medics telephone numbers. All marshals give permission for such information to be distributed (see information elsewhere in this assessment)
Dynamic risk assessment
Despite considerable attention being given to advance planning, problems can still arise and have to be addressed. on or close to the day of the event consideration may have to be given to the effect of: · severe weather conditions and whether the event will go ahead. if so then mandatory kit needs to be further stressed to the runners and also vetting their experience comes back into play. (high risk) · · other unforeseen circumstances, such as death or illness of any of the event’s participants, crew or event director in the lead up to the event. (low risk) · these problems could impact particularly on: · the venue (race hq) e.g the approach for road traffic, parking arrangements, availability of the key facilities e.g, toilets, changing accommodation etc. (medium risk) · the course e.g, the surface condition (ice, snow, flooding), general visibility (e.g, fog, heavy snow), unexpected road works, road traffic accidents, traffic congestion and/or diversions, unexpected events taking place affecting the route, fallen trees. (medium risk). · the organiser will always ensure that someone (e.g the race referee or course director) is given the responsibility for checking the course the day before the event starts. Alternative arrangements or approaches may be needed to control new risks which have arisen. these might involve: · provision of additional warning signs · additional marshals or other personnel · course redesign e.g, missing out problem section (if any) · programme change, e.g, putting back or bringing forward the start times due to any given problem that should arise. · giving warnings to competitors if risks cannot be controlled to an acceptable degree, then consideration will be given to cancelling the event, but this should always be the very last resort. (low risk/least likely scenario)
Someone will be identified as being in overall charge should a major incident occur during the event. Such an incident could relate to the event itself or the area in which the event is being held. this person will always be the event director. examples include: · a road traffic accident (high risk) · a flooding due to sudden heavy rain (medium risk) · unpredictable snow blizzard (low risk) · a major medical emergency (medium risk) · a fire in a premises close to the course (medium risk) · a public disorder (e.g, attacks on competitors by youths, adults ,terrorists) (low risk) what action is necessary will depend on the nature of the incident. for most events the organiser is likely to take charge but others (e.g, the referee or course director/clerk of the course) will usually need to be involved in the decision making process.
Other
All plug sockets/electrical will have been pat tested by the venue.
Training to be adhered to for safety reasons will be: · first aid · manual handling · coshh awareness · food & hygiene · fire awareness · health & safety fire assessment & covid – 19 assessment carried out on separate documents dbs .
Martin penney (governing event director) has been DBS checked and it can be made available on genuine request from anyone concerned or local authorities. alternatively it can be viewed at: www.bysvykenevents.com
signed
Martin Penney (event director and sole trader, trading as Bys Vyken Events
additional information on the following page…
Additional information of risk assessment:
Kit list that is advised to runners include: waterproof/taped seams jacket 10k and above (not borrowed from any event volunteer and must be their own). Bivvy bag, Hydration system (2 x 500ml or above) Fully charged mobile phone, Emergency money (min £20 which gives enough for public transport at nearby transport stops and routes) Adequate footwear for the terrain (road for road/ trail for trail & cross trail type shoes for mixed and multi terrain events) Whistle, Food, ICE contact (all of this is in the pre event information and on our website which is accessible to every entrant)
The start will be of adequate width for the anticipated numbers of runners (120 maximum runners ). The starting straight will be significantly and sufficiently long enough for the field to spread out before any bottlenecking or tight turns at least 100 metres. This is always necessary and any early bends will be gradual. (medium risk)
We will have our timekeepers, feather flags, start signs, banners and rope/tape to indicate where the start will be including signs guiding them to where they should go.