Guidance on your options if you can no longer attend the 2025 event
Here is a simple breakdown of our terms and conditions to explain your options if you have an entry, but can no longer attend. Please note that our published terms and conditions supersede any discrepancies, inaccuracies, or inferred terms otherwise arrived at from this page.
I have only paid the non-refundable deposit
Sorry but the deposit is non-refundable, non-transferable and non-deferrable.
You may have enhanced your refund options upon entering?
Why non-refundable?
There are considerable upfront organisational costs associated with the Dragon’s Back Race®. Deposits provide a stable base from which we can both plan our races and honour our commitments to partners, environments and communities. It’s a year-round job to maintain relationships, do vital event preparation work, develop the people and systems required to deliver excellent events. Deposits also help us to commit time and resources to doing what we do in the most sustainable way that we can.
What happens if I have paid the deposit and some of the instalments?
Now you have more options:
You could transfer your entry to a new participant (who you find) and then receive a refund, which would be for everything paid to date, minus the £199 non-refundable deposit and the £39 admin fee (more details on how to transfer below).
You could defer to the next edition of the event. Depending on when you choose to defer, a percentage of the instalment payments can be put towards an entry into the next edition of the race (more details on how to defer below).
You may have enhanced your refund options upon entering?
You could just cancel and lose all paid to date.
What happens if I have paid the deposit and all the instalments (i.e. I have paid the full entry fee)?
Your options:
You could transfer your entry to a new participant and then receive a refund, which would be for everything paid to date, minus the £199 non-refundable deposit and the £39 admin fee (more details on how to transfer below).
You could defer to the next edition of the event. Depending on when you choose to defer, a percentage of the instalment payments can be put towards an entry into the next edition of the race (more details on how to defer below).
You may have enhanced your refund options upon entering?
How do I transfer my entry?
Firstly, you are responsible for finding someone to replace you. We do not hold a waiting list. Once you have found someone, you must send us their name and email address, so that we can invite them to enter the race by the Transfer Deadline (see below).
Once the new participant - your replacement - has accepted their invite from us, and has matched your Balance status (e.g. if at the time you’re paid up just for the deposit + first instalment, the person replacing you will need to match this), only then can we organise a refund for you. The refund will be for everything paid to date, minus the £199 non-refundable deposit and the £39 admin fee. Please allow up to 30 days for refunds to be processed.
Bear in mind that as we get closer to the event, it may get harder to find someone who is keen to take your place!
This is normally ~2 weeks before the start of the event. Please check the Event Schedule for exact details.
Do you have any tips on finding someone to take my entry?
We would recommend posting on trail and ultra running social media groups.
How do I defer my entry?
Once you have paid for your entry in full, you can defer to the next edition of the event.
Please note:
It is only possible to defer to the following edition of the event (i.e. not two years later).
The deposit is non-deferrable.
A percentage of the instalment payments (the balance) can be deferred.
There is no admin fee of £39 when deferring.
The earlier you defer the better - as a higher percentage of the instalment payments (the balance) can be carried over towards an entry into the next edition of the event.
There is a sliding scale of how much of the instalment payments (the balance) can be carried over - take a look at the Event Schedule to see the deferment scale.
An example:
If you pay up in full and choose to defer 7 months prior to the event, then 88% of the instalment payments (the balance) may be deferred.
If the entry fee is £1799 - take away the £199 non-refundable deposit and you are left with the instalment payments (the balance) of £1600.
88% of the instalment payments (the balance) is £1408, which is the amount that can be put towards an entry into the next edition of the event.
Remember that the entry fee could change from year to year, so you would be required to pay any additional amounts due in order to secure your entry the following year.
Why a sliding-scale?
As we get closer to the event, we will have incurred more costs relative to each participant until a point when there is no reduction in our costs to organise an event if a participant does not attend. Read more about our thoughts on this.
You want to defer – what happens next?
Once you have decided to defer, let us know and we will cancel your current entry and note the deferment. Around the time entries go live to the next edition of the event, we will be in touch to ask you to take up your reserved place via an invitation from SiEntries. This will automatically apply the correct discount that you are due, having deferred. As long as you accept this invitation for your reserved place, then you will have a guaranteed spot into the next edition of the event.
The deferment deadline date
This is normally 1 month before the start of the event. Please check the Event Schedule for exact details.
What if I get injured?
We would recommend that you consider the options already discussed - transfer or defer your entry.
You may have enhanced your refund options upon entering?
Whilst our standard terms and conditions of entry are generous in offering participants some options (transfer or defer) if they have to withdraw, these are somewhat limited (e.g. they are only possible up to a certain date before the event takes place, and the non-refundable deposit of £199 is not deferrable or transferable by us).
If you opted for it during checkout when first entering, the optional enhanced refund options can help you if you have to pull out of the event due to unforeseen circumstances, like an injury.
Alternatively, it is your responsibility to obtain appropriate insurance to cover your participation in the Event (and any loss, or injury which may occur as a result of such participation).
What happens if something comes up at work?
We would recommend that you consider the options already discussed - transfer or defer your entry.
What happens if something else important in life comes along?
We would recommend that you consider the options already discussed - transfer or defer your entry.
What happens if I get pregnant?
Please see our pregnancy deferral policy.
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