Participation Waiver and Release of Liability

CMR Activities are for adults age 18 or older. CMR does not accept minors as participants. If you are under 18, do not take part in CMR Activities and do not accept this waiver.

By accepting this waiver you confirm that you are at least 18 years old.

You choose whether to take part in any CMR Activity, and you may stop, slow down, skip a repeat or leave at any time. Nobody is required to attend, to keep a pace, or to complete a workout. Suggestions from organizers or other participants are only suggestions.

CMR Activities include running, jogging and walking, hill repeats, climbing and descending hills, stairs and steep inclines, trail running, group training, and related activities such as warm-ups, cool-downs, travel between locations and time spent socializing before or after a run.

Activities take place outdoors in public parks, roads, paths and other public places that CMR does not own or control.

Running and training on hills are strenuous and carry real risks. These include, without limitation: falls and collisions, especially on steep climbs and fast descents; uneven, steep, loose or slippery ground; roots, rocks, holes, curbs, stairs, railings, debris and other natural and man-made hazards; ice, snow, mud, rain and wet or dry grass; heat, humidity, cold, wind, lightning and other weather; poor light and low visibility; traffic and vehicles at crossings and on roads and shared paths; cyclists, pedestrians, dogs, wildlife and other park users; and the actions of other participants.

Physical exertion can also cause muscle, joint and bone injuries, overexertion, dehydration, heat or cold illness, cardiac events and other medical problems. Any of these risks can result in serious injury, illness, permanent disability or death.

Some risks are unknown or cannot be foreseen. Organizers and volunteers are people who run, not medical professionals, safety officers or guides, and they cannot remove these risks.

You are responsible for deciding whether you are healthy and fit enough to take part, and for consulting a physician if you are unsure. You are responsible for your own judgment and safety, including your pace, your footing, your gear, your hydration, and whether conditions are safe for you on a given day.

You agree to follow applicable laws and park rules, to watch for traffic and other people, to treat other people with respect, to follow reasonable instructions from CMR organizers, and to stop and get help if you feel unwell or injured.

CMR organizers may cancel, move, shorten, modify or stop any CMR Activity at any time, including for weather, safety, park rules or the availability of organizers, and may ask a participant to leave if their conduct is unsafe.

You voluntarily accept and assume the inherent and ordinary risks of taking part in CMR Activities, including the risks described in Section 4, whether or not they are listed there.

What you give up

To the fullest extent Illinois law allows, you release and agree not to sue the CMR Parties for injury, illness, death, or loss or damage to property that arises from your participation in CMR Activities, including claims that the injury or loss was caused by the ordinary negligence (a failure to use reasonable care) of a CMR Party.

You understand that you are giving up the right to bring a claim for ordinary negligence against the CMR Parties. This release is intended to apply to you, your heirs, executors and legal representatives.

What this release does not do

This release does not apply to, and CMR does not ask you to give up, claims for willful or wanton misconduct, gross negligence, intentional harm, or anything else that Illinois law does not allow to be released.

CMR does not provide medical supervision, medical advice, first aid services or emergency response. If you are hurt or become ill, you or another person may call 911 or seek medical help, and you agree that you are responsible for the cost of any medical treatment, ambulance or other emergency service you receive.

You are responsible for your own phone, keys, wallet, vehicle, clothing, gear and other belongings. CMR Parties do not hold or guard them and, to the extent Illinois law allows, are not responsible for their loss, theft or damage.

Nothing in this waiver or on this website states or suggests that CMR carries insurance that covers participants. Please rely on your own health and accident insurance.

Accepting this waiver does not give CMR permission to publish photos, video or audio of you. If CMR wants to publish identifiable images of you, it will ask for your separate permission first, and you may say no and still take part in CMR Activities.

CMR Activities take place in public places, where other people, including park visitors, may take photos or video that CMR does not control.

By checking the box on the Join form, or by otherwise indicating your acceptance, you state that you are 18 or older, that you have read this waiver, that you understand the risks of taking part, that you have had the chance to ask questions, and that you accept these terms voluntarily.

Your acceptance applies to your participation in CMR Activities from the time you accept, including activities you attend later, until CMR publishes a new version of this waiver and asks you to accept it.

When you accept this waiver through the Join form, CMR keeps a record of your acceptance that includes the waiver version, the time of acceptance, and the name and email address you provided. That record is kept for CMR's own administration. It does not by itself guarantee that this waiver is enforceable.

This waiver is governed by the laws of the State of Illinois, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.

If any part of this waiver is found to be unenforceable, that part is limited to the extent necessary and the rest of the waiver stays in effect to the extent the law permits.

This waiver has a version number and an effective date, shown at the top of the page. CMR may publish a new version from time to time. Your acceptance applies to the version you accepted, as recorded when you joined.

If you have questions about this waiver, use CMR's Questions form before you accept it. You may also wish to speak with a lawyer of your choice.