To reinforce the psychological and strategic nature of The Void, the race employs a Toll Ticket system inspired by Pennsylvania Turnpike toll tickets.
At check-in, each runner is issued a physical Toll Ticket. This ticket governs how often a runner may leave the tunnel to access support during the race.
Every exit has a cost.
What Counts as an Exit
An exit is any instance in which a runner leaves the tunnel to access resources outside the course. This includes, but is not limited to:
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Receiving aid from the Service Plaza (the race’s only aid station)
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Interacting with race staff or volunteers outside the tunnel
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Leaving the course for any reason
Each time a runner exits the tunnel, their Toll Ticket is punched.
Exit Allowance
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Each runner is allowed 28 total exits for the entire race
(Trivia: There are 28 toll gates on the main Pennsylvania Turnpike from New Jersey to Ohio.) -
Exits may be used at any time and in any distribution
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Once all exits are used, runners may continue racing—but penalties apply
With 63 out-and-back laps totaling just over 160 miles, 28 exits equates to roughly one exit every 5.7 miles, forcing deliberate planning around nutrition, rest, and recovery.
Strategic Implications
The Toll Ticket system requires runners to think far beyond pace and mileage. Here is an example:
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Early in the race, a runner may choose to exit every other full lap
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Later, exits must be stretched to every third lap, requiring the runner to pass up multiple opportunities for aid
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Poor exit management early can severely compromise fueling, hydration, and recovery late in the race
The system is intentionally designed to reward restraint and foresight while penalizing impulsive decision-making.
Penalties
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Runners who exceed the 28-exit limit will receive a 15-minute time penalty for each additional exit
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Penalties are cumulative
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All penalties are applied to the runner’s official finish time
The Service Plaza
The race’s only aid station is referred to as the Service Plaza, reinforcing the turnpike theme and emphasizing that support is limited, controlled, and costly.
Toll Ticket Summary
The Toll Ticket system is not meant to make the race fairer.
It is meant to make it harder.
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Success at The Void will depend not only on endurance, but on discipline, planning, and the ability to resist the urge to exit when it feels necessary—rather than strategic.
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Every punch brings you closer to the end.
How you spend them is up to you.