The race is this Sunday! (Woo hoo!)
The weather forecasters are calling for clear skies for several days leading up to the race, with unseasonably warm temps, but what the hell do they know? We still might get cold and rain and mud and wouldn’t that be fun?
With a modicum of good luck, this should answer all your questions, though some of you will refuse to read to the bottom and send us questions anyway:
1. Start Time: The first wave starts with a gunshot at 9 am on October 6th. If you don’t pick up your packet beforehand, please leave ample time before the race for parking, packet pick up, port-o-potties, bag check and schmoozing. We don’t really care if you schmooze, we just want you to get there early and not walk up at the last second and demand attention.
2. Wave Start/Teams: Four waves, with five minutes between each, and an estimated 150-200 runners per wave. While you can jump back a wave to start with a friend, you cannot jump forward! The race is electronically timed and we know from your chip where you’re supposed to start. Your bib numbers and wave assignments are already on the website. Wave assignments are here.
Wave numbers have changed from the initial posting for some people running in teams as we have to have all teammates in the same wave to score it properly. So please check again if you’re running on a team. If you registered on a team and don’t see a team name listed for you, it’s because you didn’t have the minimum 4 people per team.
For an explanation of how (and why) we set up the waves click this link. For an explanation of team scoring, click this link. By the way, team trophies should soar in value as this is the one and only time we’re doing it.
3. Number Pick-up: We strongly encourage runners to pick up race numbers and shirts prior to race day at Westchester Road Runner at 179 E. Post Road in White Plains:
Friday: 5-8 pm
Saturday: 10 am-4 pm
Those that pick up their packets will receive a free copy of Trail Runner Magazine as long as our big box of 200 extra copies holds out. We also have a bunch of Nathan Tident bottles to give away.
In addition, Westchester Road Runners is offering 20% off shoes, clothes, accessories and nutrition products at the time you pick up your numbers. (No extra discount on already on sale items.)
The store will also recycle old running shoes to charity, so bring in those shoes laying in the back of your closet for the last couple of years.
Your bib numbers are already on the website. Please look up your bib number and remember it so that we can quickly access your bib.
You must pick up your own number and nobody else’s. The only exception is picking up for someone with your same last name or address. Please do not ask for additional exceptions.
4. Number transfers are not permitted. Veteran P2Pers will remember the warning that if you transfer or sell a race bib, a kitten will die. Please remember that this is a fund-raiser to improve the trails you are running on. This is what we have done for the trails and what we hope to do in the future. If you were to transfer a number you would foul up the results, and could deprive another person of an award. This is the reason for the no transfer (and no refund) policy.
5. Tech shirts were guaranteed to those who registered by September 8th. If you don’t get a shirt at check-in, you can pick one up after the race on a first come, first serve basis (depending on the number of no-shows). Our shirt policy can be found at this link.
6. Late Registration: If you have a friend that still hasn’t registered, well, wasn’t that a bit pathetic waiting to see what the weather will bring?
But if they come to number pick-up on Friday or Saturday, or to the registration area between 7-8:30 am race day, we’ll try to squeeze them in if we still have openings. But we will not oversell the race and swamp the trails with too many runners. Please check the website for updates if you insisted on waiting until the last minute. Shirts are not guaranteed to late registrants and are distributed to late registrants after the race on a first come, first serve basis.
7. Parking is available in two parking lots and on the street. The lot in front of the High School will fill up early. The lot behind the High School on Clove Road is quite large, and has a walkway bringing you past the front of the school toward the start. Don’t even think about parking on Broadview, as that is the racecourse. Click here for a printable map of the parking areas, which you can click again to enlarge. Please consider carpooling to alleviate congestion.
8. Public transportation from NYC: Metro North rains are running to New Rochelle with limited service. The problems last week with a busted power supply will not affect us because they only run trains once an hour on Sunday anyway.
You must check the Metro North website to get the latest information on what time they will run the trains this Sunday (New Haven line) out of Grand Central. This past weekend they ran it at 7:34. The usual one is at 7:37. Check the website on Friday.
Assuming they run the train at the same time, you will arrive 5 -10 minutes after 8. A taxi from the station should cost about $7. We expect many Manhattan/Brooklyn runners, so keep your eyes open to share a taxi with other runners. There is more at this link, including taxi numbers.
Return trains to Grand Central are expected to run once an hour.
Or use our Facebook page to see if you can hook up with another runner for a ride. Maybe you’ll get lucky.
9. Baggage Drop is available at the start. You can check one bag, which will be brought to the finish line. Your bib will have a numbered pull tag that can be pinned to your bag. Please don’t leave valuables in the bags, as we are not responsible for them.
10. Course Markings: We expect to lay down about 500 bright yellow flags with our Colonial Runner logo, placed at trail intersections and occasional intervals. Some people will ignore the flags and run off course anyway.
11. Toilets: Porto-potties at the start (get there early!), the 7.5-mile mark (Saxon Woods golf course) and the High School locker room at the finish.
12. Water/Medical: Water and medical attention will be available at only three spots during the race, in addition to the start and finish. These aid stations are at miles 3.8-ish, 7.5-ish and 10.8-ish. If you want more water due to expected warm weather, then carry it. If you want a gel, grab one from REI at the start, and drop that wrapper at one of the three aid stations.
13. Mid-Race Drop-Out: If you get injured, or are too exhausted to finish, you should check in with a volunteer at an aid station. If you can’t make it to the aid station, tell a volunteer on the course. If you tell the police you are injured they will transport you to the emergency room, not the finish line.
14. The course closes: A sweeper will discharge police and volunteers, starting in Wave 4 and finishing in three hours. Please stay in front of the sweeper! We estimate that middle-of-the-pack finishing times will be your regular 1/2 marathon pace plus an extra 15 minutes to account for the rough terrain. If you are slower than the sweeper you are on your own, but we will leave the flags in place so you’ll only be lonely, not lost.
15. Kid Races: We will have kid races again. Young teens will run approximately one mile on a course that takes them on a dirt trail around the twin lakes in front of the high school (with rocks, roots and uneven ground, suitable for tripping and falling). They will start around 9:20, after the 4th wave sets off. Younger kids will run on the football field and track afterward. Listen for details on race morning.
16. Post-Race: Robek’s smoothies are back! And VitaCoco coconut water, and bottled water from DeCicco. Bagels and fruit from Stop & Shop. Surprises from New Rochelle Chevrolet. Nutrition bars from Amrita. We expect to start an awards ceremony at 11:40-ish.
There will also be a medical tent staffed by Sound Shore Medical Center and we expect several massage therapists to assist with post-race stretching, organized by Tony’s Kneaded Touch in Norwalk, CT.
17. Post-Race Showers! We’ve once again arranged for the High School locker room to be opened so you can shower and change. But if your shoes are muddy, please remove them before entering the building. We’d like to continue using the facility in the years to come, and trashing it will be, shall we say, counterproductive.
18. No Dogs. We have dogs. We like their happy, wagging tails and like scratching their bellies. Sadly, we don’t get to make all the rules for the school grounds. That means Tucker, Princess and Snoopy have to stay home.
19. Volunteers: This event is put on by NewRo Runners. Our entire race committee, race director included, is volunteer. We expect 200+ volunteers on race day. Please be nice to them, they are working hard. Kissing volunteers is permitted, except for the cheerleaders; Kissees must be 18 or older.
Feedback: We started with 50 people in 2008 and had 700 finish last year. We have quickly become one of the largest trail races in the nation, without ever having been reviewed by any running magazine. The vast majority of our runners learned of the race by word of mouth. We encourage feedback regarding the event to know what works and what doesn’t as we continue to grow and continue to rely on word of mouth as our main means of marketing.
Sponsors: This race would not be possible without our sponsors. Our gold and silver sponsors include:
New Rochelle Chevrolet
Westchester Road Runner (White Plains)
Robeks (New Rochelle)
Vita Coco
Montefiore Medical Center
Stop & Shop
DeCicco
Amrita
REI (Yonkers)
Tony’s Kneaded Touch
.comRecruiting
The Turkewitz Law Firm (NYC)
Breaking The Tape Productions (Mamaroneck)
Eric Turkewitz
Race Director
Paine to Pain Trail Half Marathon
Westchester County, NY
PainetoPain.com
Daytime phone: 212-983-5900
Real Job:
The Turkewitz Law Firm
228 East 45th Street – 17th Floor
New York, NY 10017
212-983-5900
www.TurkewitzLaw.com