As of this writing, Thursday night at 9, the forecast is for rain and wind followed by a calm race day. But forecasters always screw things up! Possible storm tracks are to the right. So keep an eye on this site for updates.
The race goes forward, rain or shine, unless our permits get pulled. My personal prediction? Epic. Yeah, you got that right, like the 2011 race we still talk about, with mud-covered runners streaming across the finish line covered in glory.
Now for the details you’ve been waiting for:
With a bit of luck, this answers all your questions, though some of you will refuse to read to the bottom and send me questions anyway:
1. Start Time: Wave 1 starts with a gunshot at 9 am, unless the musket misfires a couple times and I have to yell “Go!”
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.
Will we once again see pace cars from New Rochelle Chevy leading runners up Broadview?
2. Wave Start: Six waves, with four minutes between each, and an estimated 150 runners per wave. The race is electronically timed and we know from your chip where you’re supposed to start. Don’t screw that up. Your bib numbers and wave assignments are already on the website. You need to know your wave to claim your number.
Some runners in later waves will be faster than those in earlier ones. This is deliberate, and helps to fill the gaps between the waves, since putting all of the middle-of-the-pack runners in the same wave would be counter-productive. We hate congestion on the trails.
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
The first 200 will receive a free copy of Trail Runner Magazine. In addition, Westchester Road Runner is offering 20% off non-sale shoes and clothes, at the time you pick up your numbers.
The store will also recycle old running shoes to charity. Rule of thumb: If you haven’t worn them in a year, get rid of them. Someone else will be happy you did.
You must pick up your own number and nobody else’s. Please bring ID. The only exceptions are (1) picking up for someone with your same last name or address or (2) authorizing someone to pick up for you by emailing or texting them a photo of your drivers’ license along with a note saying they can pick up your bib and shirt.
4. Number transfers are not permitted. Veteran P2Pers will remember that if you transfer a number, a kitten will die. And it will be your fault.
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 transfer a number you foul up the results, and could deprive another person of an award. This is just one of the reasons for the no transfer (and no refund) policy.
5. Tech shirts are guaranteed to those who registered by September 30th. 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. I believe that we ordered enough so that everyone will go home with a shirt.
6. Late Registration: If you have a friend that still hasn’t registered, well isn’t that lazy? And kind of pathetic for an endurance athlete.
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 squeeze them in. But we will not oversell the race and swamp the trails with too many runners. Print out the entry blank on the website, fill in pages 2 and 3 and bring it with you.
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: Easy-peasy. Click this link.
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.
Or use our Facebook page to see if you can hook up with another runner. Maybe you’ll get lucky.
9. Baggage Drop is available just steps from the start. You can check one bag, which will be brought to the finish. Your bib will have a numbered pull tag that we will pin 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 pink 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 4-ish, 7.5-ish and 10.8-ish. Carry supplemental water if the weather is warm/humid.
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: Sweepers will discharge police and volunteers, starting in Wave 6 and finishing in three hours. Please stay in front of the sweepers! 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’re slower than the sweeper you are on your own, but we will leave the flags in place so you won’t be lost, just lonely.
15. Kid Races: We will have kid races again, brought to you by the Tailwind Track Club. Young ‘uns will run 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).
The one-miler is free and will start around 9:30, after the 6th wave sets off. Sign them up online! Even younger kids will run/crawl on the football field and track afterward. Meet up at the Tailwind Track Club tent by the start after the 6th wave and listen for details on race morning.
16. Post-Race: We have several restaurants providing food/ fluids. Do we know how to treat you well or what? Check it out:
- Half Time Beverage (Mamaroneck)
- The Smokehouse NY (Mamaroneck)
- AJ’s Burgers (New Rochelle)
- Modern (New Rochelle)
- The Hudson Milk Co. (cold chocolate milk!)
- Simple Eats with Chef T
- Greenlife (Mamaroneck)
- Texas Roadhouse (New Rochelle)
- Decicco’s (Pelham)
- H&R Bialy (New Rochelle)
There will also be a medical tent staffed by Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital and EMTs at aid stations from TransCare. We hope you don’t visit them, except to say thanks.
Several massage therapists will be on hand 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 don’t track in mud!
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. (The fact that it is school grounds is also the reason we can’t have beer – so stop asking me! I tried!)
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 enthusiastically permitted. Kissees must be 18 or older to participate.
20. Free Photos: This year we have free photos for you. Your kids, grandma or pot-bellied pig can pre-register for them at this link. This is the place you’ll go post-race to see if we got the shot.
Feedback: We started with 50 people in 2008 and registered over 900 this year before the weatherman starting scaring people away. 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.
Good luck out there on Sunday! Get muddy and have fun!