Holy crap it’s almost race day! 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. There are also new items, so veterans should read carefully.
1. Number Pick-up: We had record registration this year and we strongly encourage runners to pick up bibs 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
Please pick up your own number and nobody else’s. Please bring ID. The only exception is for picking up for someone with your same last name or address.
You will receive a free copy of Trail Runner Magazine while supplies last.
In addition, Westchester Road Runner is offering 20% off non-sale shoes and clothes at the time you pick up your number and will raffle off three pairs of shoes to those who pick up at the store.
And bring your “gently used” shoes that you no longer wear to the store or the start line. These will be donated to Hope Community Services in New Rochelle. Rule of thumb: If you haven’t worn them in a year, donate them to someone in need.
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 frantically running up at the last second demanding attention. Race day pick up is from 7:00 – 8:30 in the race staging area.
2. Start Time: Wave 1 starts with a gunshot at 9 am, unless the musket misfires a couple times and I have to holler “Go!” All prior races have gone off exactly on time.
3. Wave Start/Assignments: Five waves, with 150-200 in each, leaving three minutes apart.
Your bib numbers and wave assignments are on the website. You need to know your wave to claim your number.
Do not jump forward to another wave. The race is chip timed and we know where you’re supposed to start. Don’t screw that up. Dropping back to run with a friend, however, is fine.
Overall 1-2-3 is gun time from the first wave, so let us know if you think you might be on the overall podium but weren’t placed in Wave 1. Age groups awards, however, are by chip time so it doesn’t matter where you start.
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 is counter-productive. We hate congestion on the trails.
4. Number transfers are not permitted. Veteran P2Pers will remember that if you transfer a number a kitten will die. We sold a ton of bibs stupid-cheap last year for $30, but only did that because we knew many folks wouldn’t be able to use them (it actually costs about $40/runner to put on the race). We do it because it’s a fun perk; you do it because it’s a fun gamble. If transfers were allowed the price would be higher.
And if you transfer a number you also foul up the results and could deprive another person of an award. This is another of the reasons for the no transfer (and no refund) policy.
This is a fund-raiser to improve the trails you are running on and for local charities when the work is done. This is what we have done for the trails and what we hope to do in the future.
5. Shirts are guaranteed to those who registered by September 1st. 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) at the NewRo Runners tent. Our shirt policy can be found at this link. And look for the secret message on the back of the shirt!
6. Late Registration: If your friends still haven’t registered, well isn’t that lazy? And kind of pathetic for endurance athletes?
If they come to number pick-up on Friday or Saturday, or maybe on race day from 7:00-8:30, they can register in person. Please have them fill out this form prior to coming in, so that our swamped volunteers can move quickly.
7. Parking is available in two parking lots and on the street. The very small lot in front of the High School will fill up early. The very large lot behind the High School on Clove Road 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 NYC runners so keep your eyes open to share a taxi to hook up with others. Your mileage may vary on use of the phrase hook up.
Or use our Facebook page to see if you can meet another runner. Maybe you’ll get luckier than you can imagine.
9. Baggage Drop is available just steps from 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.
Emotional baggage, however, must be taken with you on the trail. There’s only so much our volunteers can do.
10. Course Markings: Our team of Trail Pixies expect to lay down about 500 bright pink flags with our Colonial Runner logo, placed at trail intersections and occasional intervals. Some people will insist on ignoring the flags and run off course anyway.
11. Stay on Trail! A couple of times folks went off trail on some of the single track and disturbed wasp nests. This was not fun for the wasps, or the hundreds of runners staring them down. You will have plenty of opportunities to pass others without going off trail. Promise.
12. Toilets: Porto-potties at the start (get there early!), the 7.5-mile mark (Saxon Woods golf course) and bathrooms at the high school finish.
13. New Finish Line / No post-race showers: The high school track is still under construction so we must use the practice field on the other side of the school. That means no access to the locker rooms and showers this year. Sorry ’bout that.
14. 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. Also, we now have Ultima Replenisher sports drink at the three aid stations.
The finish line medical tent will be staffed by Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital and EMTs from Empress Emergency Services will staff the three aid stations. We hope you don’t visit them, except to say thanks.
15. 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.
16. The course closes: Sweepers will discharge police and volunteers, starting in Wave 5 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’ll leave the flags in place so you won’t be lost, just lonely).
17. Post-Race: We should have lots of good food. Do we know how to treat you well or what? Check it out:
Texas Roadhouse
North End Tavern
Hand Crafted Catering and Events
Decicco’s
Athletic Brewing Company
H&R Bialy
Pepsi
20. 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.
21. Free Photos: New this year, your bib will have an electronic code on the front. So when the cameras snap your pic the photos can get automatically indexed. The photos are free. So wear your bib on the front! Wearing it on your back or the side of your leg does not make you look super cool. Trust me.
22. Camping: We got approval for camping very late, so there are still plenty of spots available at just $15/pp right in the staging area. Registration is here.
Feedback: We started with 50 people in 2008 and expect 850-900 this year. 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!
Real job: