With a bit of luck, this answers all your questions for this Sunday’s Paine to Pain, though some of you will refuse to read to the bottom and send me questions anyway:
1. Vaccination: When you registered you agreed to be vaccinated by September 15th. Bring proof of ID and proof of vaccination to claim your bib. This brief posting tells you how to claim that bib. Don’t show up without proof. We will not laugh. And you won’t get a bib.
2. Masks: We urge you to wear masks in three congested areas – Bib pick-up, portable toilets, and the start of the race. When the crowd thins after 1/2 mile, you can make the decision on removing it. There will be a garbage can at the entrance to the Leatherstocking (0.7M) if you wish to toss away the disposable kind.
3. Bib Pick-up: While you can pick up your bib up at the start line on race day, we strongly encourage runners to pick up bibs and shirts prior to race day at Westchester Road Runner, at 179 East Post Road in White Plains:
Friday: 4-7 pm 5-8 pm
Saturday: 10 am-4 pm
In addition to your own bib, you may pick up for someone with your same last name or address. You must have a legible photo or copy of their ID and vaccination card or other vaccination proof.
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 donate old running shoes to charity. Rule of thumb: If you haven’t worn them in a year, donate them.
4. Start Time: Wave 1 starts with a gunshot at 9 am, unless the musket misfires a couple times and I have to holler “Go!”
We anticipate a record crowd of about 900 runners this year. So please leave ample time for parking, bib pick up if you haven’t already claimed it at Westchester Road Runner, 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 be frantically running up at the last second demanding attention.
A pace car from Rye Subaru will lead the initial wave up Broadview.
5. Wave Start: Five waves, with 150-200 people in each, leaving three minutes apart. All 12 prior races have gone off exactly at 9:00 a.m.
The race is electronically timed and we know from your chip where you’re supposed to start. Your bib numbers and wave assignments are posted here. You need to know your wave to claim your number.
Unless you are vying for overall 1-2-3, there’s no need to crowd the start. While overall 1-2-3 is gun-time for the podium, age group awards are all chip-time. A little extra room between runners is warranted.
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, and spread the crowd. We hated congestion on the trails even before the virus.
6. 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.
We sold a ton of bibs at stupid-cheap prices, but know many folks won’t be able to use them due to injuries or life events. We do the cheapo thing because it’s fun for us, fun for you and makes the race affordable to those of modest means. And we bake those no-shows into the price of the race. This is another of the reasons for the no transfer (and no refund or deferral) policy.
In addition, if you transfer a number you foul up the results and could deprive another person of an award.
7. Shirts are guaranteed to those who registered before 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). Our shirt policy can be found at this link.
8. Late Registration: There is none. Registration closed October 5th.
9. Parking is available in two 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.
10. 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 the hook up.
Or use our Facebook group to see if you can meet another runner. Maybe you’ll get luckier than you can imagine.
11. 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, should be taken with you on the trail. There’s only so much our volunteers can do.
12. 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.
13. Toilets: Porto-potties at the start (get there early!), the 7.5-mile mark (Saxon Woods golf course) and the High School. The locker rooms at the finish will be closed to us this year, however, due to significant recent flood damage and construction.
14. Water/Medical: Medical attention and water will be available at only three spots mid-race. These aid stations are at miles 4-ish, 7.5-ish and 10.8-ish. Carry supplemental fluid if the weather is warm/humid. There is no energy drink this year on the trail. EMTs from Empress EMS will be at the aid stations.
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 13 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, and live music. Do we know how to treat you well or what? Check it out:
- AJ’s Burgers (New Rochelle)
- Texas Roadhouse (New Rochelle)
- Beechmont Tavern (New Rochelle)
- Mikey Dubbs (New Rochelle)
- Decicco’s (Pelham)
- Trader Joe’s
- H&R Bialy (New Rochelle)
- Ultima Sports Recovery Drink
- Third Stone (for the live tunes!)
There will also be a medical tent staffed by Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital. We hope you don’t visit them, except to say thanks.
Several therapists will be on hand to assist with post-race therapy or massage or stretching, including:
- Premier Sports Recovery
- Total Form Fitness
- Finish Line PT
- True Fit Balance
Salomon returns to the finish line, with its excellent line of trail shoes, gear and other sports products. Athleta will be there also.
And we welcome New York Presbyterian Sports Performance Institute! Regardless of your running level, they will help you make the most of your physical efforts.
Check them out while you cool down, nosh and relax.
18. Ultra Runners! Want to run a “warm up lap?” Each year we get five or six hearty souls on take off around 6:30 to do a lap before the race. Email me if interested.
19. No Dogs. We have dogs. We like their happy, wagging tails and we like scratching their bellies. They are the darlings of social media, though cats think otherwise. Sadly, we don’t get to make the rules for the school grounds. That means Tucker, Princess and Snoopy have to stay home. The only exception is a guide dog to help you run the course.
20. Volunteers: This event is put on by NewRo Runners. Our entire race committee, myself included, is volunteer. We expect 200+ volunteers on race day. Please be nice to them, they are working hard. Kissing volunteers is usually encouraged — subject to age restrictions and consent — but this year you’ll need to blow air kisses from a distance.
21. Free Photos: This year we once again have free professional photos from the race for you. Hopefully we’ll get the shot that makes you look both tough and fabulous.
22. Merch! Based on prior requests we made several P2P items for sale at Westchester Road Runner and at the finish line. Net proceeds go toward keeping the registration fees as low as possible so that even those of modest means can participate. Available will be: Beanies (red and blue), enamel camp-style mugs, hats and visors (both blue and red), tie-dye P2P shirts (without year), and car magnets.
Feedback: We started with 50 people in 2008. 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!
Eric Turkewitz
Race Director and Grand Poobah
Paine to Pain Trail 1/2 Marathon
NewRo Runners
Westchester County, NY
painetopain.com
Daytime phone: 212-983-5900
Eric @ PaineToPain.com
Real job:
The Turkewitz Law Firm
228 East 45th Street – 11th Floor
New York, NY 10017
212-983-5900
www.TurkewitzLaw.com
Eric @ TurkewitzLaw.com