Perhaps this stems from being up til 2:00 in the morning last night and not getting much sleep, but this email rubbed me the wrong way this morning.
Dear Athlete:
Early Bird Packet Pick Up At Running Away Multisport
Athletes will be able to pick up their race packets, T-shirt and goody bag at
Running Away Multisport, located at 1634 West North Avenue in Chicago
(773-395-2929 & www.RunningAwayMultisport.com) on Friday, 7/27 from 12:00 PM ???
7:00 PM and on Saturday, 7/28 from 10:00 AM ??? 5:00 PM. Only athletes who pick
up their materials at Running Away will be allowed to rack their bikes on
Saturday, 8/4 (race morning). All other athletes will be required to rack their
bikes Friday, August 3rd at Jean Klock Park when they pick their materials up at
the event Expo.
NO EXCEPTIONS, NO EXCUSES, NO KIDDING ??? THERE IS NO RACE DAY PACKET PICK-UP!
Parking for packet pick up at Running Away can be found on the streets
surrounding the store as well as the parking lot at Burr School (1632 North
Ashland ??? the lot is ?? block from the store with the entrance being on
Ashland).
Running Away also has some special offers for participants picking up their
materials at the store on Friday and Saturday:
??? Everyone will be receiving a free gift when they come to the store for their
packets
??? If you purchase any Saucony or Hind merchandise during those two days you
will also receive a free gift with purchase
Tom, I love the race. I think you guys put on an excellent show, but this just doesn’t seem right. I understand the necesities regarding sponsors and such, but there has to be a better way then to offer people who visit your Sponsor an opportunity to rack their bikes Saturday morning while the rest of us must rack Friday. Seems like an opportunity to unlevel the field for those who may be on tight schedules on Friday and cannot visit the Sponsor. Shouldn’t they be at the expo?
I think you’re completely misinterpreting this. Letting them pick up their packets in Chicago a week early reduces the waits for all of the rest of us who have to do it in Benton Harbor. Letting them rack their bikes on Saturday AM means they won’t have to worry if they get stuck in ridiculous weekend traffic on the way over. Someone had to facilitate this logistical improvement, and I think it’s great that a sponsor was willing to help out in this area. And shit, it’s not like the sponsor is Haliburton or Exxon. Running shoe store owners are not exactly getting rich. More power to them if they help out a race and pull in a few customers.
As far as the warm up, you should have NO issues doing one before the race, assuming you get there early enough.
As far as the packet pickup, it’s not about the sponsor, it’s about getting a large group of people from one concentrated area to get their packets in order to reduce congestion on the day before the race, with the added benefit of reducing stress for some people who have to fight nasty traffic and time changes. Yes, the simple solution would be to have more volunteers the day before, but volunteers aren’t always easy to come by. Running Away is a great store, and if they happen to get a little extra business because of it, then good, they provide awesome service to their customers.
The Galena triathlon does the same thing with an early packet pick up at Fleet Feet, and I think it’s great.
Another thing to bear in mind is that this event is brought to us by the same people who bring us M-dot races, without expressing an opinion on the matter, I am quite certain they have no interest in shrinking the number of participants.
What is your issue / concern I don’t understand. And I don’t get the last comment shouldn’t they be at the expo? Who the sponsor or the participants? Are you sure the sponsor will not be at the expo? Why do you care if the sponsor is at the expo or not I am lost.
There is no race day packet pickup.
You can pick it up the week before in Chicago, or on Friday at the expo. If your their Friday you rack your bike, one less thing to worry about.
If you pick your packet up early you don’t need to drive up on Friday just to rack your bike, they will let you rack on Saturday.
Are you upset because they do not let you pick up your packet Friday and rack Saturday?
We do get a pass card in the packet when we pick up from the store. So thats how they let us rack on race morning. if you rack your bike the day before and do not have a pass card you can take your bike out of the transition for a warm up but i don’t think you can put it back in. Anyway, don’t worry I’ll warm up for you too
Seriously, I couldn’t understand what you are complaining for? is it the warm up? have you been there the race morning, it’s pitch black, I could barely ride my bike to the transition, there is no way to warm up.
So just to clarify, now that I am a bit more awake and got my workouts in.
First. I am not dissing Runnaway.
It just seems odd. That you would offer to athletes an opportunity to have a completely different option pertaining to race-day transition check-in. Especially regarding when you must turn over your equipment.
I don’t know too many of us who like to check in our bikes the night before leaving them in a transition area overnight. Most of us like to warm up on our bikes and insure they are mechanically sound tuned etc… race morning. Now perhaps I am wrong and they will allow bikes to be ridden outside of transition prior to the race. If that is the case then it’s just a matter of some have to check in their bikes on Friday and others can do it race morning.
It’s just not something I would associate with an event that is trying to gather athletes from all over rather then just regionally.
I am not hot and bothered about this. I just find it a bit odd. Why not just have everyone check their bikes in on Friday and if you pickup your packet early, then good for you, get a little extra swag.
We offer the early pick up in Chicago for a number a reasons.
#1 - Limited hotels rooms in the area - this early packet pick-up gives Chicago athletes the chance to get up at 2:00 AM (3:00 AM Michigan time) and drive to the race. Some might not consider this a good option and they are the Chicago people who will arrive on Friday and stay in a hotel near the race site on Friday night.
#2 - Running Away is a great sponsor and we want to support them by getting athletes into their store. We would also like athletes to purchase Whirlpool products, eat at Pizza Hut, purchase a car from Campbell Ford in Niles, Michigan, buy an Aquman wet suit, drink Gatorade, eat powerbars, powergel and Baker’s Breakfast Cookies, buy a QR bike from Inside Out Sports or Cycle & Fitness, purchase a new rug from Magala Run & Tile and go to see Dr. Tim Ward for their next dental check-up. (Whew - I might have missed a few, but you’ll hear about everyone during the race PA announcments)
#3 - Logistically we could make everyone put their bikes into the transition on Friday, but we offer this opportunity to Chicago athletes. NO athletes will be allowed to ride before the race as it is DARK out and the roads are filled with CARS!!! It would be VERY unsafe to ride bikes in the area before the race. You will be allowed to warm up in the water before the swim.
#4 - Early start - Athletes that put their bikes into the transition and get body marked on Friday will not have to arrive as early of these Chicago athletes.
#5 - Bike racks are individually numbered so no one will have an advantage over others by arriving first to place thier bikes on the rack. Age-groups will be racked together so that no one in the age-group will have an advantage in the transition.
Sorry this seemed to rub you the wrong way - the one great thing about triathlon is that each event is different. Athletes are given the opportunity to enter events that they like. I hope you will enjoy our event this year. Z
Tom, thanks for the response. No worries, like I said would prefer everything to be the same for everyone, but I understand your trying to make it an enjoyable experience for all logistically. Certainly no where close to a show stopper. Seeya next week.
Next year let’s put something in the subject regarding “Do not open until after morning coffee.”
Is the no warm-up on the bike this year a new rule, or has it always been that way? I’m not objecting at all, it makes sense since it is dark out, but I do know that I did it two years ago, and I thought there were people doing it last year. Just curious more than anything. Looking forward to the race Tom (as much as I can given my overall lack of training this year).
