Corral Jumpers (Read 454 times)


Walk-Jogger

    Math exercise: If you had 60,000 runners in your 100M race, how many corrals would you use?  (Meters people, not miles)

     

    I'm waiting for a drive to finish cloning on a slow USB connection and another to complete a full diskcheck, so I'll take a try at this:

     

    Our newly resurfaced university track has 9 lanes for the 100M.

     

    60k / 9 = 6667 heats, which I will assume for this purpose equates to corrals.

     

    If they run 1 heat every 5 minutes, that event will take 23 days, 3 hours and 35+ minutes to complete.

     

    But If they used chip timing and were very well organized, they could probably run a heat every 30 seconds, maybe? Then the event would only take about 55 hours, 34 minutes.  I suppose they would actually need a few heats paced a full minute apart,  for the oldest and slowest runners who take more than 30 seconds to run 100M.

     

    (how do I get rid of the poll in my quote?)

    Retired &  Loving It

    Mysecondnewname


       

      I've never run any race that had corrals.  Guess I just haven't lived yet.  Biggest races I've run are the Gasparilla Distance Clasics back in the early 80's (they were 15Ks then - probably 3,000 or so runners) and the 1982 MCM which had about 8,000 that year.  They just let you line up where ever you wanted (they may have given some basic direction but no enforcement).

       

      For local races I mostly expect to finish in the top 10% so I'm usually near the front, but you always have the enthusiastic youngsters who want to start up front.  I generally don't weave around them - I find that a hand on the shoulder, a gentle nudge, and an excuse me moves them off to the side.

       

      I have much more patience with this in local races.  The majority of the folks there are just having a good time, and don't know the etiquette.  I do think the race organizers could do a lot better job of announcing that people should move back if they can't run the paces on the signs (which almost always could be improved as well).

       

      In the mega marathons, I don't think there is much of an excuse, since it's hard to argue you don't know what you're doing  (Where you belong is printed right on your bib in most cases.)

       

      As far as touching other runners--I always start a race with my hands in the air (like wide receivers).  I've had too many elbows fly towards my face from eager runners at the start.  Finally, getting bumped during a crowded race just isn't a big deal to me--it's part of racing, not something worth hitting someone over, IMHO.

        Rats: duplicate.

           

          I'm waiting for a drive to finish cloning on a slow USB connection and another to complete a full diskcheck, so I'll take a try at this:

           

          Our newly resurfaced university track has 9 lanes for the 100M.

           

          60k / 9 = 6667 heats, which I will assume for this purpose equates to corrals.

           

          If they run 1 heat every 5 minutes, that event will take 23 days, 3 hours and 35+ minutes to complete.

           

          But If they used chip timing and were very well organized, they could probably run a heat every 30 seconds, maybe? Then the event would only take about 55 hours, 34 minutes.  I suppose they would actually need a few heats paced a full minute apart,  for the oldest and slowest runners who take more than 30 seconds to run 100M.

           

          (how do I get rid of the poll in my quote?)

           

          Don't forget you'll need water stops every 100 meters. Gotta stay hydrated!

          redleaf


             

             

             

            (how do I get rid of the poll in my quote?)

             

            it's only there 'cause you're the first comment on a new page. I believe it will always appear at the top of a new page.

            First or last...it's the same finish line

            HF #4362

            Gator eye


              I always love the group of walkers that go side by side, shoulder to shoulder, five deep and line up for a 8mm.

              FSBD


                He didn't slam into you, he didn't bump you, he didn't nudge you, he rubbed you, and rubbin', son, is racin'.  Big grin

                 

                 

                As far as touching other runners--I always start a race with my hands in the air (like wide receivers).  I've had too many elbows fly towards my face from eager runners at the start.  Finally, getting bumped during a crowded race just isn't a big deal to me--it's part of racing, not something worth hitting someone over, IMHO.

                We are the music makers,

                    And we are the dreamers of dreams,

                Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

                    And sitting by desolate streams; 

                World-losers and world-forsakers,

                    On whom the pale moon gleams:

                Yet we are the movers and shakers

                    Of the world for ever, it seems.

                LedLincoln


                not bad for mile 25

                  I always love the group of walkers that go side by side, shoulder to shoulder, five deep and line up for a 8mm.

                   

                  They're playing Red Robin, daring you to break through.  Do it!  The more you knock over, the more points you get!

                    I have hopped the coral at Boston in 1998 and in 2002.  Both times I got an invitational number through my running club, and would have had to start at the back.

                     

                    My intention was to run between 3-3:10, which at the time would put me in the 3rd corral (today that is probably corral 5), which is where I jumped in.

                     

                    In 1998 I was very fit, having run a PB 61 minute 10 miler, but got sick and dropped out a mile 10.

                     

                    In 2002 I was on 3:06 pace till mile 24 and finished in 3:11, which at the time was a qualifier.

                     

                    I don't regret it, and would do it again if faced with the same circumstances, I was with the group of runners I should have been with.

                      I was with the group of runners I should have been with.

                       

                      And without having to earn it like everyone else. How convenient!

                      Runners run

                      csab


                        I have hopped the coral at Boston in 1998 and in 2002.  Both times I got an invitational number through my running club, and would have had to start at the back.

                         

                        My intention was to run between 3-3:10, which at the time would put me in the 3rd corral (today that is probably corral 5), which is where I jumped in.

                         

                        In 1998 I was very fit, having run a PB 61 minute 10 miler, but got sick and dropped out a mile 10.

                         

                        In 2002 I was on 3:06 pace till mile 24 and finished in 3:11, which at the time was a qualifier.

                         

                        I don't regret it, and would do it again if faced with the same circumstances, I was with the group of runners I should have been with.

                         

                        I think it was still wrong. You didn't earn the spot, and you had no right to be there. When you got invited, you had to ethical options: 1) say yes, start from the back, and accept the fact that you won't run a fast race; or 2) politely tun down the invitation, because you are not interested in running the race unless you can run fast. But you decided yourself that you are above the rules. 

                          politely tun down the invitation, because you are not interested in running the race unless you can run fast. But you decided yourself that you are above the rules. 

                           

                          Ah but there's the thing. You can still run fast from the back, it just takes a little more strategy and patience.

                           

                          One of my training buddies got an exempt number this year. It was his first marathon and even though he's run a 1:19 half and was almost surely in sub-3 shape (and he's a high school cross country coach in MA with plenty of connections who probably could have gotten him a number further up,) he took his medicine like a man and started in the last corral of the last wave because in his mind it wasn't right to start in front of people who had earned their way there when he hadn't. He had to be very patient for the first few miles until things opened up, but he just started working his way up. He negative split a 3:03.

                          Runners run


                          Feeling the growl again

                             

                            I think it was still wrong. You didn't earn the spot, and you had no right to be there. 

                             

                            +1.  Everyone else who was there had already PROVEN they were where they belonged.  In this case there was not even a qualifier of ANY sort run.

                            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                             

                            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills