When registration opens in the morning, we will have only a small number of spots available for general registration.  Clearly, we need to keep new blood coming in.  But we also want to respect those who have put their very lives on the line to run in prior years.  And we want to keep the field small.

Year after year, the pool of potential repeat offenders grows.

What are your suggestions for fair ways to keep the fresh blood coming in while still respecting the old blood?

As of right now, it appears that there are only 15 or so lifetime streakers.  Don't consider them in the equation.

I have been on vacation for a 11 days - I still remembered it opened today

Boss came in @ 8:00am central (opening of registration)

8:18 - he left ... too late

a feeling of relief has flooded my body ... Not in

Damn you!

Dread is filling my mind and body where the relief had been

I have a full inbox.

 

DB, I promised that you'd be covered.  You will be covered.

Trent already knows these thoughts from me, but I'm throwing these out here just so's others can poke them.

1. Set early reg for prior year offenders only. (as noted, not factoring in lifetime streakers, that's different).  The race has been around long enough that opening it to all repeat offenders is a) a whole lot of people and b) a bunch of work for Dr T to keep up with.  I know this won't be popular for long-ago participants, but seriously, as the years go by, that model doesn't scale well unless it is always the same people and there's no new blood.

2. Cap early reg for repeat participants at x.  (I don't know what x is, I threw '100' out there).  AND/OR shrink the early reg window.  Some folks registered when they noticed that early reg popped up and got the password.  But others let it go for a bit.  Nothing wrong with that... my suggestion is just a way to get people to SoGOtP for others.

3. Yo, don't pass the password around like a joint at a Phish concert.  Honestly, I don't think it was a super huge deal, but I know for a fact that some people who registered early haven't run monkey before.  Even if that was only 20ish people, that still represents almost 10% of the normal Monkey field. (I'm not talking about the few of you new Monkey folks who talked to Dr T directly. I mean people who mysteriously registered)

4. Might want to tone down the advertising on message boards a bit.  Clearly, getting people excited about the race is a problem Monkey does not have.

Anyway, look at me. I will be there and I was one of the first people to register.  Easy to pontificate.  In 2009, I did not register on time, but Trent was kind enough to listen to my sob story and let me in a few weeks before the event.  That was super duper nice and it made a very shitty couple months in my life far less shitty.  BIG THUMBS UP for Trent and creative, kind RDs in general.

I like SR's idea but would change it a bit for past two year's participation.

This is a tough problem to have but you built something unique and fun and now you have to deal with the consequences. remember - no good deed goes unpunished. 

Alternatively, sell the rights to RnR. Pocket the cash and let the chips fall where they may.

You should focus on getting more DNF's....like maybe don't put out gatorade, or water, or gu...throw tacks nails in the middle of the road, have someone at the top of 19 mile hill rolling barrels down it....have people/monkeys jump out from the trees to scare runners (people don't wanna finish if they've crapped themselves, most of the time) In short, make Monkey less survivable. Then, obviously, you will have less people to pre-register.

 I like it. It adds a "Wipeout" flavor to the whole event. No if you could only add a water obstacle. That would seal the deal. 

No Beer.  No Pie.  No More Problems.

You should focus on getting more DNF's....like maybe don't put out gatorade, or water, or gu...throw tacks nails in the middle of the road, have someone at the top of 19 mile hill rolling barrels down it....have people/monkeys jump out from the trees to scare runners (people don't wanna finish if they've crapped themselves, most of the time) In short, make Monkey less survivable. Then, obviously, you will have less people to pre-register.

And then offer a water buffalo hat at the end and call the event "extreme monkey" or something.  But not "warrior monkey".