Race Etiquette, Tips & Safety
Whether this is your first event or your 1,000th, do your best to make this a great experience for EVERYONE on the road!
Pre-Race
- Listen to all pre-race instructions. They’ll guide you through the course AND keep you safe.
- Pin your race number on the front of your shirt, where it’s visible to officials and photographers.
- Get credit for your race – B-tags (timing devices) remain on your bib, so take good care of it and wear it on your lower abdomen.
On the Course
- Run or walk no more than two abreast. If you are walking in a group, stay in the back of the pack and leave room for others to pass on your left when possible.
- Aid stations
- – Move to the side of the road to grab water from a volunteer, and keep moving.
- – If you want to stop: grab a drink, move BEYOND the station, and stop on the SIDE of the road away from the other runners.
- – Use a trash receptacle when possible. If there are none available, drop it on the road NEAR the station.
- Remember, there are 25,000 people around you! If you need to stop, move to the side of the road to:
- – Spit, etc.
- – Tie your shoe
- – Use the rest room – in a port-a-john please! Do NOT expect the friendly neighbors to let you in their home.
- Feel free to shout words of encouragement to others around you!
- Be ALERT and expect the unexpected. Think dropped phones, wandering kids, low-hanging signs, and looming potholes.
- Non-registered friends and relatives are NOT permitted to run with you in a race. They can cheer you on from the side of the road.
Finish Line/Post Race
- Don’t stop suddenly at the finish – you will cause a collision with those behind you. Keep moving through the finish chute and exit into the Sheehy Post-Race Party.
- Enjoy the post-race refreshments, but don’t be a piggy! Remember, the last finishers need refreshments, too. This food is for participants ONLY – not friends and family.