Sep 12, 2015 - TIMING All masters and overall awards will be based ..... These are some of the best spots to eat while y
RACE GUIDE
September 122015 ,
Great Smoky Mountains
HALF MARATHON WEEKEND WELCOME TO GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS AREA LOCATION OVERVIEW MAP . . . . . . . . . . . 4 EVENT SCHEDULE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Expo Info
Race Day Schedule
RACE INFORMATION
The Course . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Parking & Finish Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Spectator Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Race Check List
Bib Info
Cup-Free Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Timing Specifics
Post Race Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
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Photography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Race Demographics . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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AREA INFO
Townsend, TN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Great Smoky Mountain National Park . . . . . 16
Great Smoky Mountain Trifecta . . . . . . . . 19
Chimney Club . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
CONNECT ONLINE (SOCIAL MEDIA) . . . . . . . . . 22 EVENT SPONSORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Welcome To
GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK! Welcome to Great Smoky Mountains National Park! We’re so excited you decided to run with us during our second Great Smoky Mountains Half. It’s going to be a great race! This national park has a unique background. In the early 1900s there was nothing in place to protect this area from cut-and-run style clearcutting, and some of the natural beauty was being lost. Though the National Park Service was looking to establish a national park in the eastern U.S., they could not afford it. Private citizens joined forces and funds (with significant help from John D. Rockefeller) to help establish the park and preserve it’s beauty. This park is truly by the people, for the people. We hope you enjoy your time at Great Smoky Mountains National Park! Happy exploring!
Salem, Dehn, Lyle, Cherie, Megan S, Robin, Megan W
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LANDMARKS
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4 R ACE COURSE
1 R ACE EXPO - Heritage Park 125 Townsend Park Rd, Townsend, TN
5 THE ARTISTIC BEAN 8027 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy Townsend, TN 37882
2 R ACE PARKING & FINISH LINE Visitor’s Center 7906 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy Townsend, TN
6D ANCING BEAR APPALACIAN BISTRO 7140 East Lamar Alexander Pkwy Townsend, TN 37882
3 R ACE DROP OFF & START LINE HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL 3741 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy Maryville, TN
7 GREAT SMOKY MOUNTAINS PARK ENTRANCE
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EVENT SCHEDULE
September 11 -12,2015
FRIDAY 11 am
6 pm RACE EXPO & PACKET PICKUP
7 pm
Race Expo Packet pickup ENDS CLOSES*
RACE EXPO The expo will be held at the Heritage Park (125 Townsend Park Road, Townsend, TN). You can pick up your bib and gear as well as check out our awesome vendors. The expo will be small, but plan to stay a little while.
The expo will close and vendors will leave at 6:00pm but bibs will be available until 7:00 PM. though we don’t encourage it, we do allow bib pickup Saturday morning before the race. you can get your bib at the start line as early as 6:00am. please plan to pickup your bib no later than 7:00 am.
When you pick up your packet at the expo this year, we’re encouraging you to Bring Your Own Bag! To keep in line with our tradition of waste elimination and conservation of the land, we’re going completely bag-less at the expo this year! If you would like to purchase a reusable, foldable bag, we’ll have them available at our merch store. PARKING
There will be plenty of parking on race day at the finish land at the Tally-ho Resort, but please get there early. There will be a drop-off area at the high school near the start line as well.*
SEE PAGE 8 FOR PARKING MAP
SATURDAY AM 5
6 5:20 Begin loading shuttles at finish line
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6:00 Start line opens / last shuttle leaves 6:15 - 7:00 Prize raffle
(every 5 minutes)
7:30 RACE STARTS for all divisions 7:00 Last call for bib pickup
10:15 Awards Ceremony
7:15 Runners line up / Last call for gear check 7:25 National Anthem
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7:16 AM SUNRISE
RACE INFORMATION
The Course
©mapmyrun.com
ELEVATION
START ELEV
893 FT
MAX ELEV
1156 FT
FT MILES
6
GAIN
727 FT
COURSE This race is an OPEN COURSE. There will be cars on the road as well as runners. There are sections on main roads where traffic may be heavy. These spots on the course could get a little crowded. The course will be well marked but it is your responsibility to stay to the right when running with traffic and be courteous and mindful of cars and other runners. DO NOT step off the course into traffic, you will be disqualified. We want you to stay safe. Be courteous. ELEVATION You can see the elevation map on the previous page. It looks a little scary, but downhill courses are for wimps, right? Mile 5-9 will feel long as it is a steady climb. If you aren’t used to the altitude be sure to stay hydrated. Drink lots of water the days leading up to the race to help.
CLOTHING ON COURSE We will have a clothing bin to dump items in at mile 3. Anything else found along the course will be treated as trash. Clothing dropped off at mile 3 won’t be picked up until the last runner has passed mile 3 - so you may have to wait for your clothing.
TIMING All masters and overall awards will be based on GUN TIME. If you plan to compete for these top spots you will need to line up at the front of the line. All age divisions and team awards will be based on CHIP TIME. If you are standing towards the back, it may be a few minutes before you cross the start line. Your time does not officially start until you cross the starting line (unless you are competing for an overall top finisher spot), so please be courteous to others as we start the race.
ABSOLUTELY NO LITTERING AID STATIONS We will have aid stations near miles 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 12. All aid stations will have bath-rooms, water + Nuun, and Honey Stinger energy gels. Mile 7 and 11 will also have oranges and bananas. There will be basic first aid needs at each aid station, but the EMT will be at Mile 7. TIME LIMIT All runners will have 3.5 hours to finish the race. That is a 16 minute mile - plenty of time for walkers! If at anytime we deem it unsafe and need to pull a runner off the course we would hope for understanding and immediate cooperation. Failure to comply will result in being banned from future events. We will do our best to leave the finish line open to accommodate everyone.
If you will be walking, please start towards the back to avoid congestion at the start.
PACERS Pacers will line up at the start line around 7:15 am. There will be a pacer pacing the race in 10 minute intervals starting at a 1h40m pace up to 2h30m. We will also have a 2h45m, 3h, and 3h30m pacer. Please seat yourself near the time you expect to finish.
RECOVERY BOX At the finish line we will have a Recovery Box (full of recovery snacks), bananas, and chocolate milk, as well as water and Nuun hydration. Please help yourself to one box, chocolate milk, and banana per runner.
GEAR CHECK You will be given a Gear Check bag at the starting line if you wish. It will be a white garbage bag that you can fill with anything you want transported to the finish line. There will be permanent markers you can use to write your name and bib number.
In an attempt to reduce waste, we will provide a place to trade/leave any unwanted snack items.
Avoid putting valuables in your bag.
Gear check bags will be available at the finish line as soon as the first person finishes.
= 1 RUNNER
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+ 1 BOX
+ 1 BANANA
1 MILK
PARKING & SHUTTLES We will have plenty of parking to accommodate all of our runners. There will be no parking at the start line. All parking will be at the finish line. TALLEY HO INN - 8314 TN-73, TOWNSEND, TN
PARKING AREAS
Runners will be shuttled to the start line. Shuttles will load and leave from 5:20 - 6:00 am. There will be no shuttles after the race.
ENTRANCE ROUTE SHUTTLE PICK UP RUNNER DROP OFF
PARKING & FINISH STAGING
START DROP OFF
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If you are dropping a runner off, please enter the parking area and drop your runner off in the designated drop-off area at the Heritage High School (3741 E Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, TN). The runner drop-off is not for parking. There is an event at the high school on race day and no cars are allowed to be parked there. To avoid any traffic jams from runners being dropped off, please drop-off your runner and then exit the parking area. The drop-off is for quick unloading only.
RACE DAY CHECK LIST PRE-RACE
TRAIN
Directions to hotel/campsite
Directions to race expo
Directions to race start/finish
Photo ID
Valid Military ID (if you registered with a Military Discount)
Study the race course
RACE DAY
Bib and timing chip
Cup Free Hydration (Hydrapouch, hand held, water bottle, pack, etc.)
Running Shoes
Socks
Sunglasses
Hat/Visor
Recovery plan
Enjoy the park!
BIB DETAILS Indicates if you are a Chimney Club Member
Indicates if you are Military
Your bib number
Your race shirt size
Team name (if applicable) Turn this in at the start line race morning. We will have a raffle from 6:15-7:00 am.
Indicates if you requested a Hydrapouch when registering.
SPECTATOR INFO
Aside from the start and finish, we have a few recommendations where to cheer. The course runs along one side of the Little River and the highway runs on the other side. Anywhere there is a bridge you can pull off and walk to you can see your runners.
Because of the significant amount of road control, spectators are not allowed to stop along the highway at any point along the race. Spectators are welcome at the starting line, but the starting line will be closed to vehicles. You can drop-off runners at the high school parking lot but do not park and leave your car there, there is an event at the high school on race day and the parking lot will be closed.
A couple of the main bridges can be found at: 1. Melrose Station Road and Old Walland Hwy (near Mile 2)
Spectators are encouraged to be at the finish line to cheer on all our runners. All spectators should park in designated parking at the finish line (Tally Ho Inn). If you are within walking distance of the finish line feel free to walk over.
2. E . Millers Cove Road and Old Walland hwy (near Mile 3) We want you to be there to cheer on your runner, but please recognize that the runner area is for runners only! Please do not enter the runner area or partake of runner’s food and recovery supplies.
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CUP-FREE RACING Having our races so close to the National Parks, unnecessary waste and trash is something we are strongly against. We are dedicated to maintaining a clean race and preserving the beauty of the area we run in. There is nothing that will ruin a view more than seeing a piece a trash in plain view from a breathtaking landscape.
One of the most important things in a half marathon is ensuring that aid stations are plentiful and efficient. Hydration will make or break a race. What we do is offer a Hydrapouch for every runner that indicated they wanted one as part of their registration. Other options include running with a water bottle, fuel belt, camelbak or other hydration backpack, etc. Every runner prefers something different. Just make sure you have some way to stay hydrated!
There will be water at the finish line but no cups!
At some places, the water will be hooked up to a system like the one pictured on the left. Each of these pipes will provide water from the several speed valves we have attached. Feel free to practice at the expo!
The aid station will have a few cups in case of an emergency, do not plan on using them. Also, under no circumstances should you put your head under the valve to get a drink. Not only does this waste water, it is pretty inconsiderate of other runners.
Although we don’t have cups on the course, we have plenty of aid stations with water and Nuun! At all aid stations we will have BLUE COOLERS WITH WATER and RED COOLERS WITH NUUN (ELECTROLYTE DRINK). Both will have the same speed valves attached. So at each aid station you will have your choice of water or Nuun.
TIMING SPECIFICS
There will be water at the finish line, but no cups. Please use your Hydrapouch or water bottle to fill up at the finish line.
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR SHOE CHIP
BEFORE THE RACE
• Please remove the chip from your shoe and drop it in one of the buckets. This will be self-serve. Please do it as soon as you’ve got your legs and feel comfortable to do so (but before you leave the race and go back to your hotel!).
• You will receive your shoe chip with your bib. • Follow the image by image instructions above and zip-tie the timing chip to your shoe on race morning. • NO CHIP = NO TIME!
• All masters and overall awards will be based on gun time. If you plan to compete for these top spots you will need to line up at the front of the line. All age divisions and team awards will be based on chip time. If you are standing towards the back, it may be a few minutes before you cross the start line. Your time does not officially start until you cross the starting line (unless you are competing for an overall top finisher spot), so please be courteous to others as we start the race.
AFTER THE RACE
• All timing chips must be returned after the race. • We will have buckets along with clippers to remove the timing chip from your shoe all over the finish area (near the food, before you leave the runners area, before you enter the parking lot, etc.)
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POST RACE INFO The awards ceremony will take place at the stage just south of the finish line towards the mountains and will begin at 10:15 AM. See location map on page 8.
LOST & FOUND
Results will be available later the morning of the race. We will post them on Facebook and also send them in a post-race email the day or two after the race. They will also be available on our website.
MEDICAL TENT
• There is no official lost & found. If we find lost items we will hold onto them and you can contact us at
[email protected]
• There will be gear check at the start line. If you checked gear at the start of the race, you • There will be a bin to dump extra clothing will be able to pick it up just past the finish at mile 3. Anything found littered on the line in the runner area. course elsewhere will be considered trash and either thrown away or donated. RACE RESULTS
The medical tent at the finish line is for athletes only; family members are not allowed. Overcrowding in the medical tent prevents medical staff from doing their job. For information on an athlete receiving medical attention please wait outside the tent for updates.
MEDALS
All runners will receive a finisher medal. Place medals will be given to the top 5 male and female runners overall as well as the Masters 40+ group. Additionally, the top 5 in each age group and the top 3 teams will also receive a place medal.
POST-RACE SURVEY
Within a week of race day we will be sending out a post-race survey. We would really appreciate it if you took the 5-10 minutes to complete the survey for us. The survey provides us with information that allows us to better work with the local community and gain more support for future races, but more importantly it provides us with valuable insight into what we are doing well and what we need to improve. We love our runners and couldn’t improve our race series without your feedback. Please watch for the email.
If you qualify for a place medal but are not present at the awards ceremony to receive it we will happily ship it to you. Go to our website and request your medal and pay the cost of shipping (about $8).
“A man on foot will see more, feel more, enjoy more in one mile than the motorized tourists can in a hundred miles”
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RACE PHOTOGRAPHY FROM LUCID IMAGES
FREE PHOTO
Lucid Images will be taking photos at the start line, on the course, and at the finish line. They will be at the expo so be sure to stop by and say hello!
I n addition to photos of runners on the course and crossing the finish line, Lucid Images will have a designated area near the awards ceremony stage where runners can pose for a finisher photo. This photo will be made available FOR FREE to runners!
To be sure you can find your picture later, wear your bib with the numbers clearly visible at all times. If the photographers cannot identify you by your bib then your photo will end up in an “unidentified runner” folder on their website.
PHOTOS ON COURSE
Photos are usually available on Lucid Images website the Wednesday or Thursday following the race. We will send out an email to notify all runners and post it on Facebook
As a heads up to runners, there will be signs on the course to let runners know they are coming up on photographers. Ya know, just in case you wanted to freshen up your makeup or pick up the pace or otherwise pose for the photo :)
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SO LD A & F T RAC INI SH E EXP LIN O E
RUNNER DEMOGRAPHICS Whos Coming? 38 3 COUNTRIES
STATES
USA | CANADA | UK
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TEAMS #5KC | #REFIT | Blackberry Fit | CHAFING THE DREAM | Day Drinkers | Family Connection | Glass City Crossfit | Headless Chickens | Hit the Ground Running | Just Doin’ It | Knoxville Moms Run This Town | Latin Crossfiters | Lucy & Olive’s Rainbow Dash Runners | Maryville Helllbenders | Naptown Runners | Old Soles | Pick Six | Road Warriors | Rocky Top Runners | RUN365 | S.W.A.T.T. (Sprinters, Walkers and Trash Talkers) | Team Atteberry | Team Really | Twisted Blisters | Varsity Sports | We Got the Beep | What Were We Thinking? Call Uber! | Wilmington Ohio Runners
AGE DIVISIONS MALE
