Another RnR Race Question

[thom]

If you sign up for a Rock'n Roll full and drop down to the half, is it really as easy as just running the half course instead? That is what the FAQ above sounds like. Does anyone have experience with doing this? Did your time register correctly?

If I get a free bib, this makes me think I should choose the full because then I would have the flexibility to run either.

[foundmylazybum]

I think it is that easy b/c of the price difference. The marathon is more expensive than the half--so the race isn't out any money for you to drop down. If you wanted to move UP--then you would have to pay more.

But moving down--well that's YOUR loss not theirs b/c they already got yo money lol.

[AAM2012]

Yeah I'm sure it's this easy but maybe it depends on the course. I.E. maybe on certain courses they require you to email them or come to the expo to let them know so there is no allegations of cheating.

If you're unsure you could always go up to the table that they have set up at the expo just to confirm. Usually the table is pretty empty and it's where you pick up the t-shirt.

You won't get any refund if you step down so like foundmylazybum said, it's your loss not theirs.

[thom]

Jan 25, 2015 12:51:04 GMT -5 foundmylazybum said:

I think it is that easy b/c of the price difference. The marathon is more expensive than the half--so the race isn't out any money for you to drop down. If you wanted to move UP--then you would have to pay more.

But moving down--well that's YOUR loss not theirs b/c they already got yo money lol.

This makes sense; I totally get the economics behind it. I'm trying to pick a race to use a free bib, and the end of year races are looking most likely. I was trying to decide if I'd feel like doing a full or not, but as long as I can sign up for a full and easily drop to the half that makes my decision pretty simple!

[foundmylazybum]

I don't know how someone could be accused of "cheating?"

[foundmylazybum]

Jan 25, 2015 13:07:46 GMT -5 thom said:

Jan 25, 2015 12:51:04 GMT -5 foundmylazybum said:

I think it is that easy b/c of the price difference. The marathon is more expensive than the half--so the race isn't out any money for you to drop down. If you wanted to move UP--then you would have to pay more.

But moving down--well that's YOUR loss not theirs b/c they already got yo money lol.

This makes sense; I totally get the economics behind it. I'm trying to pick a race to use a free bib, and the end of year races are looking most likely. I was trying to decide if I'd feel like doing a full or not, but as long as I can sign up for a full and easily drop to the half that makes my decision pretty simple!

I remembered you had the free bib .  Honestly, this is a pretty simple question but one you want to be sure on. Email them!

I "feel" like I got screwed in the Peachtree 10K b/c of a gamble that I made with the entry system that was stated but they don't do with everyone. I made the gamble b/c I knew they messed around with some people and not others... Get the answer in writing directly from Competitor so you know for sure how they "should" operate.

[thom]

foundmylazybum - I remember you posting about your snafu at Peachtree. That was such a bummer to hear.

I certainly won't be vying for awards, but it is nice to have your time properly recorded when you train for and travel to a race. I will double check before I finalize my bib. Though there are no guarantees, so I don't know for sure if I will get one.

[AAM2012]

Jan 25, 2015 13:12:24 GMT -5 foundmylazybum said:

I don't know how someone could be accused of "cheating?"

If I sign up for a marathon and run the half without notifying anyone couldn't my "marathon" time come in a LOT faster than it should?

I said it's course specific because I know some of the RnR's have both the full and the half running pretty much the same course and some have completely different courses.

[foundmylazybum]

What? No. They aren't breaking a rule by dropping down from the marathon to the half marathon. It explicitly says in the OP that all a person needs to do is show up to the starting line of the half and run with their marathon bib.


It's not "cheating" because there is no rule to be broken.

[AAM2012]

Jan 25, 2015 17:33:33 GMT -5 foundmylazybum said:

What? No. They aren't breaking a rule by dropping down from the marathon to the half marathon. It explicitly says in the OP that all a person needs to do is show up to the starting line of the half and run with their marathon bib.


It's not "cheating" because there is no rule to be broken.

I said it was probably course specific because I believe one of the ones I did in the past required notice if you dropped down.

[gt7301b]

Mr GT did this last year at DC RnR and they recorded his half time and gave him a half medal.

[theoriginalbean]

I think it's pretty common, they base the race category on the timing mats you cross. Our local full/half even has a split finish line, so you go through the chutes and are given the appropriate medal and time. When I dropped full to half when I was pregnant, midway through the race, they automatically put me in as a half finisher, because of the timing mats I had crossed.

[theoriginalbean]

*for races with shared courses, I mean.

[clseale]

It was certainly that easy in Savannah. Last year, a bunch of us were registered for the full. We didn't decide to drop to the half until after we ran Chicago (roughly 3 weeks out from Savannah), so it was after the cutoff. When I picked up my bib, I asked (just to be sure) and they just said, "Yep. Just break off for the half. The course will record you correctly." It did. Our times were accurately listed in the half marathon category.