Changes to the NYCM Start Process
Acting on feedback from runners, the NYRR will be implementing several changes to the start process this year. Chief among them are the Wave Start and the Baggage Handling. With these enhancements to the system, NYRR hope that runners can look forward to the following benefits:
1. Reduced crowding and wait time standing in corrals
2. Reduced crowding and wait time standing on the bridge, waiting for the race to start
3. Reduced time to cross the start line (NYRR hopes that runners can cross the starting line within 6 minutes)
4. Reduced crowding on the course and at the finish
So what’s the Wave Start all about? Instead of releasing a mass start of approximately 40,000 runners at one time, the field will first be organized into three separate start lines designated with blue, orange or green colors. Then each starting line will be broken down to 3 waves designated white, yellow or blue. There are 6 corrals within each wave – A to F. Each wave will have approximately 13,000 runners and will be released at 20-minute intervals. Wave 1 will begin at 9:40 am., followed by wave 2 at 10:00 am., and then wave 3 at 10:20 am. The runners will be allocated their “waves” according to their projected goal time. I’m so average that I’ll probably be placed in either the Wave 2 or 3. Wave 1 would probably be assigned to the elites and sub 3:30 finishers.
Runners fearing the loss of the unique starting experience – the firing of the starting cannon and Sinatra’s rendering of “New York, New York” – need not worry as each wave will still have the same ceremony. The cannon will just see more action and Sinatra will have to sing a few more times!
Baggage Handling is also revamped. The UPS trucks will be parked near the entrance (in the open zone) to the Staging Area to receive your checked in baggage (in case you’re wondering, only official clear goodie bags are accepted for deposits). From the alphabetically sorted manner of yesteryears, the organizers are sorting the trucks by bib number in increments of 1,000 this time around.
My plans for race morning as follows: Get up early at 5am (since there are bound to be some queues at the hostel toilets) and leave the hostel by 6:30am by subway. I sure hope that the other bed in our room is taken up by a fellow runner! At this juncture I’m not sure if we need to pack extra breakfast since a wide variety are available at the staging area from tea, Poland Spring Natural Spring Water, Gatorade Endurance Formula, bagels, PowerBars, and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. The posse should arrive at the Battery Park ferry terminal at 7am and take the 30-minute ferry ride to Staten Island, in time to hop onto the 7:30am Staten Island shuttle to take us to the Fort Wadsworth staging area. While making new friends from all over the world are all part of the NYCM experience, it’ll be even better if my friends and I are assigned to the same starting line, wave and corral. At least if we’re within the same wave, we can still hop between corrals. Well, we’ll know in September.
1. Reduced crowding and wait time standing in corrals
2. Reduced crowding and wait time standing on the bridge, waiting for the race to start
3. Reduced time to cross the start line (NYRR hopes that runners can cross the starting line within 6 minutes)
4. Reduced crowding on the course and at the finish
So what’s the Wave Start all about? Instead of releasing a mass start of approximately 40,000 runners at one time, the field will first be organized into three separate start lines designated with blue, orange or green colors. Then each starting line will be broken down to 3 waves designated white, yellow or blue. There are 6 corrals within each wave – A to F. Each wave will have approximately 13,000 runners and will be released at 20-minute intervals. Wave 1 will begin at 9:40 am., followed by wave 2 at 10:00 am., and then wave 3 at 10:20 am. The runners will be allocated their “waves” according to their projected goal time. I’m so average that I’ll probably be placed in either the Wave 2 or 3. Wave 1 would probably be assigned to the elites and sub 3:30 finishers.
Runners fearing the loss of the unique starting experience – the firing of the starting cannon and Sinatra’s rendering of “New York, New York” – need not worry as each wave will still have the same ceremony. The cannon will just see more action and Sinatra will have to sing a few more times!
Baggage Handling is also revamped. The UPS trucks will be parked near the entrance (in the open zone) to the Staging Area to receive your checked in baggage (in case you’re wondering, only official clear goodie bags are accepted for deposits). From the alphabetically sorted manner of yesteryears, the organizers are sorting the trucks by bib number in increments of 1,000 this time around.
My plans for race morning as follows: Get up early at 5am (since there are bound to be some queues at the hostel toilets) and leave the hostel by 6:30am by subway. I sure hope that the other bed in our room is taken up by a fellow runner! At this juncture I’m not sure if we need to pack extra breakfast since a wide variety are available at the staging area from tea, Poland Spring Natural Spring Water, Gatorade Endurance Formula, bagels, PowerBars, and Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. The posse should arrive at the Battery Park ferry terminal at 7am and take the 30-minute ferry ride to Staten Island, in time to hop onto the 7:30am Staten Island shuttle to take us to the Fort Wadsworth staging area. While making new friends from all over the world are all part of the NYCM experience, it’ll be even better if my friends and I are assigned to the same starting line, wave and corral. At least if we’re within the same wave, we can still hop between corrals. Well, we’ll know in September.
Labels: Starting Process
posted by Jamie Pang at
10:01 PM
1 Comments
