Fleet Feet Arizona Trail Race

Here are your must read event details for this Sunday's Fleet Feet AZ Trail Race.  O, and thanks for joining us!!!
 
Bib and race shirt pick-up: 
· This Friday and Saturday at Fleet Feet on Tanque Verde Rd (not available at the Oro Valley location). Firday times: 10am to 6pm, Saturday, 10am to 4pm.  
·  Race day pick-up is available from 6am to 7:20am.

Directions to Colossal Cave:

From Tucson using I-10: Take I-10 east from Tucson to exit 279 (the Vail/Wentworth exit), turn north (left), and follow the signs for about 7 miles (Vail Rd. to Pistol Hill, turn right on Old Spanish Trail and head one-mile to the entrance at Colossal Cave).
 
Traveling I-10 east of Tucson: exit 279 (the Vail/Wentworth exit), turn north (right), and follow the signs for about 7 miles (Vail Rd. to Pistol Hill, turn right on Old Spanish Trail and head one-mile to the entrance at Colossal Cave). 

From Tucson surface streets: Take East 22nd Street, turn south onto scenic Old Spanish Trail and follow it about 17 miles to the entrance of Colossal Cave Mountain Park.

Course instructions:
Please pay attention to our course monitors and signs. The Arizona Trail is extremely well-marked, and we will have our monitors throughout the course to ensure you don’t get lost.  There will be directional signs and mileage markers on the course.

There are four water station crossings, located at approximately 2.5, 3.5, 5.5 and 6.5-miles.  We’ll also have bottled water for you at the finish line. 

Porta-Potties will be available at the start/finish line area parking lot. There will also be a men’s and women’s bathroom at the La Sevilla Campground (approx. 3.5 and 5.5 miles into the race). Please do not use the open desert. We are guests of this area and would like to return next year.

All timing will be computed with chip timing, which is on the back of your bib (do not bend or fold the chip).  Please remember to keep your bib on the front of your body.  Without a bib you will not receive a time and will not qualify for an age group award, which are in 5-year increments (10-14, 20-24, etc.  80+ is the last age grouping).  Our awards will begin as the last runners are finishing.  All participants will receive a finisher medal.  Overall male and female winners will be removed from the age group awards and will be determined by gun time.

If you’re a faster runner make sure you start towards the front.  If you’re a middle of the pack runner please start toward the middle or back.  This helps to avoid congestion on the trail.  Please be aware of runners approaching from behind and yield to passing runners.  When passing, always PASS ON THE LEFT and inform runner ahead of you of your intentions.  For everyone’s safety on this single-track trail, devices that require headsets are not permitted!  If you are seen wearing headphones, you will be disqualified.

When you hit the finish line grab yourself a free bottle of water and enjoy your Free Breakfast courtesy of Fleet Feet (one per person). 

Race results should be posted by 3:00 p.m. at www.fleetfeettucson.com.  For instant results, enable finish time notification on your Run Sign-Up account.  Any questions?  Email s.landau@comcast.net

Course precautions:
While many of us have competed in street races throughout our running careers, few have competed on remote desert trails. Although beautiful and appealing, desert trails pose obstacles quite different from street racing. On the street there is ample room for large crowds of runners. On the AZT the room expands and contracts at will. This variation in the course requires special attention by “ALL” Runners.

Trail racing is a sport of variable speeds usually caused by the grade of the trail and often the width of the trail. Add the various skill levels of hundreds of runners and you get even more variability. This requires all runners to be alert to such changes in the trail. It is important that all of us practice good sportsmanship at the event. Here are some things to keep in mind:
·     Always run to the right side of the trail.
·     Always allow faster runners to pass on the left.
·     Absolutely no headsets. We need you to be aware of and able to hear other competitors.
·     Always be aware of changes in the trail’s surface

Rocks, Roots and Critters are ever present
Do not short cut (you will be disqualified)
We all want this to be an enjoyable and safe trail race. Please help us achieve that goal.

We need your attention please!!

Thank you for participating in our special event. We want to take this opportunity to share some thoughts with you on this year’s Arizona Trail Race at Colossal Cave Mountain Park (CCMP). We are all very grateful to CCMP and the Arizona Trail Society (AZT) for creating and allowing us to use this wonderful resource.

While many of us have competed in street races throughout our running careers, few have competed on remote desert trails. Although beautiful and appealing, desert trails pose obstacles quite different from street racing. On the street there is ample room for large crowds of runners. On the AZT the room expands and contracts at will. This variation in the course requires special attention by “ALL” Runners.

Trail racing is a sport of variable speeds usually caused by the grade of the trail and often the width of the trail. Add the various skill levels of hundreds of runners and you get even more variability. This requires all runners to be alert to such changes in the trail. It is important that all of us practice good sportsmanship at the event. Here are some things to keep in mind:

·     Always run to the right side of the trail.

·     Always allow faster runners to pass on the left.

·     Absolutely no headsets. We need you to be aware of and able to hear other competitors.

·     Always be aware of changes in the trail’s surface

o  Rocks, Roots and Critters are ever present

o  Do not short cut (you will be disqualified)

o  Use the “Porta Johns” provided

We all want this to be an enjoyable and safe trail race. Please help us achieve that goal.

Thank you!

Fleet Feet & Everyone Runs