Less than two weeks remain until the big 26.2 event in Erie! Here are a few notes from the Erie Marathon race directors, Jan Comi and Mike Vieyra:
Well, all of your serious training is done and now it is time to rest up for the big race. The weather forecast is for partly cloudy with a low of 58° and a high of 69°. Our event field is up about 25% again this year – thanks to prior participants for being our marketing department. The women have edged the men out, making up 53% of the field. But, more impressively, the women hold the four highest participant age group categories. For more event statistics, course maps, registration lists, FAQs and more 2012 race details, visit our website, www.eriemarathon.org.
A few important points for you:
• Start times are: 7:00 for the marathon, 7:15 for the 5k and 7:30 for the half marathon.
• Saturday Sept 17th – packet pick-up noon until 7:00 PM. Pasta dinner for only $10 from 4:00 to 7:00 right at packet pick-up. If time permits on Saturday, you should take a ride through the park to see where you will be running on Sunday – we run on the main road that circles the park. This is also a good time to locate restrooms that are located throughout the park.
• Parking – for packet pick-up, you can come right to the Rotary Pavilion on Presque Isle State Park. However, on race day, you will be directed to one of two parking areas: Lot 6 or Lot 8. We will have parking marshals directing you, so please just follow their directions. All parking is approximately 0.25 miles from the start. Remember that you will need to be at the park entrance no later than 6:00 AM in order to assure yourself enough time to get parked and to the starting line.
• Hotel shuttle service – I do not believe any of the local hotels will provide any sort of shuttle service to the start or from the finish of our race. We have had a few questions in this regard so it has generated the idea of providing a “Ride Share” board at each hotel listed on our website. So, if you need a ride or can provide a ride to the start, please check with your hotels front desk for a sign-up sheet. The coordination of the ride share will be up to you. A return ride share will be established right near the finish line where local volunteers for the event will check for those needing rides to local hotels. Other participants are also encouraged to stop by if they are able to provide rides to those in need. No one will be left behind – we will see that you get back to your hotel.
• Spectator areas- the start/finish area along with the Cookhouse area are ideal areas for your family and friends to cheer you on. They can walk between the areas that are only 0.2 miles apart. Viewing from these sites would be at approximately the following mile markers: start, 5.7, 13.1, 18.6 and 26.2. Refreshments and snacks will be available near the Cookhouse area for a small donation to a local charity.
• This year the Erie Marathon is partnering with J.H. Bennett Moving and Storage and Move For Hunger to turn this year’s race into a giant food drive! Did you know that during fiscal year 2010-11, the Second Harvest Food Bank distributed 8.3 million pounds of food to 72,600 people in northwest Pennsylvania?
Runners are encouraged to bring any unwanted, non-perishable food items on September 15th, to the Rotary Pavilion. Food donations will also be collected on race day, September 16th, at the start/finish in the Rotary Pavilion Area. The first 500 people to donate food items will receive a Move For Hunger T-shirt.
All food donations will be collected by J.H. Bennett Moving and Storage and brought to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest PA after the race.
Please help support those in need in your community!
If you know of anybody still interested, they can register on-line at: https://secure.marathonguide.com/register/ErieMarathon/ at a reduced rate compared to the day before or of race day. On-line registration will remain open through September 13th at midnight.
See you in a little over a week,
Jan and Mike
And a few notes words to the wise from me:
* Hit the bathroom on the way down to the park, or stop and use the one at the Ranger Station. There are lots of porta potties, but there are also lots of participants and lines are inevitable. Make a pit stop on your way down.
* Leave early…very early. Bring the newspaper and sit in your parked car and relax. Whatever you do, don’t think you’re going to make it to the Rotary Pavilion by 7 a.m. if you hit the park after 6:15. It’s not going to happen because, remember, traffic is reduced to one slow-moving lane and the Rotary is several miles into the park.
* Bring a bright colored bag if you’re using the bag drop so you can easily ID it.
* Don’t park alongside the main road, even if you’re all the way off the road, because the rangers may ticket you.
