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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ORGANIZERS LEAD YOU OFF-COURSE?

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WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ORGANIZERS LEAD YOU OFF-COURSE?

I’ve heard stories about poor course markings or improper directions from course officials causing runners to go in the wrong direction.  What happens to the results in such a scenario?

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CHIP TIME VS. GUN TIME: WHO DECIDES?

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CHIP TIME VS. GUN TIME: WHO DECIDES?

I always assumed that races were won on chip time, so when I started slowing down as the years went on, I moved more to the middle of the pack assuming that my chip time would be enough.

HOW DO YOU HANDLE 'CALLS OF NATURE'?

HOW DO YOU HANDLE 'CALLS OF NATURE'?

I've heard that when the "call of nature" comes -- at the worst time and far from any convenient or appropriate location -- runners in a race often relieve themselves in a relatively public manner. What's a race director's policy toward this? How do you plan for it? 

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DO RACE DIRECTORS EVER GET NO COMPLAINTS?

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DO RACE DIRECTORS EVER GET NO COMPLAINTS?

As a race director with only one event under my belt, I'm curious: Have you ever had a race where you didn't have someone contact you afterward to complain about something? I'm not being sarcastic; I'm honestly curious.

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WHAT QUALIFIES AS 'OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE' DURING A RACE?

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WHAT QUALIFIES AS 'OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE' DURING A RACE?

I just ran my second marathon and noticed many runners had friends on bikes to help them out with words of encouragement, etc. along the course. To what extent can spectators aid runners during a race?

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WHY DON'T MILE MARKERS MATCH UP WITH MY GPS?

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WHY DON'T MILE MARKERS MATCH UP WITH MY GPS?

I am a 21-year-old female runner, and I have completed two half-marathons and two full marathons. I am a PR-seeker and eventually would like to qualify for the Boston Marathon. One of my biggest problems with achieving a PR during a race has to do with discrepancies between my GPS watch and the race-course measurements. 

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WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH COURSE TIME LIMITS?

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WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH COURSE TIME LIMITS?

I hope you'll indulge me to mention a pet peeve of mine.  It involves time limits.  I've done a few marathons lately that announced a 6-hour time limit. I'm a walker and it takes me 5 1/2 to 6 hours to complete a marathon.

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MEDAL COUNT

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MEDAL COUNT

I finished the Louisville Derby Half-Marathon and noticed the thousands of finishers' medals waiting for their owners. How do race directors figure out how many medals to order for any given race without getting stuck with too many, or (worse) too few?

WHY THE HIGH FEE FOR ONLINE RACE REGISTRATION?

WHY THE HIGH FEE FOR ONLINE RACE REGISTRATION?

I’d like to know why the fee is so high to register online for some races. It only makes life easier for the race organizers when I register online, yet for some races, they charge an extra $6 or more to register online.

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SHOULD MY RACE GO WITH TRAFFIC, OR AGAINST?

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SHOULD MY RACE GO WITH TRAFFIC, OR AGAINST?

I'm trying to get approval to hold a race. I am trying to design the run segment with safety being utmost. I have heard differing opinions on the way the course should be laid out.