RACE INFORMATION

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

COURSE INFORMATION
The MVP Health Care Rochester Marathon is a Boston Marathon qualifier. Both the Marathon and Half Marathon courses are USATF certified courses. The race will be using Chip Timing with AMB Timing System. All chips will be removed at the finish line. Any unreturned chips will be charged to the entrant.

MARATHON - 26.2 Mile Course (Certification #NY-09049-JG )

Click Here for the Full Marathon Course Description: Full Marathon Description

The runners for the full marathon will be staged on the bridge on Andrews Street. At the sound of the gun, the runners will leave the starting line on Andrews and make a right turn onto Franklin Street. You will cross Main Street and continue down East Avenue going east. The full marathon course for the Rochester Marathon features a relatively flat course, great volunteer and neighborhood support, a scenic view of some of our well-known and not-so-well-known landmarks, i.e. the Eastman House, the Rochester Science Museum ….

The Rochester Marathon will not have a limit to the number of participants that register this year. The course and support of it will remain in place for seven hours (7:30 am – 2:30 pm).

HALF MARATHON – 13.1 Mile Course (Certification #NY-09053-JG )
Click Here for the Half Marathon Course Description: Half Marathon Description

The Half Marathon course for the Rochester Marathon will also line up on the bridge on Andrews Street. The half-marathon course will feature a relatively flat course, great volunteer and neighborhood support, and some of the same scenic views as the full course such as: the Eastman House and the Rochester Science Museum, along with other points of interest.

MARATHON RELAY – 26.2 Mile Course
The relay exchange points are as follows:

Leg 1: From the starting line to the Park & Ride lot at St. John Fisher College is 6.5 miles.

Leg 2: from St. John Fisher to the Burgundy Basin Inn is 6 miles.

Leg 3: from the Burgundy Basin Inn to Clinton at the Erie Canal is 7.5 miles.

Leg 4: from Clinton to the finish line at Frontier Field is 6.2 miles.

The team relay course is the same as the marathon course. Participants must have a minimum of three or a maximum of four runners per team. Distances covered by each relay runner are approximately six to seven miles. If a team consists of three members, one member will be required to run two relay leg distances (they can be consecutive legs but they do not have to be).

Shuttle Buses will be available to take you to the relay points and to pick up Relay runners and return them to Frontier Field. The bus schedule will be included in your runners packets.. Only participant with bibs will be permitted on these buses.

AWARDS & PRIZES

All participants will receive a marathon t-shirt at packet pick-up. All finishers will receive a unique finishers medallion as they cross the finish line and a finisher’s certificate that will be mailed out after the marathon.

Overall Awards
For the Marathon & Half Marathon, cash awards will be presented to the first three overall male and first three overall female finishers; to the first two male masters and first two female masters finishers only if no masters runners finish in the first five overall finishers. There will be no duplication of awards.

Full Marathon
1st Overall Male and Female $750
2nd Overall Male and Female $300
3rd Overall Male and Female $150
1st Overall Masters Male and Female $300
2nd Overall Masters Male and Female $150

All overall winners in the Full Marathon will also receive a commemorative winner's jacket courtesy of Fleet Feet Sports! This special prize is being produced only for our winners and will not be available for retail.

Half Marathon
1st Overall Male and Female $400
2nd Overall Male and Female $150
3rd Overall Male and Female $75
1st Overall Masters Male and Female $200
2nd Overall Masters Male and Female $100

Age Group Awards - Marathon & Half Marathon
Awards will be presented to the first, second and third place finishers in the following men’s and women’s age groups for the Marathon & Half Marathon: 18 and under, 19-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, and 70+. There will be no duplication of awards. First place winners in all categories for the Full Marathon only will receive a commemorative winners jacket courtesy of Fleet Feet Sports! This special prize is being produced only for our winners and will not be available for retail.

Marathon Relay Awards
Team Category Awards: Awards will be presented to the marathon relay team finishing first in each of the following categories: Male Open, Female Open, and Mixed Open; Male Masters, Female Masters, and Mixed Masters (each runner must be 40 or over to qualify as a Masters Team); Male High School Team, Female High School Team and Mixed High School Team. There will be no duplication of awards.

ATHLETE DROP BAGS

Fleet Feet Sports will be providing athlete drop bags at the starting line. You can pick up your bag race day morning or they will also be available at Packet Pick-Up. When you finish the race you can conveniently pick up your bag outside the food tent.

PACE GROUPS

Pace groups led by experienced pacers for a variety of times will be provided and organized by Fleet Feet Sports. Running with a pace group will help you have a more successful marathon experience by helping you to your goal time. Anyone can use this service, there is no charge for it.

RACE DAY CANCELLATION / ALTERATION POLICY

To ensure the safety of our participants during the MVP Health Care Rochester Marathon, the Medical Director and Race Director will make decisions regarding the cancellation or alteration of the race when weather or other physical conditions present a danger to participants.  Please click here to see our Race Day Cancellation/Alteration Policy in whole.

RACE ETIQUETTE FOR ATHLETES

If you're new to running in road races, you may not be familiar with some of the rules – both stated and unwritten. The goal is to optimize the enjoyment of race day for all participants, so please be sure to follow these etiquette guidelines when participating: Race Etiquette for Athletes.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How long do I have to finish the marathon?

The races start at 7:30 AM and the course closes at 2:30 PM, so you will have seven hours.

I've already registered for the marathon, but realistically I'm only going to be able to finish the half marathon distance.  Can I switch over to the half marathon from the full marathon?

You can switch from the full to the half or vice-versa, but there will be a $10 administrative fee for doing so and you have to pay the difference if the event entry fee you are switching to is higher. All transfer requests must be made prior to September 8, 2010 - no exceptions.  Click here for the Change Event Request Form.

Can I walk the half marathon? 

You can run or walk the half marathon, but if you chose to walk the half, be sure to listen for instructions from the traffic control entities as they may ask you to move to the sidewalk. There is a 7-hour course time limit for walkers or runners.

Will the mile markers be labeled?

There will be mile markers at every mile along the course on both the Full and Half Courses..

What if I need to drop out of the race while I'm out on the course?

If you need to drop out of the race, please inform either a Water Stop Captain or a Road Marshal. They will communicate this to our Command Post, and a Shuttle will pick you up while they are circulating the course.

Do I need to provide my own transportation to and from the marathon relay exchange points?

Relay Shuttles that will be provided for you at Frontier Field. The first shuttle will leave the VIP parking lot at 7:15 am for the drop-off at East Rochester High School. Shuttles will continue from Frontier Field to all of the relay exchanges and back to Frontier Field until all runners are back in. We have been asked that you do not park at Embankment Park as there is not adequate parking for all of the team members, that goes for the Clinton Exchange as well. The preference is to either have someone drop you off and continue on, or even better, RIDE THE SHUTTLES FROM FRONTIER FIELD OUT TO THE COURSE AND THEN BACK. Please click here to see the bus schedule for drop-off & pick-up times.

Will any of the roads be closed to traffic?

Please click here to see the list of road closures and delays on race day.

Will I be able to register for the marathon events on the day of the race?

There will be absolutely NO DAY OF REGISTRATION. You may register at Packet Pick-up on Friday, September 10th from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm and Saturday, September 11th from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm. Registration will close at 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 11th. Online registration will close Thursday, September 9th at 4:00 pm at www.active.com.

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT THE ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS PERTAINING TO THE COURSE, RACE DAY, ETC. OUR NUMBER IS (585) 264-1480 OR EMAIL AT NMAU@ARTHRITIS.ORG.

THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE MVP HEALTH CARE ROCHESTER MARATHON!!

Event sanctioned by USATF