Brass Monkey

I know the entries have closed and the race is full but would love to hear from anyone who thinks they're in and won't now be running. Have mate who really would like a number!

Comments

  • Triss

    Be careful!

    Some races do not allow numbers to be changed, whilst others do not mind so long as they are notified of the change. It would be adviseable to check with the organisers about their procedure before proceding with this.

    Sorry to sound so serious but Runners World have also taken a dim view of this in the past.
  • I know what you're saying Fiona but I cant see what the problem is. I'm just a name to race organisors. If I dont run and someone else does, what does it matter?

    A fellow on this forum sold me his Abbey Dash number. Very grateful I was too. It would have just been wasted otherwise.

    Good luck Triss. I'll let you know if I hear anything.
  • If anyone has an entry for this race I'd be happy to buy it from them. I've been unlucky for the third year running and I applied in the first week of November. I was only a minute outside a pb four years ago in this race and I know I could beat it if I had an entry.
    Any offers gratefully received
  • WardiWardi ✭✭✭
    I live about 8 miles from the start so I will keep my ear to the ground. Any abstainers from my club or other local clubs and I will let you know. I had to drum it into my club members this year to enter in October or they would lose out.

    The race and the distance are right for the time of year and the course is flat and entirely run on quiet roads, hence it's popularity. If the runner is in good nick, a PB is a decent possibility.
  • As an event organiser, as well a results service, I know only too well the problems which can be caused by number/name switching. What if you collapsed in the race and had to go to hospital and received inappropriate treatment? What about the shock for the other guy's relatives??

    John Schofield
    www.ukresults.net
  • I understand the concerns but are there any that can't be got over. The injury/illness during a race argument can surely be avoided by number switchers putting their own details on the back of the number (i.e. in the place provided on some race numbers) - this could even be made a code of practice. I can also see problems with people entering multiple times and selling numbers on - perhaps this could be got round by having a formal clearing mechanism for spare numbers. It just seems criminal that with races being so popular that some people are missing out when numbers end up being unused.
  • Thats an excellent idea Triss. In fact, I cant see why ALL runners shouldnt put their name/phone number/who to contact and details of any illnesses/conditions on the back of their race number. Would save hell of a lot time in the eventuality of an accident or illness.
  • i always write my name address and tel no. on the back of my number as a matter of course. When your racing you tend not to have to much ID on you. It would help if the numbers had blank pro-formas on the back of them as standard to remind runners to fill them in.
  • I usually scrawl a note saying 'Hubby at the finish line' or similar, especially when i'm at a race that's out of my local area where there are none of my club mates going to recognise the body.
    Put a red cross on the front of the number and an arrow or 'pto' on the front so the first aiders know where to look.
  • Just to continue this theme, there's a court case just decided in the states following on from a serious accident to one of the competitors in a triathlon. He had acquired a number from someone else and, to make matters worse, had used that person's id at registration to collect his number etc. The court finally decided that he was not covered by any insurance taken out by the event as he was not validly taking part. Whilst this is a US decision, the same rationale is likely to be applied over here. So if you do take another person's number, for goodness sake clear it with the organiser and at least sign an entry form! The disclaimer isn't worth a lot to the race organiser but at least you'll have a contractual relationship with him.

    On the other point, I understand that it is becoming the norm to print a competitor info form onto the back of a number although it's not compulsory that it's filled in! How does the ambulanceman know that the details relate to the runner and not to the person who actually bought the number and filled it in when he got it? I think that this printing will become a mandatory requirement for events over the next 12-24 months.

    Regards to all - have some happy racing over Christmas and the New Year.
  • I'm in agreement with this idea of number swapping, but also would say clear it with the organiser first. Some popular events I agree do need some pool of numbers, then if you pick up an injury and can't run you can contact the race organiser, he can then contact the reserve list of runners. I noticed that although the race limit of 1000 was reached at turkey trot, only 773 crossed the line. Seems a bit of a waste to me
  • I maybe wrong, but I have a feeling that some race organisers expect there to be a certain percentage of "no-shows" and take the maximum number of entries their race can manage PLUS that percentage.

    So if all the runners who as race day got closer decided they weren't going to take part after all, were to give/sell/whatever their numbers to runners who were committed to taking part, the race organisers would find that they had more runners than they or their course could cope with.

    Which is why I understand the practice of passing race numbers on to somebody else is discouraged.
  • Hmm, nice idea but one I don't entirely agree with. If a race has a course saturation limit plus a percentage for no shows, and then everyone showed up, what then? The limit has to be a finite limit. I think the police and others would have something to say about it otherwise.
  • I'd agree with you Richard - when is a limit not a limit?

    But I'm sure I've read it somewhere . . . hopefully there's a race organiser or two out there who can tell me I dreamt it!
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