Clydes 10K FAQ

Where and when may I collect my race packet?

See the Clyde's 10K flyer and map on the Striders' website. It will tell you to go to Feet First in the Wilde Lake Village Center during normal business hours on either Friday or Saturday, April 18th or 19th. We no longer sponsor packet pickup on the Thursday prior to Clydes.

Do you take credit cards at walk-in registration?

No. If you want to use a credit card, register on-line at Active.com. We take cash or checks only in person, either at Feet First or on race day. The Howard County Striders does not have the infrastructure to process credit cards.

Can I pick up my [friend/husband/wife/bff]'s packet for them? Do I need written permission to do so?

Our policy is we will give your packet to anyone who convinces our volunteers they they represent you. Clearly there are two ways to deal with this situation:

1. We can insist on something in writing, which will generally annoy people who don't think that should be necessary as Clyde's is supposed to be a fun race.

or


2. We can trust people to represent the best interests of others. What that means is if you ask for someone else's packet, that they know you are doing so and they or their other friends will not try to collect it from us separately.

We have adopted the latter policy. We believe in the goodness of people.

A bunch of us would like to run as a team. Can we be a team? Do you give a team discount? Are there team prizes?

We have never had sufficient interest to offer team entries for Clyde's. Obviously that adds to the scoring complexity, the number of prizes needed, etc. There is no team discount to enter. But we realize that groups of people self-organize and want to run together and be recognized as a group. Therefore, if groups of 10 or more register as individuals for the race, have some one of you send an e-mail with your names and team situation to clydes10k@striders.net telling us about your group. We will try to acknowledge your group before, during and after the race.

Why is it so much more expensive to register by mail, in person, or on race day?

We want to encourage you to register on-line. It is far less prone to error. It makes our lives as volunteers less hectic and makes us want to do it again next year. Please work with us on this by registering on-line and early. Generally Active.com can read your typing better than we can read your handwriting. We expect the Clyde's 10K to go to exclusively on-line registration in a year or two.

Where do I park for the race?

Either park at the Columbia Mall or in the General Growth Properties (former Rouse Company Building) parking lot.

How early should I get there on race morning?

Be in the starting area by 7:45AM. Allow another 15-20 minutes if you have not picked up your race packet earlier. Allow time for parking.

Do I really need to wear the ChampionChip on my shoe? How about my belt?

The chip needs to be within a foot or so of the magnetic field generated by the pads within the ChampionChip system to always work properly. It might work it if it is further away, but it is unlikely. Wear it on your shoe.

I collected my ChampionChip at packet pick-up but seem to have left it at home on race day. I have my bib. What do I do?

1. Go home and get the chip.
2. Run the race with a bib but without a time. Enjoy the brunch. You will be allowed to cross the finish line as you have a bib. But you may or may not be scored and therefore may or may not appear in the timed results.
3. Register and pay again. When we get both of your loaned chips returned, we'll refund one of your registration fees. In this case, you will be timed and scored.

What happens if it rains?

We run the race if it is raining. Even if it raining hard. However, if there is electrical storm activity with lightening or high enough winds to cause trees or power lines to come down, the race will be canceled. If the Howard County Police deem the course unsafe for any reason, not restricted to weather conditions, they will tell us to cancel the race. And we will.

You canceled the race. Is there a rain date? Can I get my money back?

There is no rain date and no refunds. All this is in the waiver. Clyde's costs are essentially fixed. Enjoy the shirt and the brunch.

I am registered but cannot run the race. Can I transfer my registration to someone else?

Possibly. But only if you have a signed entry-form waiver from the individual to whom you intend to transfer your registration and only if you do so prior to the close of regular, on-line registration . April 13th. Send an e-mail to clydes10k@striders.net explaining your situation. Do not have your friend just show up on race day claiming you are not running.

If you are in the military, register and pay in good faith and then discover you cannot participate because you are being deployed forward we will refund your entry, in full, period. Tell clydes10k@striders.net your situation and where to send your race T shirt. We appreciate your service to America.

I registered and paid but cannot run the race. I know I cannot get a refund, but can I at least get my shirt?

Unclaimed shirts, subject to availability, will be at Feet First for two weeks after the race. Collect yours there. After two weeks, the remaining unclaimed shirts will be donated to charity.

Active.com has charged me twice (or more) for my registration . What do I do?

Work it out with Active.com. They should refund multiple registrations for a single person for a given race. Active.com will register you and collect your money as many times as you click the button, but we will only register you once.

What about the Fun Run?

We remain pleased that Feet First has supported the one mile Fun Run for kids for all these years. Every kid is a winner and, subject to availability, every kid gets a prize. If available, we'll add bibs from some race to the Fun Run race experience. Each parent/guardian will be required to sign a waiver for their participants in the Fun Run. It is an out-and-back course with on a Columbia Association path with an adult stationed at the turn-around to ensure no one goes off course. The Fun Run starts about 8:25 AM at the Tomato Palace, at the lakefront near Clyde's.

Is there water on the course?

There are two water stops out on the course, at about mile 3 and mile 5, and one at the finish line. We understand the importance of proper hydration. There will be water on the course.

OK, I had some water... are there porta-johns on the course??

The course is a "Figure 8", with the start and finish at essentially the same place. There are 13 portable toilets at the start/finish area. Otherwise, there are none on the course itself.

Are the miles marked?

There are mile signs at each mile, one to six. Actually, there are small light blue marks along the side of the course already marking each mile. If we get enough volunteers, we'll have somebody at the first mile marker calling out gun times for the first mile.

Do you pay the police to direct traffic at the intersections?

Not exactly. We all do through our tax dollars, but neither Clyde's nor the Srriders pay explicitly for police support for this event. But we cannot run the race without police help. We have enjoyed tremendous support from the Howard County Police Department, not only for 30 years of Clyde's, but also for many other running activities in the County. PLEASE THANK THE HOWARD COUNTY POLICE OFFICERS AND CADETS AS YOU PASS BY.

Why do you need the ChampionChip returned?

We rent these chips from a supplier. We send them back shortly after the race and pay for the missing ones. This is a direct cost to the Howard County Striders. Clyde's does not reimburse us for missing chips. They are out of our pocket. Our loaned ChampionChips are not souvenirs! Please do not wait for us to come asking you to return your chip. If you want to buy a chip, tell us and we will help you find a vendor who will sell you one.

I did not run the race or I did not turn in my chip at the Finish line. How do I get it back to you?

Either take the chip to Feet First within two weeks of the race or put it into a sturdy envelope, tape it securely around the edges, mark it for "HAND CANCEL", affix $0.58 postage and mail as follows:

Charles H. Brown, Race Director
Clyde's 10K
10722 Moosberger Court
Columbia, MD 21044-4216

If we get your empty envelope without the above notation and precautions, we'll send it back to you and ask for $35.00 for the missing chip. Please be careful as the automatic sorting machines at the Post Office will cause problems with mailed chips. We have prior, sad, experience.

Where and when will the results be posted?

The results will be posted as soon as possible as they become available, even while the course is still open. The final results will be posted just after the course closes. They can be found on the outside windows to Clyde's near their main entrance. Usually they are on the Striders' website within a few hours and on Active.com within a day.

You didn't record my start time correctly. I started well after the gun. Why not?

You probably did not run squarely over the start mat at the beginning of the race. If you try to go around slower starters in the start lane and are not fully on the start mat, the ChampionChip may not register. If that happens, we use gun time as chip time. Don't forget that gun time is used for all official scoring purposes.

I ran the race but did not appear in the timed results. What happened?

One of the following is most likely:

1. Do did not complete the course in less than 90 minutes from the start of the race. The Finish Line and timing services are closed down after 90 minutes.
2. You were not wearing the chip on your shoe that we think you should have been wearing.
3. You were disqualified by a race official. Carrying and/or using headsets, iPods, strollers, etc. are grounds for disqualification. The safety of you and the other runners is our highest priority. You will be notified if this is the case -- assuming you can hear us. Such decisions are final. We will not debate these matters at the finish line under race conditions. If there is any aspect of this you do not understand or if you feel you are somehow special, please discuss your situation with a race official before the race. We know this is a popular discussion topic among runners and your view as to the safety of these items may very well differ from ours. But we ask you to respect the conditions under which Clyde's and the Howard County Striders are presenting this event. If it remains important to you to wear a headset while running, we believe it is in our mutual interest and that of our other runners that you run somewhere else on April 20th. Read the waiver you signed.

My friend registered but was out of town on race day. I turned her chip in. But you scored her anyway. She was 3000 miles away. Boy, are you screwed up! What happened? (This is a true story from 2006.)

If you are carrying someone else's ChampionChip with the intent of returning it, do not take it onto the course and do not cross either the start line or the finish line with it on your person. Return it to a race official BEFORE the race.

My husband/wife/significant other/friend/neighbor/life partner/kid is running the 10K. I am not running. May I still come to the brunch?

Of course! But we would appreciate it if you would volunteer to help out while others are on the course. You can help before the race, on the course or after the race at the finish line. Call Paul Goldenberg at (410) 730-3566 for details.

I won an award but did not stay at the finish line long enough to collect it. How can I get it?

Obviously we prefer you to stay and determine if you won an award then collect it on race day at the award ceremony. If you did not collect your award then, did one of your friends do so? We will give awards out to anyone claiming to represent you. Once your award is given to someone in your absence, we assume you have it.

The unclaimed prizes are taken after the race to Feet First. They keep the prizes about two weeks. E-mail clydes10k@striders.net if after two weeks your prize is still unclaimed and you want it. Unclaimed prizes are donated after two weeks, unless other prior arrangements are made.

I won a prize, but you gave me the wrong size. May I exchange it?

We'll work trades as best we can on race day. After that, you are on your own. We get what we get for prizes

I'm not very fast. How long is the 10K course open?

Our police permit allows us to leave the course open for 90 minutes. If you can do a 16 minute mile, you can finish. After 90 minutes, our on-course volunteers who direct runners and provide water will finish their work and return to the brunch. The police will then stop directing traffic and will not allows runners to continue in the street. If you are on the course after 90 minutes, do not continue in the street, but move to the side and follow all pedestrian rules until you reach the finish line. We still need your chip. Do not plan to walk the entire distance. It is unsafe and unfair to the volunteers who are out there just waiting for only you to finish.

How does the ChampionChip really work?

See ChampionChip or Transponder Timing

I lost my cellphone/wallet/purse/jacket/etc. on race day. Do you have a "lost & found"?

Send an e-mail to clydes10k@striders.net clearly identifying who you are and what is missing. We will contact you.

Can I help this year? Next year?

Call Paul Goldenberg on (410) 730-3566 or e-mail clydes10k@striders.net

I want to plan ahead for future Clyde's 10K races. Do you have them scheduled?

Clyde's is normally the Sunday prior to Patriot's day in Massachusetts, the Monday on which the Boston Marathon is run.

The next few Clyde's races are as follows:

• April 20th 2008
• April 19th 2009
• April 18th 2010

Does Clyde's donate the proceeds of the race to charity?

Not directly. Clyde's of Columbia sponsors this event annually as a community service. They don't make money on the race. The Clyde's 10K is among the most enduring regional races. We appreciate their support.

But the Clyde's 10K race has enabled local charitable organizations ready access to large numbers of people in the local running community. This year, the Howard County Striders are working with the Perpetual Prosperity Pumps Foundation.

Perpetual Prosperity Pumps Foundation was founded in 2004 to provide appropriate technology transfer for small rural farmers in Africa. Our donation of used but not abused running shoes and shirts enables PPPF to provide small scale food production models and irrigation technology ideally suited for the poor rural farmer. They have demonstrated small scale farm models that sustain yields ten times greater then traditional African agricultural practice. PPPF believes that with access to micro-credit, training, and appropriate technology small farmers and villages can grow themselves out of poverty. Please bring your old running shoes and shirts to either packet pickup or raceday registration in support of this very worthwhile cause.

This is all very nice, but the only question I have you failed to address. What do I do?

E-mail your question to clydes10k@striders.net. We will answer you directly and add that information, if appropriate for general distribution, to these Frequently Asked Questions.