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Odds and ends of Unsanctioned Race #3


Sharon, Brandy, Peter, me
The past Sunday we hosted the SLR Unsanctioned Race #3 - Paul-Ryan Almost Half Marathon. It's the third race of what has become a "series" of un-sponsored and unofficial event; hence the name Unsanctioned Race. At its heart, it's a gathering of runners, who love to share some miles, food, and laughter. The first time we had about 30 people. The second time Vac & Dash in Albermarle came along to become our unofficial sponsor by donating shirts and their timing services. Peter Asciutto, owner of Vac & Dash, drove an hour and a half with all his equipment and shirts for nothing to his gain but us. Needless to say, the second Unsanctioned Race doubled in size and people brought enough food to feed a village in India. Now the third time, people know the drill: free event with timing, good food, and lots of friends. We had about 115 who RSVP'd on the Facebook event and God provided the perfect fall weather for us.

As with most races, no-shows are expected. At a paid event, the percentage (from what I heard) is usually around 10%. However, at a free race, like Terri Hayes' ultra series, the percentage climbs to about 15% , even reaching 20 sometimes. When I assigned bib numbers (yes, we have bibs!) Friday night, I accounted for 116 runners. Came Sunday morning, there were 36 no-shows, about 30%. While it wasn't a surprise to me, the only thing I worry about is Peter who is printing and providing shirts has to absorb the cost. Thankfully, the number of no-shows was offset by people who just showed up on race day. At the end, we had 102 +/- runners who ran.

Unofficial runners with bibs

In good fun, I ran all the results through the Paul-Ryan marathon time factor. The sub-3 marathon that he mistakenly thought he ran 20 years ago was about 70% of the amount of time which he actually ran (4:01). Our almost half marathon ended up with quite a few people running sub-5 minute pace, even breaking Ryan Hall's half marathon time.

Prior to the race, I had decided to put a donation box out to cover the cost of aids and Peter's travel. If there's anything left, we were to donate to a good cause: Build Bob's House for a Buck. I know Bob through my friend Kevin Childs, who is the Pastor at The Rock, Conway SC. The best way to describe them is they are people who "love God, love people, and do something about it." They put their words in action once again for Bob, who lost his trailer home to a fallen tree. Their  facebook campaign is seeking 20,000 people who will donate $1 to build a new home for Bob. I'm happy to report that we are able to contribute to this cause and is absolutely one of my joyous thing about the Race.

Thank you all who took part in any way/form.  It truly would not be what it was without all of you wonderful people and I hope to have many more of these gatherings. While I am not sure when the next unsanctioned race would be, there is always the SLR (Sunday Long Run) crew running at McMullen Creek Greenway on Sundays. Find us on: http://www.meetup.com/CharlotteRunners/.

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