So, just a second - this race is happening at the same time as the F2F? Is that right?

thinks

...there is no way in hell I'm going to be fit enough to run it by May, even if I make it to SF. But I suppose I could conceivably walk it. In Fancy Dress.

thinks

I'll need to practice hills, though. I'm shite at hills. Flats, no bother...hills, otoh, equal wheezy death in the world of me.

Quite exciting to have this as a goal, though. Hmm...

Wait, so there's possibly Fay at the next F2F? Excellent.

the 8AM time is kinda killing me. I will have been in SF for a week or so at that point, so thoroughly adjusted to the time change. Can we start late?

(sitting back and planning apres race menu)

Yeah, this 8-am-on-the-day-after-Prom thing might not work so well for me. Does everyone start at 8, or do some people join in later? I would be totally down with walking part (or maybe all) of the course with a group that started a little later. (In costume, naturally.)

Why not hook up with the group after the arduous/steep bits have been done? You've all got cell phones, yes? You could coordinate.

The front of the pack - the actual runners start at 8am. It takes a while for the mass of people to move for the strollers (strolling people, not baby-prams) to make it across the start line. Not sure how long, but if I remember correctly I've heard them report that the first runners have finished before the last people crossed the start...

Also, before I forget, how many of our B2B participants are a) staying at the Holiday Inn, and b) planning to check out Sunday? It's no big, but I do need to make a mental note to talk to Sheila about luggage storage for those who need it. Luckily, there won't be a problem; if there's a concierge or events coordinator in this town who doesn't field those kinds of B2B requests every year, I'll eat the bellhop, with tarragon dressing.

er, should we make reservations NOW NOW NOW due to giant race that weekend?

Nora, you mean, at the hotel? We're safe, because we block-booked nice and early. But this is one of the more famous races out there, and I have no clue about what happens with air bookings because of it.

Hell, you've got what I tend to think of as THE big famous race; even as someone who is forbidden from running due to plastic in ankles, someone says "name a city with a Marathon!" to me, I immediately say "Boston!", with "New York!" right on its heels. Does Boston crowd up massively during the annual do?