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Comments from Race Participants - 2000
SUMMARY REPORT ON 2000 FEEDBACK CARDS
From Glenn and Christine: What a delight it is for us to read each of your cards as they arrive! We have over 100 returned so far and need to share this overview with you. Know that everyone involved in creating this Sly Run sees the details, the applause and the input which will be applied to next year’s planning. (All of you can also say prayers and do rain dances for a repeat on our fabulous weather this year!) Thank you for all your responses! See you next year!
SOME WINNING QUOTES:
‘Thanks for a wonderful, incredible
experience: I didn’t know 50 miles could be so much fun!
‘Very fair and challenging course’
‘Have race go on forever! My first 30K trail run!’
‘Thanks for having one of the few 30K trail runs (even 30K period!)’
‘This was my first ultra (50K) and I enjoyed every minute! Great people, environment
and goodies!’
‘Outstanding event with outstanding org.’
‘Don’t change: the wonderful attitude of everyone involved in this run and
everyone must put in so much effort.’
‘Most friendly runners and Aid Station people I’ve met’
‘Great race overall. I will recommend it to my Midwest/east coast friends.’
TRAIL MARKINGS:
Feedback Card Ratings were 10,
10+, excellent showed up 61 times; #9 showed up 27 times, #8 thirteen times,
and #7 only once. There were no lower ratings.
Comments were:
‘never a doubt where to go’
‘easy to follow; ‘I often turn wrong on runs and never felt lost here’
‘just follow your color ribbon – great idea’
‘one of the best marked trail races I have run in several years’
On the 7.6 mile - no problems
were noted.
On the 30K - some distracting pink ribbons, ideas about turns and splits.
On the 50K - some vague or sparse areas (keep working on the Dam Road
to the multipurpose trail far side of the Lake); votes for more logs across
and chalk No's on wrong ways.
On the 50 Mile - more encouragement ribbons in certain sections and
more mile markers were requested.
SIGNS AND MILE MARKERS:
‘The signs were humorous and really
uplifting'
' They were excellent! Mileage countdown markers at end are very, very good!’
‘Don’t change signs along the way’
‘Keep inspirational signs and make more’
CONCERNS:
1. Some of you were confused at the finish. From last year’s feedback we’d even added a sign ‘To Finish Keep Going Through the Arch’, but it was around the corner. Okay we’ll add ‘Don’t Stop Here’, ‘Not Finish’ before the right turn. We know you like Delmar Fralick calling out your names and numbers and he can see you best coming down the hill. The cheering squad is great too – you just have to keep going to the arch!
2. About the split (30K, 50K, 50Mi) at the top of Bob’s Hill Trail: ‘great signs, ribbons but maybe a monitor’ ‘is it actually 1.82 miles from there to the finish for 50K (we’ll double check again’)
3. On that last 1.82 section is the newly named (KNEEBUSTER Hill) which had some signs ‘get down this hill/we know you will/rejoice today/now it is a 50K’ Unfortunately that confused some of you. It was a piece of history – the old 50K route was about 33 miles, and we were celebrating the detour that makes it a true 50K. We will try something else next year.
THE COURSE ITSELF:
You said, ‘gorgeous, scenic, challenging, make the steep parts more rolling, beautiful, and I love the canal, the moss on the trees, the smell of the pines and cedars.’ ‘Here is a name for the 50K Lakeside section "Hoop-de-Doos’.
‘Bulldoze that hill at 30-35 miles’
Most of all the great weather
made the trails lovely to most of you.
‘Find a trail alternative for part or all of paved section on the 50 Mile’
PROBLEMS, WHAT MISSING?
Your votes were as follows: 122 votes for ‘nothing, none, or can’t think of anything.’
You were happy with the buffet nature of the AID stations and very complimentary of the friendly, hardworking volunteers. The missing things tended to be an item not found at all stations (fruit, potatoes, GU or energy bars). There were various fluids but some would prefer Cytomax and others wanted a different soda or watered down fruit juice. Some wanted particular medicinal aids and they were there (maybe under an alternative brand name) but that got missed or it was not as handy as it might have been. Cups were missing at a couple of aid stations because of a truck’s flat tire.
Other types of problems were: not finding registration forms easily – not everyone has computers – more forms to different stores and clubs. We need to have small shirts and if economics is the challenge we need to figure out a solution. Someone asked for ‘Drop Bag signage on the course. Some of you were funny -- you needed new legs, or a better hamstring, or lose a few years or age-group rivals!
SUGGESTIONS AND DON’T CHANGE
These seemed to flow into each other as you replied. Many of you said not to change anything. Also more specifically you said not to change: the race organization, the super volunteers, the signs, the attention to detail, the little touches, the warmth and welcoming flavors, the special shirts and awards, the purpose-raising funds for Search and Rescue, and the way even ‘slow people’ are made to feel great. Of course we’ve already mentioned the weather.
We do need to explore the ways to record the names and times of those doing the 7.6 mile event. Some suggest making it an official race with times and places (and this person will bring a bunch more folks along). Some suggest that it would be easily certified as a Volkswalk and then we’d want to track names and times. This could be a special project of a group of volunteers. Other ideas were: Keep a limit on # of runners, keep it small for the camaraderie; check out cool max type shirt; put on a 2-day adventure event; add a heavyweight division and keep up the work on the website-great!
GLAD WE HAD and SPECIAL FEATURES:
You were glad for the Aid Stations well placed and supplied, especially for potatoes, homemade treats, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, watermelon, salt and salty foods, advil, tums, jugs on the trails, fruit at almost all stations and turtles! Web-site email options are great.
START and FINISH:
Some of you talked about the course
itself on these items which was interesting! On the gathering arena side of
the responses sought your ratings: 29 of you said the Start was fine, 40 said
excellent. 23 of you said the finish was fine, 44 said excellent. Highlighted
comments: super, friendly, welcoming people; great music; good, helpful, briefing,
great portapottie lights, great parking volunteers; shower; handing out awards
as known; great food –
especially BBQ zucchini!!!
REQUESTS:
Keep and increase the Veggie choices at finish – especially that BBQ zucchini (which was not there for the slower folks). Everyone wants to hear Bob at the start – up the volume please. Consider coffee at the start and finish and hot soup at finish. Put course records on the Results Boards (folks enjoy comparing). Have more tables and chairs at Finish. Consider doing Food Tickets for family and friends and advertise ahead. Add fruit, melon, other healthful options to fine food at Finish. Some parking problems for 7.6 mile folks and later people.
CARDS STILL COMING IN! WE’LL PAY ATTENTION! SEE HOW HELPFUL YOU ARE! AND WE ARE GLAD YOU HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME!