Runners,
We’ve got an important update regarding the HALF, FULL and RELAY start time: it has been moved to 6:30 am. The 5K Start time has been moved to 6:45am. Yep, you read that right – we’re getting an early start, and we need all half, full and relay participants to be at the beach by 6:00 am sharp. We highly recommend aiming to arrive between 5:00 am and 5:30 am so you can be sure to avoid any potential traffic backups. But trust us, there’s a good reason for it.
Here’s the deal: You may have heard about the ongoing bridge repair on the Cape Fear Memorial Bridge downtown, if you haven’t, both eastbound lanes coming into the city of Wilmington have been shut down for a major repair.
While our current race route is still a go and doesn’t directly use this bridge, after several discussions with state and local officials, we’ve agreed to adjust our start time to help alleviate potential traffic snarls. We also have a hard cutoff at 9:00 am by mile 10, which means maintaining a pace of 15:00 per mile. (perhaps a little faster for the back of the pack) This will be strictly enforced, as we need everyone off MLK Parkway by 9:00 am.
Your cooperation is crucial, as always. It’s imperative that you arrive at Johnny Mercer’s Pier no later than 6:00 am. After 6:00am we begin shutting down the lanes of traffic for the race. Arriving later could mean missing essential things like bag check and your pre-race bathroom stop. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with extra buses from downtown starting at 4:00am and multiple designated drop-off zones for those with their own transportation. If you plan to park at the beach, instruction will be in the Athlete’s Guide. Of course, if you are staying at the beach, you’ll be all set.
We will have detailed maps and directions in your athlete guide that will come out later next week. In the meantime, enjoy finishing up your training and stay healthy! We wish you a great race experience here in Wilmington!