Welcome to the 2013, 12th Annual Valley Crest Half Marathon!
This is a Runner Information Letter and is not a Registration Confirmation Letter; you will receive your Registration Confirmation Letter by email after you register for this event.
PLEASE READ THIS ENTIRE LETTER. IT CONTAINS NEWLY ADDED INFORMATION FOR RACE DAY!
RACE DATE is June 9, 2013 @ 8:00a.m.: Please note that race day is SUNDAY (not Saturday).
BIB MAILING:
The last mailing of race bibs go out on June 1.
- Please check your race bib for accuracy.
- If there are any errors in your bib information, please go to the bib pick up area on race morning.
- If your bib did not arrive in the mail, go to the bib pick up area on race morning and bring PROOF of REGISTRATION, ie. a printed Active Online Registration Confirmation.
- Bibs must be worn on the FRONT of your person to be an official finisher.
BIB PICK UP ON RACE DAY:
- Please go to the Pre-registration Bib Pick-Up Table to receive your bib.
- Please bring PROOF of REGISTRATION with you; ie. Your printed Active Online Registration Confirmation.
- Bibs must be worn on the FRONT of your person to be an official finisher.
RACE DAY SCHEDULE:
- Check-in, late bib pick-up, race day registration: 6:16-7:45 a.m. Cash or checks only; no credit cards please.
- Race Briefing: 7:50 a.m.
- Race Start: 8:00 a.m.
- Raffles/Awards: 10:30 a.m.(approximate)
- Course Closure: 11:00 a.m.
DRIVING TO THE RACE:
- Exit the 101 at Reseda Blvd.
- South on Reseda Blvd.
- Proceed approx. 4-miles up the mountain to Marvin Braude Mulholland Gateway Park
- Please obey speed limits on Reseda Blvd. Police will enforce.
- Note: There are several STOP SIGNS along Reseda Blvd. on the way to the race site.
THREE IMPORTANT THINGS:
The parking at the race site is very limited. Please use our FACEBOOK link on the home page of the website to make your carpool plans. We recommend meeting up and leaving cars in the Gelsons parking lot on the east side of Reseda Blvd. just north of Ventura Blvd. It is a short drive from here to the race site.
DRIVING INSIDE THE PARK:
- There is a 15 mph speed limit once you enter the park; this will be enforced by rangers.
- There is a PHOTO ENFORCED TWO-WAY STOP SIGN inside the park. You must make a complete stop from both directions.
- Please follow the directions of parking attendants; there is very limited parking within the park.
- Please park as close to the car next to you as safely possible.
- A secure area will be provided for you to drop non-valuable items (jackets, bags, etc.), so you wont need to walk back to your car. We will provide plastic bags and pens for labeling. We are not responsible for valuables. Please pick up your belongings after the race, THEY WILL NOT BE MAILED.
MISCELLANEOUS:
- There is NO SHARING OF RACE BIBS; your bib must have your name on it and you must have signed the race waiver.
- Toilets are located on the west side of Reseda Blvd.
- Course littering is strictly forbidden. Any runner who is witnessed to be littering will have their race number reported to the race director and will be disqualified from the race and banned from participation in future events.
- Pacing Rules: Runners may be legally paced by another runner, who is entered in the race, who is wearing a race bib, who does not enter the course at any point other than the start line, who does not leave the course at any point to re-enter the course at another point. Any other pacing constitutes illegal pacing and will result in disqualification of the runner being paced. Pacing of runners via bicycle is forbidden. Pacing rules will be strictly enforced.
- All runners must wear their race bib on the front of their body.
- Dogs are not permitted on the racecourse or at "base camp" on race day.
- Professional photographs will be taken during the race and will be posted on the race website approximately 5-days after the event http://www.trailrunevents.com.
- Finishers will receive the coveted Valley Crest Half Marathon race shirt and finisher medal.
- Race results will be posted within seven days, on the race website, http://www.trailrunevents.com.
AID STATIONS:
- Aid Station #1 is at mile 3.0 and will have water and Gatorade
- Aid Station #2 is at mile 6.9 and will have water, Gatorade, salt
- Aid Station #3 is at mile 9.9 and will have water, Gatorade, salt, oranges
- Finish Area will have water, fruit drinks, fruit and bagels/muffins.
THE COURSE:
- The race will start below Mulholland fire road, at Reseda Blvd.
- Runners will proceed west on Mulholland fire road for approximately 3.5 miles.
- Runners will u-turn at Alhama St. and head east on Mulholland fire road approximately 7 miles to the 10 mile turn-around below Nike Park.
- Runners will u-turn at mile 10 and head west to the top of Reseda
- Runners will make a sharp right turn at Reseda for a steep downhill to the finish.
- The race finishes on a steep downhill. Please use extreme caution during the last stretch and remember that you are sharing the trail.
- The course is open to public use on race day. You are likely to encounter hikers, joggers, mountain bikers and equestrians.
- Portions of the course will have two-way runner traffic. Stay to the RIGHT SIDE of the trail at all times.
- The course is on fire roads with some loose dirt. Although trail shoes are recommended, they are not required.
- Mountain trail runs may be hazardous. Be prepared to encounter uneven footing and rocks. Falls are a possibility. Encounters with wildlife, including rattlesnakes, are possible.
- Course distance is not exact. This is a trail run, it is not USAT&F certified.
EARPHONES /BUDS are discouraged by RRCA for their sanctioned events. Their use presents a serious danger to runners participating in races where emergency vehicles may enter the course and will not be heard by runners who are listening to music. Likewise, runners may encounter other trail users in the form of hikers, mountain bikers, horses and riders, park rangers on ATVs, as well as wildlife, including rattlesnakes. The wearing of earphones/buds would make it difficult to impossible for you to hear an emergency vehicle approaching from behind… the shout of a biker… or a verbal warning of a snake ahead. It would also be difficult to impossible to enforce a ban on earphones/ear buds at the VCHM however their use is discouraged for the aforementioned reasons. If you choose to wear earphones/buds at the VCHM, you should be aware that this will increase the burden of your liability should you be involved in an accident/altercation during the course of the race. If you choose to wear earphones/ear buds, we request that you consider only plugging in “one ear” so you may be more likely to hear what’s going on around you and that you please remove the earphones/buds entirely at the start line so you may hear the instructions given and remove them entirely as you approach the finish line so you may hear the instructions given.
AWARDS PRESENTATION will begin at approx. 10:30am. Location of the awards presentation will be on the grass on the east side of Reseda Blvd. If the grass is wet due to rain or sprinklers, the awards presentation will be held on the street. NOTE: RUNNERS MUST SHOW THEIR RACE BIB to receive awards. Awards will not be mailed.
OUR SPONSORS:
The Valley Crest Half Marathon is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors. Please support our sponsors who are displayed on the sponsor page of the race website, http://www.trailrunevents.com.
GOLD SPONSORS:
Activate Drinks
Fleet Feet Sports Encino
Gatorade
Injinji Socks
Moeben Sleeves
Yoga4Athletes
SILVER SPONSORS:
Buff
CW-X Performance Wear
Foot Pursuit Run Shop
Fuel Belt
Road ID
Runnergy
Sanctity Industries
Superfeet
BRONZE SPONSORS:
Andy Gump
Carter House Printing
Numbero Uno Pizza
Larabar
Trader Joe’s
ACCOMMODATIONS:
Comfort Inn
20157 Ventura Blvd.
Woodland Hills, CA 91364
(818) 347-8080
Courtyard Marriott
15433 Ventura Blvd.
Sherman Oaks, CA 91403
(818) 981-5400
Warner Center Hilton
6360 Canoga Ave.
Woodland Hills, CA 91367
(818) 596-4500
Happy Trails and thank you for supporting the Valley Crest Half Marathon.
Nancy Shura-Dervin
http://www.trailrunevents.com
