Tobacco Road Relay

Pre-Relay

Start Times:

1. Your start time will be based on your team seed, number of runners on your team and race management's desired race flow.  Yes, a 10 min/mile seeded team will start earlier in the day than a 5 min/mile seeded team, but other than that fact, start times may not be sequentially based on team seed.

2. Start times may range from 6:00am - noon.

3. Waves of up to 10 teams will typically start every 10-15 minutes.

4. Once established, start times will not be adjusted, unless your team experiences a radical change...then we could talk.

5. If you have a brother/sister team and you'd like to start together, please contact us via our Contact page information.  These requests are much better received when brother/sister teams are like seeded and have the same number of runners.

 

Packet Pick-Up:

1. Pre-relay packet pick-up options are being explored for 1-2 days in advance of race day.

2. Packet pick-up will be available at the Start a minimum of 30 minutes before your assigned start wave.

3. Items that you'll receive at packet pick-up include:

   • race bibs: team # followed by runner #s 1-7 (#7 is for your team's dashboard)

   • safety pins

   • Tobacco Road Relay shirts (Shirts will not be exchanged for different sizes at the Start.  If extra shirts exist, it may be possible to swap your unworn, clean, pristine shirt at the Finish.)

   • team baton (slap bracelet).

 

Race Day

Start Line:

1. The Start Line is at the Orange County Southern Human Services Center in Chapel Hill.  As you enter the drive off of Homestead Rd, you'll continue past the Seymour Center.

2. Packet Pick-up:

   • If you need to pick-up your team packet, arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled start time.

   • If you already picked-up your team packet, arrive at least 15 minutes before your scheduled start time and check-in at the Officials' Tent.

3. Start waves will start on time to the second, based on our watch (which might not match up exactly with your watch).  If you arrive late or your lead runner is sleeping in the van or lead runner is still in the porta-john, your team can start after checking in at the Start...but the clock will have started at your scheduled start time.

4. Your team must start at their scheduled start time.  We will not make exceptions for earlier (or later) start time requests.

 

Race Bibs:

1. Are to be worn on the front and in runner sequence.

2. Each bib/runner will be identified with numbers such as "69 - 3".  Team # (69) - Runner # (3).

 

Race Start:

1. Waves of approximately 10 teams will start every 10-15 minutes.

2. Once your lead runner starts, the in-active runners will jump in your team van, play your team's fight song and continue to get pumped for a day of competition, adventure and fun.  Your team van will drive ahead to the first exchange zone.

 

Race Flow:

1. Roads are open to normal community traffic.  Runners must comply with all pedestrian traffic laws including:

   • Run on the left facing traffic, unless otherwise instructed in the Leg Map.

   • Use sidewalks when available.  Be courteous and yield to other pedestrians.

   • Cross at crosswalks on the green light or with the crosswalk signal.

   • Run defensively at all times (cars, buses, trucks, motorcycles, etc... are bigger than you).

   • When on greenways, run on the right, yield to horses, pass pedestrians on left and call out "runner on the left" before passing.

2. The team van must follow the provided Driver Maps between exchange zones.  There are sections of the course that the vans cannot drive including some residential neighborhoods, greenways and other restricted areas.

3. The team van will arrive at the exchange zone in front of the the active runner, allowing the next runner time to warm-up.

4. Exchange zones will be staffed with race officials who will direct the runners, direct parking and apply the race rules.

5. Incoming runner will pass the baton (slap bracelet) to the next runner...and the next runner is off.

6. Team vehicles are permitted to remain in the exchange zone for a limit of 10 minutes, allowing the runner time to cool-down.  The team vehicle must then depart and travel to the next exchange zone.

7. This pattern is repeated until your team arrives at the FINISH!