Marathon Weekend 2019

[Sleepless Knight]

That’s exactly why I was wondering! No mention of Race Reatreat or ChEAR Squad for Marathon weekend on the website, but available to purchase. I probably won’t hear back for a few days, but I emailed them and asked.

Honestly, I chose to get race retreat assuming no early entry to the expo privileges. If it's included then great, but I decided to sign up for it based solely on being able to sit down before the half and full, thus preserving my legs as much as possible before the races.

 

[camaker]

Thoughts on runDisney’s new POT process... For those that didn’t register yesterday, when registering for a distance that requires POT (half or full marathon) registrants were asked to select from a drop down if their estimated finish time was above or below the POT requirement cutoff. I am not sure if those that said their estimated finish was slower than the cutoff were asked what that estimated time is... but for those of us who said our time was below the cutoff, we were required to put in the race name, location, date and a link for our POT results. They never asked what our anticipated finish time was. So, that leaves them one option. To verify our POT and seed us according to their estimated finish time. In the past, I felt like they were not forced to actually check all POTs. They could choose to just take registrants for their word and seed based on the participants estimated finish. With the current process, that will no longer be an option.

Overall, I think requiring POT and actually holding participants accountable to that POT is a good thing. Although it does put more work on TrackShack. I only wish that estimated finish time (or running calculator used) was viewable to us. And...maybe it will be. Verifying POT will take...well, time. Maybe our accounts will be updated after that process is complete with our official estimated finish time?

I just don't see 100% verification as realistic. That means they would have to likely verify at least 10,000 POT links/results (and maybe more depending on what % of folks have a POT). I'm not sure how automated they could make this given the various results websites along with name issues. I really think they messed up (i.e. forgot/didn't think it through) by not having an input field for participants to manually put in their POT results (along with a link for spot verification).

Was there not a spot for manually inputting the results? I thought I saw one yesterday.

I think this new approach is a step in the right direction if they implement it competently. If they are going to use their own estimated finish time calculator anyway, there was no point in asking runners to input their own estimated finish times. That led to people doing everything from inputting unadjusted pacing to estimated times generated by any number of online calculators, all just to have runDisney use their own estimates in the end. By doing it this way, the system can easily take the PoT race finish time and distances entered and feed it into a calculator that will spit out runDisney's estimated finish times en masse. There's no need for 100% auditing of the times entered, they can still spot check a random portion as they've always done. It's simple for them, less effort on the runners' parts and should eliminate the uncertainty around multiple equivalency calculators. Now let's see how it works in practice.

 

[SarahDisney]

Did you estimate you finish time as above or below the POT cutoff? I estimated my time as below the cutoff and was only asked about my POT race results.

Looking at it again, I see what you mean. I was confusing the place where you enter the time from your POT race with estimated finish time. (I didn't register yesterday, I just looked at the form, so I guess it was a little jumbled in my head).
That's a really easy conversion for them to do without having to manually check, though. When you submit the form, before they send it to their database, they can just check what distance your POT is and plug it into their converter. That can all be done automatically and they can still just spot check.
Or maybe they're actually checking everyone's POT. What do I know?

 

[JeffW]

Was there not a spot for manually inputting the results? I thought I saw one yesterday.

Here is a screen capture (actually, had to make it 2) that shows what happened if you selected the option below the cutoff

 

[Chaitali]

Thanks for the screen shot! I agree with what others have said, this doesn't require manually checking all the POTs. They can just set it up to automatically calculate the estimated finish time for the marathon. They can still spot check the same percentage as before. It just saves people the work of converting it themselves, which wasn't necessarily accurate anyway since we don't know what formula Run Disney was using.

 

[DopeyBadger]

I figure if it converts to 2:45 half, it is fine, but honestly I am confident I have more in me if I can find a race that (1) is not hills (2) is not a trail (3) is not pouring rain (4) is not outrageously hot. Apparently I should have searched harder for this in a spring race as there are few 10Ks to be had. I have my eye on a September race, but I need family buy in to spend half a weekend day on my own. I would be furious to commit and then have it be a literal wash out, so I may sign up for two in September and decide the week before based on weather which to run. Totally crazy or just a little crazy?

Just keep in mind that the difference between a 2:45 POT, and a 2:45-3:00 estimated finish (assuming this is the first drop down choice for non-POT submission) is probably going to be about 2000 people (or less than 10% of the field based on 2018 weekend) and 5 min in starting time (if measuring front of Corral E (5:59am start) vs front of Corral F (6:04am start)). Again assuming rD doesn't change the corral system too much. So I get the desire to have that submittable POT, but know that it will likely have a very small effect on race day if you submit an estimated finish of 2:45-3:00 vs just making it under the cutoff. So keep that in mind when making decisions about reaching for another 10k race or two this Fall for this purpose.

Did you estimate you finish time as above or below the POT cutoff? I estimated my time as below the cutoff and was only asked about my POT race results.

If I'm understanding correctly, then I feel that's a good thing.

-Expected finish faster than 2:45 HM (requires POT). Submit POT with time in input field. Convert time using their calculator. Sort from fastest to slowest. Seed corrals.

This eliminates the possibility of an issue like I described a few days ago with a 1:30 HM POT, but estimated finish of 2:30 HM (60 min extra for characters and such). You would have been seeded by the 2:30 HM. Although, I'd venture to guess many of those people in a situation like this would have wanted to be in Corral A instead of Corral D/E. Shorter lines for characters and other examples. Not having the estimated finish for HM/M for those that submit POT eliminates this headache on their end. Although, per earlier conversation, it does appear they've added estimated finish to 5k/10k for Dopey runners.

This also eliminates people saying well hey my POT may say 2:30, but now I'm prepared to run a 2:10. But you corralled me in 2:30, I want a change to where I said I'd finish. So place me with the 2:10s.

I'd be surprised if they verified more than a few of the POT submissions. There were ~16546 POTs from the 2018 Marathon weekend (Dopey+Goofy+Marathon+HM). Although having the "estimated finish" was a nice safe guard to find outliers, I feel like this should make the process simpler for them.

-Expected finish slower than 2:45 HM (does not require POT). Put estimated finish time from three choices.

What you choose will be your corral. If you choose 2:45-3:00, then corral F. If you choose 3:00-3:15, then corral G. If you choose 3:15-3:30, then corral H. Again simple.

 

[CDKG]

I think this new approach is a step in the right direction if they implement it competently. If they are going to use their own estimated finish time calculator anyway, there was no point in asking runners to input their own estimated finish times. That led to people doing everything from inputting unadjusted pacing to estimated times generated by any number of online calculators, all just to have runDisney use their own estimates in the end. By doing it this way, the system can easily take the PoT race finish time and distances entered and feed it into a calculator that will spit out runDisney's estimated finish times en masse. There's no need for 100% auditing of the times entered, they can still spot check a random portion as they've always done. It's simple for them, less effort on the runners' parts and should eliminate the uncertainty around multiple equivalency calculators. Now let's see how it works in practice.

Now that you mention it, they did ask our finish time for our POT race. They could use a computer program to do all the conversions at once and still spot check.

 

[kleph]

Now that you mention it, they did ask our finish time for our POT race. They could use a computer program to do all the conversions at once and still spot check.

i'd be willing to bet they already have the POT for folks using prior disney races as well.

 

[DopeyBadger]

i'd be willing to bet they already have the POT for folks using prior disney races as well.

Just a general statement. But to be fair, just because they might have it on record, don't rely on that as a POT submission (although you might mean this as a double check method). From time to time we see that come up from people post-corral release where they were surprised they were in the last corral when they've run prior rD races faster than the POT cutoff. Triple check that the POT seems on point before that deadline comes up and rest easy from there. I believe the Chicago marathon might be one of the races that actually does pull previous race results for corralling purposes (if desired). But I've seen no indication rD does the same.

 

[SarahDisney]

I believe the Chicago marathon might be one of the races that actually does pull previous race results for corralling purposes (if desired).

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm guessing NYC marathon does that too. For all of their other races (including the half), if you have a result from one of their other races in your account, they use that. I'd imagine they do the same thing for the marathon. But they probably show you that pace during registration (they do for shorter races, I'm guessing marathon they do too).

runDisney doesn't show your previous results in your account at all (as far as I know ... that wasn't in the massive data dump that they log to the console at least), so I don't know that they'd consult their previous results at all. Might be two separate databases that don't communicate with each other at all.

 

[sylkai]

So nervous about tomorrow's registration after reading the issues from yesterday. I'm planning to do it in chunks: the two 5ks first, then the 10k and the Dopey, and then the two halfs.

Hoping that minimizes the likelihood of something selling out while I'm dealing with the rest of it.

 

[opusone]

the system can easily take the PoT race finish time and distances entered and feed it into a calculator that will spit out runDisney's estimated finish times en masse.

Here is a screen capture (actually, had to make it 2) that shows what happened if you selected the option below the cutoff

View attachment 337744
View attachment 337745

Now that you mention it, they did ask our finish time for our POT race. They could use a computer program to do all the conversions at once and still spot check.

Oh, so they did have a place to manually enter the POT. In that case, yes, they can do their own calculation and just spot check POT links. That works.

 

[PrincessV]

I only wish that estimated finish time (or running calculator used) was viewable to us. And...maybe it will be. Verifying POT will take...well, time. Maybe our accounts will be updated after that process is complete with our official estimated finish time?

I'll second that wish! In rD/Track Shack's reply to my email asking about my specific PoT question, they added that they expected to make their calculation public in the future. That email was back around W&D registration, though...

 

[cavepig]

i'd be willing to bet they already have the POT for folks using prior disney races as well.

No, they don't. If you use a Disney Race you still have to put it in. They don't look anything up for you.

 

[cavepig]

Some of the issues probably have been worked out from yesterday. A ton of people had seamless registrations as well.

I know one thing I've seen people confused on elsewhere was registering yourself for 2 or more races and not being able to select 'myself' again. Just leave it as the default 'Select' and don't pick anyone and then fill it all out for yourself for your next race(s) & you should be good.

 

[rteetz]

They still haven't cleared the pending charges from my account.

 

[1mena7]

They still haven't cleared the pending charges from my account.

I believe it can take up to 72 hours, depending on your bank.

 

[JeffW]

One other item I'll note for people before tomorrow. After filling out the information for a registration, there were two buttons. One went on to the next step (purchasing merchandise) and the other allowed you to register another person. After I entered my 9th registration, that button to add another person/race went away. So there may be some type of cap at 9 entries per cart. Of course, I had registration problems/errors, so maybe 9 doesn't even work

 

[CDKG]

So nervous about tomorrow's registration after reading the issues from yesterday. I'm planning to do it in chunks: the two 5ks first, then the 10k and the Dopey, and then the two halfs.

Hoping that minimizes the likelihood of something selling out while I'm dealing with the rest of it.

It sounds like you have a solid registration plan! Try to stay calm and don’t panic (it may sound silly, but we all know how easy it is to get caught up in all of this). I had zero problems with my registration yesterday. I wish all of you registering tomorrow good luck for a smooth process!

 

[rteetz]

I believe it can take up to 72 hours, depending on your bank.

Yeah they told me it should be cleared up by the 19th.