ATTQOTD: While it usually depends on the race (and if I have raced it before), usually I want an hour (at least!) before race start time. Like what many others have said, I need to think about parking, bib pick up (if needed), porta-potty and some time to decompress and get my head in the game. If it's a really small race and super close to home, I might not need the full hour. But 100% of the time, I'd rather have time to kill than be rushing (too much stress with that)--I spend so much time training before a race, I hate to see one ounce of energy wasted on anything but running...lol.QOTD: How early do you try to arrive at a (non-Disney) race?
I struggle with this because I run mostly local races (i.e. within a couple of miles of my front door), so it's easy for me to just roll out and get there 15-30 minutes before the race starts. But then the port-a-potty lines are super long and I can't get to my corral and it's kind of a mess. So I thought I'd come here to see what everyone else does![]()
I am pretty much like this. I usually make a potty stop as soon as I get there and then again when I judge that I can do it and still get where I want to be in the starting area.ATTQOTD: I tend to be risk adverse. I spent quite a bit of money and time training when I toe the line. So I usually get to local races 60-75 min before the start because then I can be relaxed in my choices prior to race start. Plenty of time to get a good parking spot, short bib pickup line, warm up (up to 30 min of stretch/run before shorter distances), hit the bathroom before others arrive, and just chill before the start. If anything unexpected happens, then I have more time to deal with it in a relaxed manner.
QOTD: How early do you try to arrive at a (non-Disney) race?