I plan to run the NY Marathon in only a few days. It requires a long pre-race wait for runners, as many marathons do, in line for the porta potty or deciding if you really need that bagel. I received my number registration card that requires a degree to read. They have developed a new “wave start” this year to avoid congestion with the up 39000 runners who have registered.
Mine Reads: Wave 1 (indicated by a white background, wave 2 yellow, wave 3 blue), Orange village (there are three different villages), Corral C (A-F).
I cannot even imagine the man hours it took to devise and implement this new system. I was able to find a key on the website that clearly explains all the variables possible for one runner. So of course, I begin to wonder if perhaps each of these villages is equally equipped with all the pre-race amenities or will there be some obvious breakdown of runners and times. Do we all get bagels and Dunkin Donuts Coffee? Will the “elite athleles” in the blue village be hanging ipod to ipod with the other villagers. Will the porta potties be coded by wave as well? Because actually a white background should trump a yellow or blue in line…but who is going to police this? And if a runner with an orange bib with a white background with an “A corral” isn’t smart enough to get in line with enough time to spare, isn’t it their problem? When Besides, they will have first access to them out on the course. So I am interested to see how it will all go down and hoping that the orange village is the one with the Starbucks!
