Six Foot Track Marathon - Entry Procedure 2012

Entry Procedure for 2012

Please note - our detailed procedure for using our online entry is here.

Overview of Entry Procedure

For the 2011 race, we completely filled our quota of 850 runners and a wait-list of approx 150 runners within 10 minutes and this caused a lot of runners to feel that they missed out, although eventually everybody who wanted to run, got a spot, including all previous finishers who wanted to enter. This year we want to make sure that the uncertainty is not there, although we expect to be over-subscribed again, so we will be amending our procedure before we open entries to make the whole process easier to manage for all. As always if you have any questions please contact us.

Entries will be online only and is scheduled to open for Guaranteed Entrants on Thursday 1st December 2011 at 9am, and for everyone else on Saturday 3rd December 2011 at 9am.

The entry fee will include a mandatory race singlet/T-shirt (your selection) and the entry fee will be unchanged from 2010 at $135.00.

Additional and other merchandise will still be available for purchase as before.

Refunds: Refunds for withdrawals will be given less an escalating penalty in the following way. On or before 31st January -$20, on or before 28th February -$40, after 28th February –no refund. There will also be no replacements from waitlist after this and the entry list will be confirmed.

The race start limit is still 850 runners (we are negotiating to change this marginally). However by the time entries close we will have accepted at least 900 runners. We may even take up to 950 initially (TBA), but will either way start activating the waitlist replacement at the 900 level. We feel this will give more people, who would otherwise have been on initial waitlist, certainty from the start.

Waitlist replacement: When entries drop below 900 the first person on waitlist queue will receive an auto email from system and will have 24 hours to activate and accept their entry. It is in your interest to provide an email address that is regularly accessed or make provision for someone to check on your behalf.

The entries will continue to be "refilled" at the 900 level until 28th Feb, after which there will be no further replacements. We are hoping/estimating that this will result in a start list of 850 (this year there were 820 starters out of the 850 confirmed).

There will be three "groups" of entrants:

Guaranteed entrants: All previous finishers of 5 finishes and above, Previous outright winners (male or female), last year’s top ten, winners/podiums from selected qualifier events (as advised), RD discretions (inc some internationals, potential podium finishers, sponsor entries, committee members etc), race pioneers, previous RD’s, $1000 fund raisers, pacers/sweeps etc will be guaranteed an entry subject to submitting their own entry between 9am on Thursday 3rd Dec and 9pm Friday 4th Dec.This is expected to be about 250 runners (this is not a maximum). You will be asked to select one of the above criteria from a drop down list. If you do not meet any of the criteria and select one of them your entry may be de-registered. If you are unsure that you meet the criteria then enter in one of the other categories as below and argue the toss later - we would prefer that you "know" your status instead.

Novices: There will be a quota for novices (people who have not completed Six Foot before) and who have qualified within the time frame.

Other veterans: Previous finishers with from 1 to 4 finishes will make up the remaining entries e.g. if the numbers are as above (total 900, guaranteed 250 and novices 325) then there will be 325 "other veterans" plus a waitlist..

Entry Quotas and Duration:

Novices: Maximum 325 plus 20% waitlist. If this total reached before 24 hrs the entry will be closed

'Other Veterans' i.e. non guaranteed or from 1 to 4 finishes: Provisional limit is 325 plus 35% waitlist. If this total reached before 24 hrs the entry will be closed.

Guaranteed Entrants: 'Estimated uptake' 250.* Entries will remain open for entire 36 hrs irrespective of uptake. They don't have to rush entry at 9am, but need to do it by at least 9pm Friday. Race Director may choose to leave open longer, but don't rely on it.

Total limit: Race start limit 850 (currently). Provisional entry limit 900 (ie 325 + 325 + 250). If guarantees 'oversubscribe' we will allow for this in slack to 950.

If total is less than 950 then it will be brought back up to 950 by automatically allocating additional entries from the appropriate waitlist. We will assume you will want this entry.

Any entrants who enter after the respective limits will be aware that they are registering on the waitlist. They will not be charged until they have received and accepted an entry.

Notwithstanding all the guarantees, limits and durations the race director reserves the right to ammend totals/limits especially so that it fits within the limit of 950 so that we meet the legal start limit of 850 on race day. We are absolutely restricted by that obligation. We also want to make it fair for everyone in the respective groups.

Other useful information about entering:

6FT Finisher Database: Dr Ben Waterhouse (our wave allocation guru) has produced a fantastic list of all previous finishers and this is on the website (http://www.sixfoot.com/runnerhistory.php) for your perusal. Please check that your details are correct on the database because this will be used to confirm who you are for the purposes of wave allocation. Things such as different spellings of first and last name (especially maiden to married surnames) and finish times should be checked. Please email Ben as per the instructions if any corrections re necessary. This database will hopefully be uploaded onto online entry system prior to entries going live and if possible your ID would be able to be used to access your info and "auto fill" details, making the entry process smoother. So please check if correct.

Email addresses: Last year many people gave work email addresses that were not accessed at home, during weekends, or on holidays (as happens over December/Jan), or they gave secondary/tertiary web based email addresses (possibly to avoid spam*) etc etc. We don’t actually care what email address is preferred by the entrant-your wife’s, mother’s, mother in law even, but especially if you find yourself on the waitlist, then it is in your own interest to provide an email address that is checked every day. Your email address provided is your communication channel with the race and the online system and is one of the online system log-on identifiers. If we or the system cannot communicate with you may miss important information that will deny you a place in the event.

The waitlist replacement system in particular hinges on this important aspect and we cannot lengthen the acceptance period without affecting logistics simply because someone is "out of office".

Pre-entry tips:

If you have computer issues you should make alternate arrangements – public internet, friend, family. It is perfectly ok to have someone else register you, or have your entry done by another entrant on their registration, providing they have all your personal information, correct email address, date of birth, qualification/6Ft history details etc.