Do you have FOMO because all your friends signed up for an upcoming race but it sold out before you could sign up? Did a meeting run over and tank your chances of getting into the Brooklyn Half? Was the NYC Marathon lottery cruel to you this year?
Never fear!! As a NYRR-affiliated local running club, CHRC gets a handful of bibs for every sold-out club points race. In other words, we got you.
The Philosophy
As in all things, we want our bib distributions to be fair, fun, and welcoming for all members.
We think a bib to a sold-out race is a great way to say thanks to all the folks who work so hard to make our club run smoothly (looking at you Run Leaders, Committee members, Special Project participants, etc.). We give active members who contribute regularly to the club first crack at the bibs to acknowledge the time and effort they put into helping both CHRC function at its best, and into helping all of us achieve our personal running goals. (Relatedly: If you want to become a Run Leader, please reach out to Jeremy Willner and/or Liz M. on Slack for more information!).
BUT, we also think bibs are for everyone! We want all members to have a shot at getting a bib to a race they wanted to run. So, although we give Committee members, Run Leaders and the like first dibs as a way to show our appreciation for all that they do, we always try to hold a couple of bibs that anyone in the club is eligible to receive. For this reason, all members – whether they get “first dibs” or not – are only allowed to take one club bib per year, so that more of our teammates can have a chance to run a sold-out race.
The Mechanics
We get bibs for NYRR club points races that sell out. NYRR will contact the club when/if that happens, and then the Council will work together to develop a strategy to distribute the bibs.
The process for distributing bibs will be:
- CHRC members who have had a particularly active role in the club over the past year – again, meaning Committee members, Run Leaders, and Special Project participants – will be given priority in the bib distribution process
- Bib distribution will then be opened to all active club members. A Google form for interested members to fill out will be posted to the CHRC Slack channel. We will then do a random drawing of all interested members for as many bibs as are available
- If there are extra bibs left over, we *will* open up bib distribution to interested members who have already received a bib earlier in the racing season. We want to get as many CHRCers out there racing as possible!
- NYRR sometimes gets extra last minute bibs. We have no idea where they come from, but we will gladly tell all of you about it! Generally, these go on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Fine Print
- The bibs are not free – you will have to pay for the race.
- We ask that members only take one club bib each year to help share the wealth.
- We also ask that members who get a club bib run the race, and in CHRC club gear (you can always ask your fellow CHRCers to borrow some!) and write about the experience on our blog so other Royals can share in the fun (or misery, depending on how things go). Members who accept a club bib and do not run the race will not be permitted to apply for another club bib in the future (except in circumstances such as an unexpected physical injury, family emergency, etc.)
- You must be affiliated with Crown Heights Running Club through NYRR
- You must be an active member of the club to get a bib. What does active mean? It means you’ve shown up for a CHRC thing – a run, a meet & greet, an online discussion – in the last year. If you’re reading this on our website right now, it’s probably a safe bet you fall in this category.
The Bottom Line
We are always trying to keep our bib giveaways fun, fresh, and fair. If you have feedback or ideas, we want to hear from you!!