The Elwha River Bridge Run has received approvals from the state and the county and acquired all of the permits required to hold its 5K/10K race on Saturday, Feb. 6.
However, in order to make the race happen, organizers with Run the Peninsula had to make changes to comply with new COVID-19 requirements.
One of the changes is that the race is required to have waves — referred to as corrals — of runners. Each corral is open for 15 minutes, and participants can start any time during that 15-minute window. Organizers ask that participants select a corral based on their anticipated finish time. There are limited slots in each corral so it is a first-come, first-serve for corral selection.
Julie Haguewood is all smiles at the Elwha River Bridge Run in 2020. Submitted photo
If a person is a 9-and-under per-mile pace, they should register to run the race between 9:30 a.m.-10:15 a.m. If people are between a 9- and 11-minute per-mile pace, they should register to run between 10:15-11:45 a.m. If people are a 12-minute per- mile pace runner or longer, they should register to run between 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Those who have not selected a corral by Feb. 1 will be assinged to a corral by race organizers.
To register, sign up at www.tinyurl.com/ElwhaBridgeRun; participants will be asked during registration to select a corral time.
If you have any questions or issues when selecting your corral, contact Run the Peninsula Race Director Victoria Jones at victoria@nodm.com or call at 585-451-0014.
As the event gets closer, Run the Peninsula will be sending out emails with more detailed event information. Due to COVID-19, there is limited space available for this race. There is also a virtual option for the event for people who would like to participant on their own and prefer a virtual course of their own choosing.
Jensen Wolfe, left, and Michelle Turner lead the pack in the 2020 Elwha River Bridge Run. The 2021 race will have a number of COVID-19 precautions, including racers being encouraged to stay 6 feet apart. Submitted photo
COVID-19 precautions include:
Runners will wear masks at the start and finish lines and for the first 100 yards of the race.
All pre-registration will be online. There will be no same-day, in-person registration.
There will be staggered bib pick-up times to reduce congregation and will ensure 6-foot distancing in any queue lines. In addition, there will be a plastic protection barrier between the participant and volunteers distributing bibs.
There will be a rolling start line with no more than two people leaving every 15 seconds and no more than 200 total participants per hour. Faster racers will go first to reduce the likelihood for congestion on the course.
There will be a limit to the number of employees and volunteers that are necessary to supervise the event.
Participants are urged to pass other runners as quickly as possible on the course and to try and maintain a 6-foot distance at all times.
Spectators will not be allowed, though participants younger than 18 are required to have a parent or guardian in attendance.
There will be no congregation of more than five people allowed at the turnaround, or hydration and nutrition stations at any one time. There will be no groups allowed at the start or finish areas.
Run the Peninsula will also retain registration data for 30 days after the activity in order to aid possible contact tracing.
Personal protection equipment will be provided for all employees and volunteers.
Race Sponsors are Peninsula Daily News, Sequim Gazette, Olympic Medical Center and Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe.
