Bellin Run switches to corral starts for 2011 race
February 10, 2011
Organizers of the 35th annual Bellin Run are preparing to provide a smoother, more fluid start to the race this summer.
That’s because the 10K run/walk will feature corral starts this year, a marked change from last year’s wave starts. The 35th annual Bellin Run is scheduled to take place at 8 a.m., Saturday, June 11. The 6.2-mile race traditionally takes place on the second Saturday of June.
The decision to implement corral starts is in direct response to concerns over the previously employed wave start system that for some participants didn’t perform quite as smoothly and fluidly as they would have wished.
“The Bellin Run, first and foremost, is meant to be an all-around enjoyable experience,” said executive race director Randy Van Straten. “So when we received feedback regarding some issues participants had with the wave starts, we took it to heart and decided to institute an enhanced start system designed to immediately offer a more fluid start and an increasingly positive experience for our participants.”
Wave starts consist of staggered starts of smaller groups instead of one huge start for all participants. Each wave has its own start with a short interval between waves. However, the interval between waves, and unforeseen bottlenecks last year, kept many race participants static for extended periods of time.
“There were bottlenecks of people just standing and waiting to load into the start chutes,” Van Straten said. “So this time around, we’re employing a system that will ensure that everyone is constantly moving – flowing toward the starting line. This is a planned improvement over last year to get people to the starting line faster.”
Corral starts position race participants in groups of similar pace. Such starts keep everyone gradually moving into the race. The fastest runners generally are in the first corrals. Slower runners and walkers and strollers are in the rear corrals.
The corrals will begin at the starting line on S. Webster Avenue, in front of Bellin Hospital. They’ll stretch north to E. Mason Street and curve east until turning south onto S. Clay Street.
At 5 a.m., the eastbound lane of E. Mason Street between Webster Avenue and Clay Street will be closed to traffic. The westbound lane of E. Mason Street will be temporarily converted to two-lane traffic.
“We’ve worked with the City of Green Bay to gain more real estate to better provide a smooth and ever-moving race start experience,” Van Straten said. “This year’s organized corral system should make a significant difference over last year.”
Last year’s Bellin Run was among the top 10 timed 10K events in the United States. It was the 28th largest running event overall in the country.
Other Bellin Run 2010 facts:
• The 2010 Bellin Run recorded 18,393 registrants – the largest registration field ever for the event
• Approximately 29 percent of participants last year were first-timers
• 87 percent of participants in 2010 lived within 60 miles of the race
• Participants in 2010 came from 33 states
• Female participation inched up another 1 percent, making women 59 percent of the field
• The average finish time was 1:12:57 compared to 1:14:47 in 2009
Runners, walkers and wheelchair participants can register online for the 2011 Bellin Run at www.bellinrun.com. All registrants receive an official 2011-style Bellin Run T-shirt.
