How important are corrals? Should I alert someone about changing my assigned corral?

Q: How important are corrals? If I'm running faster/slower than the projected pace that I entered at registration, should I alert someone about changing my corral?

A: As a runner there is nothing more frustrating than navigating your way around herds of slower people running shoulder to shoulder (ok, huge port a potty lines, tremendously late starts or being led off course are more frustrating...but you get my point!). As a slower runner you don't want to make ten thousand people have to run around you. By seeding yourself properly, they won't have to. The logic of having the faster runners up front speaks for itself and makes the race more enjoyable for everyone.

The vast majority of runners adhere to etiquette and are responsible in seeding themselves. The most common request we get from a runner wanting to move to a too fast corral is that they want to run with a friend in the faster corral, we try to explain that pairs will only be able to run as fast as the slowest person so it's smarter to line up according to that person's ability. Unfortunately you will never get 100% cooperation but it's been my experience that runners are a very considerate group.

As far as notifying the race if you want to be in a faster or slower corral, we are only concerned with those looking to move to a faster corral in order to make sure there is some rational basis for it. If a faster person wants to move back there is no harm as they won't be a road block.

Beware though, races such as Broad Street Run strictly enforce their corral times with color-coded bibs and you are penalized on your finish time if you start in an earlier corral.

Michele Redrow is the President and co-owner of CGI Racing, the premier race management company in the region, offering the best half marathons and triathlons throughout the Northeastern United States. The CGI Racing brand includes, The Love Run Philadelphia Half Marathon (the City's newest Spring Half Marathon), the Rutgers Unite Half Marathon, Perfect 10 Miler (All Women), and the New Jersey State Triathlon.

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