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Point Pinole Regional Shoreline

Date: (Sun.) Mar. 7, 2010
Location: Richmond, CA
Event Director: - 510.779.8808
Course Setter: Steve Gregg
Type: C; Annual Prologue-Chase two-part sprint, plus White, Yellow, and Orange courses

Please note that fees and time limits apply, unless otherwise mentioned below. Events are typically not canceled due to bad weather.


This year's Point Pinole sprints will follow a format similar to the one used at the North American Sprint Series Finals last November. As usual, the Prologue course will be used to establish seedings for the Chase, but then runners will be sent out in groups of four in the Chase, at one-minute start intervals, with the fastest runners starting first. This will mean that all the Chase participants will be with other runners of similar speed right from the start of the race, which I hope will be an interesting change of pace from the usual staggered starts.

I do not intend to use any sort of butterfly loops or forking this year. Both the Prologue and Chase will be standard-length sprint courses, designed to be finished by the fastest runners in 15 minutes or so. As usual, the Prologue will start at the staging area and have an unmanned remote finish, and the Chase will have a remote start and finish back at the staging area.

For those of you who are new to this, the Prologue course will have first-come, first-served starting times (starting at 10 AM), just like a regular event. However, if you wish to participate in the Chase that follows, you need to be sure you arrive early enough to finish your first run by 12:00 or so, since the first group of four runners will start the Chase course at approximately 12:45. The winner of the overall event will be the first person to cross the finish line at the end of the Chase, but I may also scrounge up some inexpensive prizes to award to the first person to cross the finish line out of each starting quartet.

Although it appears that tall grass will slow the per-km times this year, Point Pinole remains one of our fastest and most runnable forested maps. I hope most of the club "regulars" will choose to compete in the Prologue and Chase, as this particular event format is much more fun for everyone if a lot of people participate. However, there will be standard White, Yellow, and Orange courses with electronic punching for those people not interested in running the sprints. The Yellow course, in particular, will be specifically designed for the large scout and JROTC groups that often attend this event.

If you have questions or want to volunteer to help, please contact .

Courses

Here are the details of the courses on offer:

  Course               Length   Climb   Controls
  White                2.3 km    30 m      11
  Yellow/Scout/JROTC   2.5 km    50 m      10
  Orange               3.4 km    75 m      12
  Prologue             2.7 km    30 m      13
  Chase                2.9 km    75 m      15

See the Course Setter's Notes for more information — particularly about the Prologue and Chase courses.

Requests for Volunteers

As always, we will need some volunteers at the event. I think I have the starts and early setup covered (thanks, Harold, Penny, and Ruth), and the Finish can probably be unmanned (I'll keep half an eye on it myself, unless I have another pressing task to take care of).

So what I need most urgently is someone to run an early beginners clinic (starting at 9:30 or thereabouts), and especially, CPU help after the event. Harold and Penny may, perhaps, help me figure out who will be picking up what, but since they will have been at the park since early in the morning, I'm sure they won't be sticking around until the bitter end to keep track of everything like they often do.

CPU is very easy at Point Pinole since the terrain is so flat and open, and you can even bring a mountain bike to help you with pickup if you like. We have had tons of CPU help at the last few events I have attended, and I hope this event will be no exception.

Anyway, please let know if you'd be willing to help out at the event in any capacity, and I'll put you to work. Thanks!

Epunch volunteers are needed too. We need 2 or 3 people to help out with the easy task of getting people to fill out their safety cards before their course, and to download and print their splits, and remove their safety cards, after their course.

It's a fun job — you get to meet most everyone, to chat with them about what they're going to do and/or what they've done and the most technical you need to get is to change the paper on the printer if it needs it. So step up and let me know — I've 3 slots to fill: 9–11, 11–1, and 1–3. But if you want to put in only an hour, or even just 30 mins, let know and I'll be happy to accommodate you!

Driving Directions

Take the Richmond Parkway exit off Interstate 80 in Richmond and go west for 1.3 miles. Immediately after the stoplight at San Pablo Avenue, turn right at the next light onto Atlas Road. After 0.8 miles on Atlas, you will cross over a set of railroad tracks and encounter a stop sign. Turn left onto Giant Highway at this intersection. You will pass a detention center on your right, and the park entrance will be immediately after that, also on your right. Pay the fee (if there is one), park, and walk over the railroad tracks to the staging area in the meadow.

There's a map here that shows the location of the event.