FW: [Taconic Board] NYRR Club Council Meeting

This from Tom Maile regarding NYRR races. I hope that I’m wrong but it reads as mostly bad news to me.
Jack

From: board@runner.org
To: board@runner.org
Sent: 12/3/2015 10:54:16 A.M. Eastern Standard Time
Subj: [Taconic Board] NYRR Club Council Meeting

 

Hi Board.
 
I attended a very long meeting at NYRR last evening.  A lot of interesting and sometimes controversial stuff.
 
Marathon recap.  Village waves/corrals confusing.  Aid station mix-ups.  Too many selfie sticks which are supposed to be banned.  Some sweep vehicles were too early.  All and all very successful.
 
Conversation whether Marathon Open scoring should be 3 runners or 5.  NYRR vs. USATF standard.  I would go for 3 since we probably don’t have 5 open marathoners!  Also discussion generally whether there should be 70+ age groups team scoring for all Club Team races.  The Mercury Masters women’s 60+ team, perennial 4th place winners, want extra points for finishing and scoring in all of the points races.  Hoping to see their mediocrity bump a deserving team off the podium!
 
2017 guaranteed entry for the Marathon via team volunteering will change.  1 free bib for each 20 volunteers in the 2016 Marathon and 4 of the 5 borough races.  Details coming.
 
The temporary and permanent running annex, 75th and Columbus and then Columbus Circle, will be open Monday thru Friday, 11 AM to 7 PM, and Saturday for Sunday races.  A lot of kvetching about having no place anymore to store their civvies while they run in the Park and also no place to take a bio break.  The new on demand bib pickup will need runners to display their QR code, either printed from their MYNYRR or via Iphone.  Runners can pick up for team mates if they have their QR codes.  Don’t know how it will work for non-NYRR members.  May be the QR code is in their confirmation email?
 
Their will be a survey monkey sent out in a week or two to ask for votes on the 2016 Team Points Race Schedule.
 
Starting after Ted Corbitt all race shirts must be picked up directly after you finish the race.  They will not be available ahead of time at bib pick up.  If you enter and  can’t run, tough.  All entries and other financial transactions with NYRR must be credit card or money order!  U.S. paper currency is no longer acceptable for anything.  There are no longer any numbers set aside for team runners in points races that miss the deadline for entry.  There will be no exceptions.  That means I will not be able to get anyone into anything if they miss the deadline for a race.  Bill Staab thinks they are trying to get rid of Janet Cupo.
 
Neither of the two co-Presidents were in attendance.  Generally, last night when the council members objected strongly to some of these changes the response was that’s the way it is now.  Mary tried to be at every meeting and listen, and constantly reaffirm how important the Club Council and club team racing was to the NYRR.  Branson’s gain, our loss.
 
Tom