OFFICIAL RACE GUIDE nyc

Welcome to the Race the Perimeter official race guide! This guide is for registered participants only, please do not share with other runners not yet registered.

PLEASE READ THIS IN ITS ENTIRETY AHEAD OF RACE DAY. If you have any questions that are not answered in this guide, please contact racetheperimeter@gmail.com. This is a living document and more details will be added throughout the summer. You can expect a final version of this guide no later than one month prior to race day.

01: Schedule

Bib Pickup (Required) 

  • Date and Time: Friday, October 2nd from 10am-8pm

  • Location: TBA

  • All runners are required to pick up their race bibs and kits during this window. There is no race day pickup.

  • One team member may pick up materials for the whole team or runners can come individually (please decide this amongst your team)

The Race (Required)

  • Date and Time: Saturday, October 3rd at 7:00am

  • Start Location: TBA, will be on the West Side of Manhattan

  • Please arrive 15-30 minutes prior to the start time. All team members are welcome and encouraged to come to the start line, even if you are not the first runner running. Announcements will begin promptly at 6:50am.

Finish Festival

  • Date and Time: Saturday, October 3rd from 11:00am-5:00pm

  • Location: TBA (same as starting location)

  • Activity announcements to come!

02: Race Logistics and Safety

Strava Route

  • The suggested Strava route is linked here - you may make any variations to this route as long as you generally follow the Manhattan perimeter and meet all of the designated checkpoints.

  • Based on past year feedback, we will be making some updates to the course map as construction around the city has evolved. Please stay tuned for a finalized race map later in the summer, which will include the final starting and finish location.

  • It is recommend that you run, walk, or bike parts of the route that look unfamiliar beforehand, but if you don’t have time, you can actively follow the Strava route on your phone as you’re running

  • While this is a race, please consider helping other runners out and following each other along the course as you’ll definitely see each other out there

Potential Strategies

  • This is an unsanctioned race with no set exchange points between runners, so you are free to change whenever and wherever you want

  • You can do mile repeats, 5k repeats, or plan out specific segments ahead of time that each runner will cover

  • Exchange points can be anywhere along the course, depending on how long each runner wants to run for, but should be decided ahead of time

Required Checkpoints & Finish

  • There will be 3 checkpoints along the course before the finish line that one of your runners will need to pass through

  • You will need to take a photo with the designated landmark and will need it for verification if you are one of the winning teams. Have some fun with the photos!

  • Designated checkpoints TBA as map updates are made. Previous year checkpoints were East 53th St. & Sutton Place S, Inwood Hill Park, and Pier 97

  • Distance Requirement

    • Winning teams will be required to show their cumulative distance on Strava and it must be > 32 miles

    • You do not need a group watch to handoff, but some teams like to do this for tracking and for a cool overall Strava map

  • It is recommended that you scope out the checkpoint locations and waypoints ahead of time so that your runners know what to look for when it comes along the course

Time Limit

  • The time limit for this event is 10 hours.

  • The finish line area will close at 5pm.

Tracking

  • This is an unsanctioned race, so there are no official timing devices. Teams will be given a tracker to pass off between runners for live tracking.

  • The first runners that cross the finish line in each division will be the winners, as long as they have hit the designated checkpoints

Safety

  • The safety of all participants is the number one priority. If at any time you feel unsafe running, please use common sense to mitigate the situation. Examples and recommendations are listed below.

    • If you are running on a road that you feel is unsafe (for any reason), please reroute.

    • If you get lost, call your other team members to come find you. If you cannot find your way back to the route, please contact Jess directly via WhatsApp DM. 

    • It is recommended that you carry your phone with you at all times during the race. Please share your location with your team members on Find My Friends so that you can locate each other for exchanges. 

    • Bike pacing is one way to keep track of your runners, but it is not required

  • This is an unsanctioned race and therefore, the roads are not going to be closed for this race. ONLY run on the sidewalk or footpaths along the entire course. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you run on a highway or high traffic road. When possible, please run facing traffic so that you can see the cars coming towards you. 

  • Having a crew for this race is optional and not required, but it may help you on your journey. You can have friends assist you in driving, bike pacing, and providing fuel. The only rule is that crew members may not take mileage running - they can run WITH you, but not be the only ones running a segment. You are also welcome to have a photographer/content point person as well!