Wyoming Range 100 - 2020 Update #2 (4/27)
Runners,
With another month behind us, we wanted to share a second update. For those of you who registered since our first update (March 25), we included it below as an FYI. As always, give us a shout if you have any questions or feedback. My personal cell is 202-550-5855.
GO/NO-GO DECISION – Arriving July 6th
As we said in March and still believe today, the inaugural Wyoming Range 100 will occur, as planned and designed, on Friday, August 21st. All our stakeholders – volunteers, vendors, local communities and the US Forest Service – remain hugely supportive. The unsolicited, in-bound encouragement we’ve received is astounding. Thank you, all.
Our goal is to hold the race, even if that means implementing a few Coronavirus-related changes – staggering the start, forbidding crews, requiring PPE on volunteers. We’ve already begun developing these plans with the Forest Service (but hope we don't have to use them).
A lot can change in four months. So, we’re planning to make a final go/no-go decision on Monday, July 6th. If we have to cancel at that point, six weeks from race day, we would be able to give everyone a 100% refund. We will, of course, be in touch well before this date and ask for your feedback in the decision-making process.
It’s worth saying now that we can’t postpone the race. For a host of valid reasons, including the likelihood of early-season snow, an event after August is not within the bounds of our Forest Service permit.
If we have to cancel on July 6th, but conditions meaningfully improve before race day, we might offer a cheap, semi-supported “fat-ass” 100 for the truly foolish. It’ll be burly.
REFUND REQUESTS – We Understand
If, for whatever reason, you’d rather not wait until July 6th to make a personal go/no-go decision, we will gladly honor refund requests. We understand. It’s why, again, our commitment is a 100% refund. Simply email us and we’ll take care of it.
RUNNER MANUAL – Now Available
We published the 2020 runner manual here. At 62 pages, we hope it answers any and all race-related questions you may have. We highly recommend bringing a hardcopy (or two) with you on race weekend.
SERVICE REQUIREMENT – Two More Options
Group-based trail projects are hard to come by these days, so we’re offering two workarounds:
Donate $80 to Friends of the Bridger-Teton and send us your donation receipt
Donate eight hours of your time to a worthy project in your neighborhood and send us photographic evidence. Kudos to Isabelle Desjardins-David for spearheading this concept
We hope these options make it easier for you to satisfy your service requirement (which we take seriously).
TRAINING CAMP – Stay Tuned
Colin and I were planning to host, in conjunction with Friends of the Bridger-Teton, a long weekend of camping, running and trail maintenance on the course. Our target timing, depending on snowpack, was early July.
We’re putting these plans on hold, for now. We must be mindful of when and where we promote group gatherings. If news continues to trend positively nationwide, we’ll try to get this weekend back on the calendar.
BEAR SPRAY – Available to Buy at the Start
By now, we hope everyone has noticed that you are required to carry bear spray. No, this is not a joke. The Wyoming Range is the southernmost range of North American grizzlies. Although extremely unlikely, it’s possible you may encounter a grizzly during the race.
By law, you cannot take bear spray on a plane, even in your checked luggage. So, you have to (1) pack it with you in a car or (2) purchase it in town. A local retailer in Marbleton, WY has volunteered to stock bear spray for sale at the starting line. If you’d like a can, please email me, so we can provide inventory estimates to the retailer.
Okay, that's everything for now. Great things to come.
Colin & Denis