Houston Masters Sports Association

Fleet Feet Texas Metric Marathon 26.2 km Relay

7 a.m. Sunday, November 13, 2011

Fish Plaza at Wortham Center in Downtown Houston

Presented by Houston Masters Sports Association 

and

Fleet Feet Sports

Get ready for a “Relay” good time!

Fleet Feet Sports presents the Fleet Feet Metric Marathon Relay.  This exciting team event pits 3 runners per team on a fast 3-loop course along Buffalo Bayou from the corner of Bagby and Prairie out to Shepherd Drive and back on Memorial Drive.  Have you been training for a half-marathon?  The Fleet Feet Metric Marathon 26.2 km relay will give you a supercharged warm up for the challenge of a half-marathon.  Get together with a couple of your running friends and meet the challenge of the Fleet Feet Metric Marathon Relay; there is no relay race in Houston like it!  Get ready, and get set for a “relay” good time along Buffalo Bayou!

In accordance with guidelines issued by USA Track and Field and Road Runners Club of America, only runners and wheelchairs can be allowed on the course.  The race is sanctioned by the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA).  Guidelines exclude runners going backwards, animals, bicycles, baby strollers, baby joggers, headphones and skateboards.  No wheeled vehicles are allowed other than wheelchairs.  It is not our intent to censure the few who might wish to participate with his/her child or on a wheeled vehicle.  It is our intent to furnish the safest possible racecourse and to provide the runner with the sanction advertised for this event.  Those who participate in a non-sanctioned manner will be removed from the course. 

Wheelchair participants will be bound by competition rules for athletics as issued by Wheelchair Track and Field, USA (WTFUSA), the national governing body of Wheelchair Sports, USA.

When:   7 a.m. Sunday, November 13, 2011

Where: Downtown Houston with a start and finish at Wortham Center (Texas Avenue @ Smith St), one of Houston’s performing arts venues.

Who:  All properly trained runners may enter. 

What: A 3-person relay:  First loop 9.54 km or 5.92 miles; Second loop 8.33 km or 5.18 miles; Third loop 8.33 km or 5.18 miles

Categories:  Junior (one category for 19 & under, either Male, Female or Mixed), Men (Open, Masters and Seniors), Female (Open, Masters and Seniors), Mixed teams (NOTE:  A mixed team consists of 2 men and 1 woman or 1 man and 2 women.)  Masters category is 40 and over and Seniors category is 50 and over.

• The Fleet Metric Marathon Relay runs in conjunction with the HMSA Texas Metric Marathon (formerly the HMSA Classical 25K).  The racecourse is a triple loop and mainly on concrete. 
• The Fleet Feet Metric Marathon Relay:  First loop 9.54 km (5.92 miles), Second loop 8.33 km (5.18 miles), Third loop 8.33 km (5.18 miles)
• The course will close at 10:30 A.M.  If you have not completed your event, you will be asked by Houston Police to leave the street.
• There are water stations approximately every 2 miles.
• Qualified EMT and AED personnel are at the finish line and along the course through radio communication.
• Elapsed times will be called at each mile.  The time you hear called will be the total time for your Relay team and the overall team pace. 

Fleet Feet Metric Marathon Relay

• Regular:  $60.00 per team if postmarked before October 15, 2011

•  There will be an additional $1.00 fee if you want your packet mailed. 

• Late: $66.00 per team if postmarked on October 15, 2011 or later
• Discounts apply to the 25K race, but do not apply to the Relay since it is not a HARRA race.

Fleet Feet Metric Marathon 3-Person Relay

A short-sleeved shirt will be awarded to all relay entrants.  Team captains should pick up shirts for all team members on race morning.   

Team awards:  First, second and third place awards will be given in the Junior category (19 & Under, either Male, Female or Mixed), Open, Masters and Seniors Male and Female, teams, and first, second and third place awards will be given in the Open, Masters and Seniors Mixed team categories.  NOTE:  A mixed team consists of 2 men and 1 woman or 1 man and 2 women.) 

NOTE:  THERE WILL BE NO DUPLICATION OF AWARDS.

On any and all matters relating to conduct of the race, the Race Director’s decision will be final.

The Fleet Feet Metric Marathon Relay event uses the ChronoTrack scoring system using the D-tag.  The D-tag will be attached to a Velcro strap, which you may wear on your ankle or on your wrist.  Your team captain will receive the strap and the tag.  This will be passed from runner A to B to C as you pass the exchange point.  

In order for results to be tabulated on a timely basis, no official times will be taken after 3 hours 30 minutes.  Water stations and course security will be removed accordingly.

Packets will be mailed out to those runners whose registration is postmarked before October 15, 2011.  If your registration form is postmarked on October 15, 2011 or later, you must pick up your packet at one of the times shown below.

Late registration for the Fleet Feet Metric Marathon Relay is $66.00.  No deductions apply. 

There is no race day registration or packet pick up and there are no exceptions.

• You may change your event prior to race morning.
• If you decide to run the full 26.2 km and not the relay, you will pay the difference in the race fee.
• If you decide to run the relay instead of the 26.2 km, there will be no refund.

For further information contact hmsa@houstonmasters.org.

Online Registration at http://www.eztoregister.com/events.asp

will close at 8 p.m. on November 10, 2011

Race sponsorship and management are by Houston Masters Sports Association and Fleet Feet Sports.