Worst organized race kit pick up ever:HBC Canada Day Run

Run26.2 · Postby **Run26.2** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:35 am

From the time I got in line at the race kit pick up this morning it took 1 hour and 40 minutes to get my kit......not sure what all the delays were but my sense is that having your number actually on your tech shirt does not work......you pick up your shirt then they have to input he number into the system....very, very slow

Also, at the pick up desk I could see that they were allowing people to register then and there, rather than at a seperate area......I could see some people taking up to 10-15 minutes to get their stuff once they got to the front of the line...not good

The room where the pick up took place was very small, making it hard for the volunteers to move around to quickly get the correct size of shirts.....the Bay has a few open areas where they could have had the race kit pick.....

If I can run a half-marathon in the time that it took me to get my race kit once I entered the line.....then that's not a good sign......

RayMan · Postby **RayMan** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:49 am

I feel your pain - it was equally disorganized last year at the Toronto Bay store. Slow and crowded...hope the run makes up for it!

Postby **Marg** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:28 pm

It was over a 2 hour wait when I got there. I turned around and left. Unbelievable disorganization.

I'll try to get there when the doors open tomorrow... unreal.

Sanders · Postby **Sanders** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:36 pm

I think you have convinced me not to do this race. I might check it out, but there is no way in the world that I will wait more than 15 minutes to pay 43 bucks to do a 10 k.

TriJenn · Postby **TriJenn** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:38 pm

Crap, I was hoping to register my daughter. Is today and Sunday the only kit pick up days?

Jenn

candlerun · Postby **candlerun** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:43 pm

We had no problems here in toon town and everything was quite organized and quick. I know here you have Sat, Sun, and Mon to register for the event.

We were all quite impressed by the race kit... I finally managed to get the new iRun since it takes forever for our stores to get it.

LOVE the shirts and managed to buy myself a Canadian Olympic B-tube (like the buffs) while I was there.

Postby **KBO** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:25 pm

Kudos our very own Natalie for a well organized kit pick up here! Kit pick up in Winnipeg went really smooth this morning. I picked up four kits in less than 10 minutes.

Lots of good schwag and nice shirts again this year.

Karen

Jwolf · Postby **Jwolf** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 2:05 pm

I have to say that it was seamless and painless in Vancouver. Well-staffed by volunteers. They did have a computer glitch, but managed to get around it fine.

It's too bad if the bad organization in Ottawa turns people off across the country! This is a great race.

Strider · Postby **Strider** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:13 pm

Agreed about the Ottawa one there should have been two lines and in a larger area. That said the following occurred.

1) The posted start time was 1.5 hours ahead of when they did plan to open, so they started 1.5 hours behind to begin the day.
2) Only 2 computers arrived to start, not the 4 they needed, the other two were flown to Gatineau and had to be picked up and brought to Ottawa.
3) Last year there were only 1,000 participants, this year over 3,000 so far. so they were overwhelmed.

The race director is aware, and they were very apologetic and handing out water. Shirts are great, and so will the race be.

Live and Learn, sometime $hit happens.

lxiao · Postby **lxiao** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:17 pm

Actually, I've never run this, but it looks like fun. Think I'll sign up for the 10K and sign up my kids for the 1K kids' run. Don't think there will be massive line ups here in Red Deer.

Jwolf · Postby **Jwolf** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 3:24 pm

lxiao wrote:Actually, I've never run this, but it looks like fun. Think I'll sign up for the 10K and sign up my kids for the 1K kids' run. Don't think there will be massive line ups here in Red Deer.

You can also sign up on race day. The only thing is that the 10K starts 90 minutes before the 1K Kids' Run, so you'll have to have someone else with them.

I was coming back here to post that I really like the shirts this year.

I sort of wanted a kid's shirt, but they don't have numbers on them. The others are really nice, too, though. A nice change from the red shirts two years in a row.

cgraham · Postby **cgraham** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 4:16 pm

Toronto wasn't too bad - other than the fact that one of the kid's shirts wasn't the size I asked for. The quantity and quality of swag makes up for it though.

Tri_K · Postby **Tri_K** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 4:17 pm

It was fine in Edmonton. One person in front of me - a rack of shirts so you can try them on and decide which size.

The one part they need to fix is that there were no directions to where the package pick-up was and employees in the Bay didn't know.

Run26.2 · Postby **Run26.2** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 6:08 pm

strider wrote:1) The posted start time was 1.5 hours ahead of when they did plan to open, so they started 1.5 hours behind to begin the day.

.

Yeah, that was a big mistake and I felt sorry for the people I talked to who had arrived around 8am or just shortly after and didn't get their race kits til' between 10:30am and 11:00am..........no water, no apologies for those folks as there didn't seem to be anyone official from the race there up until I left after 11:00am.....if there was he/she didn't talk to the crowd or give any explanation

They had lots of people behind the tables handing out t-shirts but because it was such a small room only one person could get a tshirt at time.....they had the volunteers to handle 4-5 people at a time, but not the space.....

I was #90 in line from 9:30am ( they gave out numbers) and it still took me an hour and 40 minutes to get through......with two computers they can't run 90 people through faster than that? Yikes! Even with 4 working computers it probably would have been a long time.....

My wife says the t-shirt is "busy",..... but it's growin' on me.........let's run!!

Run26.2 · Postby **Run26.2** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:05 pm

cgraham wrote: The quantity and quality of swag makes up for it though.

What did ya' get??

The Ottawa kit had the following:

Copy of latest iRun mag (I now have 5 copies :oops:

)
Timing chip
$10 coupon for any blink cleaning item
Scotiabank waterfront marthon brocheure
Flyer from the Royal Cnd. Mint for Olympic collectible coins

82mL pack of Aveeno sunblock lotion
A coathook from 3M
2 tablets of Motrin pain reliever
A packet of Glysomed hand cream
A package of Werther's Orginal caramel coffee hard candies

IceBreaker's ice Cubes instantly cold gum from the makers of Spearment
A 2 pack of towelettes for Kids from Off!
A 2 pack of hair elastics from Goody
Wrigley's Extra Gum new flavour Pomegranate Berry
Mint flavoured dental floss

Tums Smoothies antacid Berry fusion flavor
A tube of blistex ( mint flavoured)
A pedometer from Participaction that doesn't seem to be working

candlerun · Postby **candlerun** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:30 pm

same here... but pedometers work. :wink:

Strider · Postby **Strider** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:42 pm

Run26.2 wrote:A pedometer from Participaction that doesn't seem to be working

Did you pull out the little plastic tab?

The race director was out in Gatineau picking up the laptops that got flown to the wrong place. She was full of apologies when we were there around 11:30. Sorry you didn't get the apology, so let me...She was sorry. :wink:

Run26.2 · Postby **Run26.2** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 7:58 pm

strider wrote:
Run26.2 wrote:A pedometer from Participaction that doesn't seem to be working

Did you pull out the little plastic tab?

The race director was out in Gatineau picking up the laptops that got flown to the wrong place. She was full of apologies when we were there around 11:30. Sorry you didn't get the apology, so let me...She was sorry.

Did she say anything about me getting a discount on my next HBC race?? I hope Marg does for sure!! :wink:

Wonder how Andy made out....

Pedometer is now a go but all I have to do is shake it and it shows I'm moving.....if only my Garmin worked like that.... :lol:

Postby **Marg** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:13 pm

I am getting Andy's kit so he didn't make out either. I'll go early tomorrow, hope for the best.

Hey Dave, you gonna use those hair elastics? :shifty:

Run26.2 · Postby **Run26.2** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:16 pm

Marg wrote:I am getting Andy's kit so he didn't make out either. I'll go early tomorrow, hope for the best.

Hey Dave, you gonna use those hair elastics?

They're all yours man.....what do ya' wanna trade for em'??

waynerdog · Postby **waynerdog** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:31 pm

Tri_K got it right on the nose for E-town -- pick-up was totally seamless and quick once you could actually find the desk where they were doing registration. Baby waynerdog was so happy he got to carry his own bag full of registration goodies!

Postby **Marg** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 8:59 pm

Run26.2 wrote:
Marg wrote:I am getting Andy's kit so he didn't make out either. I'll go early tomorrow, hope for the best.

Hey Dave, you gonna use those hair elastics?
They're all yours man.....what do ya' wanna trade for em'??

Want a pedometer? :lol:

Irongirl · Postby **Irongirl** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:02 pm

Marg wrote:
Run26.2 wrote:
Marg wrote:I am getting Andy's kit so he didn't make out either. I'll go early tomorrow, hope for the best.

Hey Dave, you gonna use those hair elastics?
They're all yours man.....what do ya' wanna trade for em'??

Want a pedometer?

umm....i've been considering acquiring one.....need to keep me moving since I'm not running/riding anymore.....

if anyone wants to donate theirs to a pregnancy cause....

let me know!

Strider · Postby **Strider** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:04 pm

We've got two, so you can wear them both and walk twice as far.

Irongirl · Postby **Irongirl** » Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:06 pm

strider wrote:We've got two, so you can wear them both and walk twice as far.

woohoo!

Worst organized race kit pick up ever:HBC Canada Day Run

Worst organized race kit pick up ever:HBC Canada Day Run

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