Wave Starts
Starting at the NYRR Gridiron Classic in Central Park on February 4, 2007, select NYRR races will have a wave start. Wave starts will ease congestion at the start of races and allow runners to remain within the recreation lane during NYRR events. The result will be a more enjoyable experience for all race participants. Here’s what you need to know about wave starts.
Runners will be lined up in groups of 500-750 behind the start line. Each group is called a corral; as the group starts the race it will be known as a wave. The fastest runners will be assigned to the first corral. After the first wave starts the race, runners will fill the remaining corrals on a first-come, first-served basis, following the instructions of race officials and volunteers. Runners may also be asked to line up according to their per-mile pace within each corral, faster runners in the front and slower runners in the rear. Corrals may be filled from the rear or sides, or by gender, depending on the event. Please cooperate with NYRR staff and volunteers during this process.
Only qualified runners will be in the first corral. In advance of each race, NYRR will identify those entrants assigned to the first corral. These runners must have achieved an age-graded performance level of 74% or higher. (Entrants who have not run an NYRR race within the past year may be assigned to the first wave on a case-by-case basis; be prepared to show proof of an official time in a recent race.) At number pickup/registration, these entrants will receive an identification sticker to place on their race number. Only runners with identification stickers will be allowed to start in the first wave. Runners must be in the first corral 10 minutes prior to the start or they will be directed to the next available corral.
To ensure a smooth number pickup and registration process for first-wave runners, we ask that they register and pick up their numbers before race morning. When this is not possible, we ask that these runners arrive at number pickup/registration as early as possible on race morning.
Waves will start every 1 to 2 minutes. The official timing clock at the start will keep time based on the start of the first wave and will assist race officials in releasing waves at exact intervals.
Your official race time begins when you cross the starting line. Each runner’s official race time will be his or her net time—that is, beginning when the runner’s ChampionChip crosses the timing mats at the start and ending when the chip crosses the mats at the finish.
Calculate your split times at each mile by noting the start clock at the starting line. NYRR will provide timing clocks at each mile along the course (and kilometer, in some events) and at the finish. These clocks will display the cumulative race time based on the start time of the first wave. Runners should note the time on the start clock as they cross the start line to calculate their split times at each mile.
Race results will be available on race day. All race results will be printed, posted, and available after the time allotted for the race distance (for example, three hours for a half-marathon). At this point, event staff will make the awards available for distribution on site (or at NYRR the following day). The overall winner of the race and all prize-money recipients must have started in the first wave; gun time, not net time, will determine the overall winners.
Important note: Wave starts help ensure that official entrants in NYRR races stay within the recreation lane throughout the race, according to City of New York Parks & Recreation rules and NYRR rules. The official course will be fully delineated and runners will be required to run inside the delineated lane. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. Wave starts and net timing are new processes for our weekly races, and we will collect data and modify these processes as needed to work best at all our events
