2022 Bitter Pill Racer Update #2 (#1 was not posted, but would not be valid anyways)
Racers – you should have received this in your inbox.
Hi Racers!
We are just a week and half away from 12 hours of epic adventuring by foot, bike, and boat. In the 11th hour, we got some good news regarding course design resulting in a few changes that we are excited to share.
1) There will be NO bike drop-off Friday evening. You simply bring your bikes with you to the race start Saturday morning. For those of you who like to sleep with your bike the night before for good luck, be our guest.
2) In fact, we are CANCELING the entire Friday night check-in. If you are receiving this email, you are indeed registered and all set. Simply show up Saturday morning bright and early with all of your gear and ready to race. If you happen to be in the area and have last minute burning questions or just want to say hi, I (and perhaps other GMARA volunteers) will be hanging out at a local bar from 6-8 pm. Stay tuned for the update next week as to what bar we will be at, but this will not be an official event nor will any checkpoint location hints be given out.
Lots of good news for both course design and travel/sleep plans. But that is not all. Oh, no. That is not all.
3) In our generosity, we are giving you an extra 15 minutes of more sleep. The 2022 Bitter Pill race will officially start at 5:15 am from Blush Hill Country Club. You should plan on being ready to race at 5:15. This means bags are packed, gear is ready, and stretching is done, so show up early to give yourself enough time. GMARA volunteers will be on site by 4:45 am. We are currently working on having bathroom access early in the morning, and will be included in next week’s final race update.
4) There will be a cash bar at Blush Hill open as soon as you finish. They have asked for as many folks as possible to use cash to speed up the line as their credit card machine can be slow. If possible, please bring cash with you if you will want a beverage.
5) We do not have access to their showers. Please respect our host venue’s request as their water system would not be able to handle the load. Don’t worry about your smell, as we will all be sweaty together (except for teams whose boat capsized).
Answers to other questions we have received via email:
– Camping is not allowed on site
– Parking Saturday morning will be at Blush Hill Country Club. There will be a GMARA volunteer instructing you where to park starting by 4:45 am.
– You should plan on being able to carry all gear with you (except for bike) during all parts of the race. You may find that you are allowed to leave certain items such as bike shoes or water bottles with your bike at various points in the race. However, it is possible that your bike may be moved by GMARA race volunteers, perhaps for significant distances, and we are not responsible for any gear that might become dislodged easily from the bike.
– Declination for the area is about 14 degrees west. The exact declination will be given at race start.
Next race update will be next Wednesday. Don’t hesitate to reach out via email with any other questions before then. Looking forward to seeing everyone soon.
Cheers,
Ross and the GMARA crew