Good morning -
This year would have been our 11th annual Blue Crab Bolt Trail Running Series...a series that has become a summer tradition for thousands of local runners and a favorite of the entire EX2 team.
After several weeks of agonizing uncertainty and lots and lots of contingency planning,
I am extremely disappointed to announce that this year's series is being cancelled.
There are three reasons for the cancellation that I outline below, but the primary reasons are the continued concerns around the coronavirus and the associated limitations on gatherings and events.
Reasons for the cancellation
First, as of today, Montgomery County is still in phase 1 of its re-opening plan and has a 10 person limit on any gatherings. In addition, all events at Montgomery County parks are cancelled through the end of June. Phase 2 of the MoCo re-opening plan is likely coming soon, but when exactly I don't know.
The gathering limit in phase 2 appears to continue to be 10 people. This limit makes hosting our races impossible. There is a very high likelihood that many or all special events will be cancelled for all of July as well.
Second, even with an increase to the gathering limit to 50 (a natural next step in re-opening) there are operational issues with hosting the races.
We could host a race by staggering the start times over several hours, although I do not have an
official answer from the parks on whether or not this would even be allowed.
We could also implement touchless check-in and enforce social distancing throughout the event.
The issue comes with parking and racers leaving the venue while others are arriving due to the staggered start times.
Access to both Schaeffer Farms (Button Farm) and Little Bennett is via a narrow gravel road and two-way traffic is problematic.
The last thing I want is you to get stressed before the race because parking is a challenge.
We'll all be on edge a bit anyway and I'm afraid any parking issues would magnify the uneasiness.
Our mission is to create
EXcellent
EXperiences (EX2...get it?) and events with these challenges might fall short.
It's a risk that I just can't take.
Third, my gut is telling me that it might still be a little soon for gathering in groups for a race.
The speed at which we get back to normal is a polarizing issue for sure.
I know that many of you feel ready to get back out there and race, but I also know that many others do not.
I don't know yet when the right time will be in our area.
I'm hopeful that by this fall things will continue heading in the right direction and we'll all feel more comfortable getting out in groups.
EX2 Adventures is celebrating our 20th anniversary this year and has put on over 280 events. This year, we have a race calendar filled with 18 cycling, trail running, and multi-sport events. So far this year, we have had to postpone or cancel eight of our first nine races and this cancellation brings the total to 11. All of our events impact each other as many costs are shared across our events during the year. In addition, many race-specific costs are expended many weeks and months before a race ever takes place. I was able to put the breaks on many costs related to the Blue Crab Bolt series, but not all of them.
EX2 has largely had the same postponement and cancellation policy since its founding. It says that if an event is postponed and the athlete can't make the new date, then they receive 100% credit to another event. This is also the case if an event is cancelled. This policy always results in a financial loss for EX2, but we believe the credit policy treats our athletes fairly. Many events across the county do not provide any credit, deferral, or refund options at all and others charge a fee to defer.
Like many small businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic is having a very negative impact on the financial health of EX2. With that said, we understand that this situation is extremely difficult for many individuals and families. For these reasons, we have modified our normal policies to allow more flexibility.
With regard to your race entry, you have three options on how to proceed. Please click the link below to make your selection.
- Option #1: Receive 100% credit of your registration fee that you can apply to any future EX2 running events through the end of 2021.
- Option #2: Receive 100% refund of your registration fee (the processing fee charged by RunSignUp is not refundable).
- Option #3: Donate your entry fee to EX2 Adventures to help our small business survive this tough situation.
Thank you for your support of EX2 and our Blue Crab Bolt series. Take good care of yourself and your family.
If you have any concerns at all about the options above, please contact me.
Hang in there. Stay safe, healthy, and active! I hope to see all of you on the trails soon.
PS...we are having
virtual Blue Crab Bolt 100 and 50 mile challenge in July.
Great swag and a fun goal to work towards this summer.
An announcement will be made this week!! Keep your eye out for it!
