Dear ,
Are you ready to run from Olympic Valley to Auburn on June 26?
Things are definitely looking better in the U.S. generally, and California specifically: daily infections have stayed flat and may be heading downward for the final time; vaccinations are available to everybody 16 and older; over 50% of adults in the US have had at least one jab; races are happening again in California with The Canyons 100K this weekend, American River 50M next month, to name a few; travel restrictions are continuing to ease; and the California governor announced that the state will be fully opened on June 15! At the current vaccination rate of over 3 million per day, over 70% of all the U.S. population will have at least one jab by June 17.
Mitigation Protocols
I have been telling everybody who has asked me questions about if the race will happen and what the protocols are: if we make decisions too early, they will likely be the wrong decisions. It's like deciding how your race is going to go when you're climbing up to Devil's Thumb and taste nickels in your mouth. Don't make the decision to drop on the climb. It will end, you'll get the popsicle, and may actually feel better when you cross the river 30 miles later than you do now. Or not. The mitigation plans we started working on last December are pretty much all gonna be scrapped. We know that the virus is spread primarily by breathing in particles with the virus, not by touching surfaces. We know outdoor transmission is rare, indoor transmission much more likely in poorly ventilated areas. We know that asymptomatic spread is more sinister and doing things like taking temperature is, well, not that useful. Outdoor activities like running races are good for us mentally and physically. With that said we expect to know even more in the next two months.
So what will the race look like in terms of COVID mitigation? Many of the specifics are still TBD. I can tell you that we made the decision to require all our volunteers be vaccinated. We expect crews and pacers to be allowed with some restrictions. We'll likely not have shuttle buses at Robinson Flat and Michigan Bluff, so crews will have to walk the short distance into them. Whether we force a limit on crews or not is still TBD, but you can help us by minimizing your crew vehicles. If limitations are imposed on the number of crew it will likely be one crew vehicle per aid station or set of aid stations. For you runners, we are still working on our pre-race screening which may include proof of vaccination, negative COVID-19 test, or positive anti-body test. We have very smart people advising us and we want to make sure you feel safe but also aren't put into a position where you test positive at Olympic Valley with no chance to correct (the dreaded false positive). We believe we can and will put on a safe event for everybody involved, but your continued patience is appreciated.
New Performance Nutrition Sponsor
We are excited to announce that GU Energy Labs is our performance nutrition sponsor. GU will provide a full suite of hydration, energy, and recovery products on course, including both their original and ROCTANE Energy Gels, new Liquid Energy Gels, Hydration Drink Tabs and ROCTANE Energy Drink. ROCTANE Protein Recovery Drink will be available to runners at the finish. Additionally, to fulfill its mission to be maximally sustainable, GU will supply reusable HydraPak SpeedCups and HydraPak 5-serving gel flasks to athletes and facilitate the recycling of all brands of sports nutrition wrappers on course through TerraCycle.
Wait List
For the first time since we implemented the wait list in 2017, we have exhausted the 2021 wait list. Everybody from the list has been invited and has either entered the race or declined the invitation. With this, we are expecting to start fewer than 369 runners, the magic number the USFS allows us to have over a five year rolling average. Instead of trying to fill those spots in 2021, we'll start more than 369 over the next few years to gain them back.
Lottery Changes
If you didn't see the lottery changes we announced earlier this month, please check them out. In short, we relaxed the consecutive year requirement to maintain ticket counts. And, for runners selected to race you won't lose your ticket counts if you withdraw by 1 p.m. Friday before the race.
Refund Schedule
The refund schedule remains the same: 75% if you withdraw by May 1; 50% between May 2 through June 9; 25% June 10 through June 20; no refund after June 20.
Race Week Agenda
The race week schedule at Olympic Valley is still in flux but things we do know: the pre-race briefing will be held outdoors like the old days, and the Uphill Challenge has been cancelled for this year.
Bib Assignments and General information forms
As I mentioned in a prior update, please fill out the general information form so Tropical John Medinger won't have to make things up as you run the final 250 meters around the Placer HS track. You can find your bib number on the entrants list on our website. With your bib number, please go to the general information form and provide interesting content about yourself. TJ thanks you.
International Runners
WSER provides a number of services for our international runners including:
- Shake out run to the famous No Hands Bridge
- A welcome podcast, Q&A and reception and chance to meet local veterans and luminaries of WSER and the Auburn area
- Arrangements for a pacer
In closing, expect at least two more updates between now and the race. You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram between the updates.
Hope you and your family are safe and I look forward to our gathering in Olympic Valley at the end of June.
Craig Thornley
Race Director
