TOP SURVEY QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Thank you to all of our 2017 Rock Tahoe participants who completed the race survey. We really appreciate all of the feedback you provided and read through every single comment. Here are some answers to the more frequently asked questions/comments we received:
- Mile Markers were up every mile, but some people still missed them. This year we'll make sure to make them bigger! They will be up at or just above eye level though to allow enough room in the lane for runners, but your eyes should be gazing at the gorgeous scenery anyway!
- We heard you loud and clear that you'd like to have a special non-alcoholic drink at the finish line for those that don't want to partake in the free beer. DONE! TruMoo has already come on as a sponsor for 2018 and will have chocolate milk at the finish line. Yum!
- The Start Time: This is the first year we’ve had complaints about the start time. It’s also the first year it got “Tahoe Hot” (74-78 degrees) at the finish. We do realize that at this altitude, the relative heat is far greater than the temperature suggests. Here’s the quandary: it snowed in Tahoe five days before the event. The previous two years had start temps in the 30’s and 40’s. You never know what you’re going to get in the mountains. We hedge our bets with a bit later start time, and heck, you get to sleep in a little too.
- Porta Potties: Even though we added more this past year along the entire course, we still heard feedback about long waits at the first aid station. We'll be adding more potties there this year to help alleviate that problem!
- Aid Stations: This year we had one less aid station for a total of 7 (instead of 8 as in 2016) due to the road construction. The last four though were all in the same spots as the previous year, it just may have been the heat that made them seem farther away or not as many. Assuming all the road construction is complete, we'll be back at the original 8 stations again for 2018!
- Trash: Environmental stewardship is extremely important to us. Our volunteers and our staff do an amazing job of ensuring that there is absolutely no trace of our event when we are done. We also have the good fortune of working with South Tahoe Refuse to recycle all applicable waste. That said, if you see somebody throw a can, or a gel wrapper, or clothing in the forest instead of near an Aid Station, please tell them how lame they are, get their bib number and we will gladly ask them not to return.
Finally, the Penalty Box...
Luckily we only got this comment/question from one person this year. Still, it irks us enough to respond. The early start is for 3 hr + finishers. If you are a flatlander that runs a 2:10:00 you should not be in the early start. On your worst day at altitude you are very unlikely to run 3-4 min/mile slower. Do the math, give yourself some credit, and don’t complain. The penalty boxes will still be there every. single. year.
We're working on some other exciting additions/changes for 2018 and will announce them as soon as they're ready to roll! Again, thank you for your feedback and we hope you join us for 2018 to see the improvements!
Cheers,
Jess & Jason
