Author Topic: New Ascent Cutoff Time?!  (Read 3067 times)

ChicagoRunner

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 2
New Ascent Cutoff Time?!
« on: August 09, 2018, 09:38:38 AM »
UPDATE: Received an email response that the change was a typo! Cutoff for Ascent summit is still 6 hours 30 minutes.

First-timer and flat-lander here. I've been training hard and hitting my targets, and am eager to join everyone for the race next week.

However, I was a little surprised by the email yesterday that indicated the cutoff time for the Ascent was 6 hours 15 minutes. On the website it's shown to be 6 hours and 30 minutes (and was the cutoff last year).

If that's the case, and additional 75 runners (a little over 4% of Ascent runners) last year would have been Over the Cuffoff (OCO) with the new cutoff!

I'm not a naturally strong runner, but I've trained hard, and a 15 minute difference is a huge change (as proven by how many would have been OCO in last year's race).

I wasn't training to simply beat the cutoffs, but as a flat-lander, I also realized that the altitude was a variable I couldn't control, and the cutoff times were definitely something I was keeping close in mind.

So, was this change announced prior to the email? Honestly, it seems a little unfair to those who have been training with the idea that the cutoff would be 6 hours, 30 minutes.





« Last Edit: August 09, 2018, 12:11:09 PM by ChicagoRunner »

KSFlatlander

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 8
Re: New Ascent Cutoff Time?!
« Reply #1 on: August 09, 2018, 03:18:17 PM »
This email has confused several people in the local FB group I follow. I am sure that Jon will clarify when he gets a chance.  It is my understanding, based off of the web site, that the finish cutoff is 6:30:00 for the Ascent.  For those that are doing the Marathon on Sunday the summit cutoff is 6:15:00. Your cutoff time for the Ascent starts when you cross the start timing mat with your wave. 

With that said there are also various cutoffs at some of the check points that are found on the website under Race Info / Wave Start and Cutoff Time.  Do note that according to this page that the cutoff time at these checkpoints start at 7:00AM and NOT when you cross the starting/timing mat. For example, the race starts at 7:00 AM...so everyone's cutoff, regardless of the wave;  Barr Camp is 10:30AM (3.5 hours from 7:00AM), A-Frame is 11:45 (4 hours and 45 minutes from 7:00 AM.) and the cutoff for the Marathon is at 1:15 (6 hours, 15 minutes from 7:00AM) Now this can impact those runners who start in later waves...for example, those that start in Wave 7 will have less time to hit these checkpoints than those that are in the waves 1 through 6. (Don't start early or you will get DQ'd).

According to the web site this is the reason why...
"Q: Why are the on-course cutoff times not based on my starting time?
 A: The volunteers enforcing the on-course cutoff times do not know what time a runner has started. Some runners in early waves intentionally start further back with a friend or family member. We do not want a situation where two runners who started at the same time arrive at a cutoff location, only to have one of them be forced to turn around."


Hope this helps!

John Garner

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 116
Re: New Ascent Cutoff Time?!
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2018, 12:49:04 PM »
One side note about the on-course cutoffs:

We took the old cutoffs from the days when "Wave 2" started at 7:30 and used those to establish the on-course cutoff times. If you started in wave 20 (7:20) and find yourself at Barr Camp at 10:30, you are so far behind the curve that even if there was not cutoff at that spot, the chances of you making it to the summit in time for the 6:30 cutoff are very, very small.

And yeah, if you start early you will be DQ'ed before you hit NoName. So don't do that. :-)

--john