Somers Great Escape 5k

With it being our 24th year, we figured we would celebrate by making some fun changes to the event. We hope you enjoy them! Here's the scoop:

$15 Entry Fee! While other races are increasing their fees... we cut ours in half!

Race Begins & Ends Inside the Four Town Fair!

Every runner will receive complimentary entrance into the Four Town Fair on Saturday 9/14!

Online Registration Only: This way the race is nearly paperless. It also allows us to abide by the participation cap (see the next line). 

As always, our course is USATF Certified (#CT19030JHP): This way you can be confident that you are completing a true 5k distance.

When: Saturday, 14 September 2024.
Time: Bib pickup begins at 7:00 A.M. - Mass Start is at 8:00 A.M.
Place: Four Town Fairground – 56 Egypt Road, Somers, CT 06071
Entry Fee: $15 - Online registration only! 

EVERYONE THAT FINISHES THE RACE IS AUTOMATICALLY ENTERED INTO A RAFFLE FOR $500!

If more than 200-runners sign up, the prize increases to $1,000!

Rather than a t-shirt that will get donated or a medal that gets thrown out... let's put that toward prize money everyone has equal chance in winning!  

These ladies have thermo-nuclear-level energy! We are so fortunate to have them support our race!

They're waking up early on a Saturday to check you in, hand out water, and generally allow the Escape to happen!

When you see and hear them, thank them... and please consider donating to their fundraiser!

(We'll email the link to their fundraiser in an email after the race)

Race Starts Promptly at 8:00AM
Looking for an old-fashioned starting line? You found it! It will be a customary mass start at 8AM!

Online Registration Only
This way the race is nearly paperless. It also allows us to abide by the participation cap (see the next line). 

Participation is Capped at 200 Runners
Yeah, forget that! Let's get to 500-runners and party! Let's go!!!

Signing Up On Race Day
Online registration will be open on race day - so you can sign up at home that morning. When you arrive, we'll hand you a bib.

Online Registration Only
That's right. I said it twice.

Bathrooms
We have flushing toilets! Hooray! But if it's not race day without a trip to a porta-potty, we've got you covered - we have those too! Either way... wash your damn hands. 

The Course
In 2019, we moved to this new course. After that race, the runners raved. With the exception of two short inclines, the course is generally flat. Adding to its ease, the course is nearly devoid of tangents (ie; turns or sways in direction). As soon as you make the left turn out of the Fairgrounds, you can essentially drop your head and go to work. If you're looking for an opportunity to go fast and attempt a personal record - here it is. Especially if we get crisp and clean autumn air. 

5k (3.1 miles) is the distance for the race. The course has been Certified by a United States Track and Field measurer. That said, I don't care if your fancy GPS watch says the course is long or short. Holy moly, I do not care. Just run and have fun.

Runners must stay to the right of the painted double-yellow center lines at all times. We may place traffic cones at certain points of the course to serve as reminders. Crossing the double-yellow lines in whole or part will be considered course-cutting. Violators will be subject to disqualification. 

General Course Support
As always, we'll provide water in cups at the halfway mark and finish line. 

Course Time Limit
Participants must complete the 3.1 mile course in 45-minutes (14-minutes, 30-second per mile pace). The course will re-open to normal vehicle traffic 45-minutes after the start. That means, as long as you average 14-minutes and 30-seconds per mile (that's a brisk-ish walk), you should be fine. 

Race Timing
Fully automatic timing will be provided. After the race, when we post your results, your finish time will be based on your “Gun Time” - meaning, your race clock begins as soon as the starter sounds the horn. Therefore, if you are towards the back of the crowd at the starting line, at the Great Escape, it may take you 10-20 seconds to actually cross the starting line.

Bibs
You will be assigned a bib when you arrive at the race. (A "bib" is that piece of paper with the numbers on it that you've seen runners wear.) One of our volunteers will make that connection. 

Bib Pickup
We'll begin handing out bibs no later than 7AM on race day. Volunteers will meet you in the parking lot. They'll use an app on their phones to check you in and assign your bib.  

Correct Bib Wear & Care
All bibs must be worn on your front, clear to view, preferably above the waist and in clear view. We need to be able to see your number. So do the finish line cameras. 

Timing Chip Wear
Please follow these directions! If you don't put the chip on correctly, the computer may not see you! The race will be professionally timed, using a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system. When you are issued your bib, there will be one digital tag glued to the back of it. Do not bend it or attempt to remove it. If the chip is creased or damaged, the RFID system may not "see" your chip... and your finish time will not be recorded. 

Results
After you cross the finish line, grab your smart phone and go to the results website: https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/37363/. Please check your results prior to the awards ceremony! 

Likeness Waiver
We can take your picture or your social media posts and use them appropriately. So smile. :)

Spectators: We love spectators! They bring enormous life to every race. If you plan on watching the race, there are four viewing points we will suggest:

1.      Start/Finish Line Inside the Fairgrounds: While the runners receive free entry to the Fair, spectators will need to pay a $5 entry fee - which is half the cost of the regular fair entry fee! After 8AM, the entry fee for spectators bumps back to $10 per person. If you don’t want to pay the fee, you are welcome to stand outside the gates.

2.      Field Road Park on Field Rd: Runners pass you twice – on their way to the turn-around, then on their return to the Fairgrounds. Parking can be found in Field Road Park.  

3.      Turn-Around Point on Field Road: This is also where the hydration station is located – feel free to volunteer! You’ll see your runner as they make their turn back toward the Fairgrounds. Parking can be found in the Southfield Corners Shopping Center.  

Parking
Will be available at the Four Town Fair. Parking is free.

Music & Earbuds
If you would like to listen to your own music, that's fine - but make sure that you can hear my directions at all times. USATF Rules will apply. Please understand that if there is an emergency, we need to be able to communicate with you. While it can be lonely some days, runners are typically super-social. Races are a wonderful opportunity for us runners to communicate with each other and enjoy in the camaraderie. If you regularly run with earbuds, I will challenge you to leave them out - even if it is for a portion of the race. Cheer for the runners you pass or who pass you. Smile. Make a new runner friend. 

Finish Line Etiquette
As you finish your race, run through the finish line. This keeps the finish line clear for the runners behind you. To the runners that complete their races, then head back out onto the course to connect with a friend that is still racing: DO NOT RUN THROUGH THE FINISH LINE TWICE. You give me or any other race timer a heart attack when you do that, because I/we think your chip was not read... but in fact, you've already completed the race. Furthermore, give your friend the moment they've earned - let them cross their finish line. 

If you have a question for the race timer - save it for after the race. The timer is busy operating the equipment, making sure everyone's finish time is tracked accurately. If you interrupt them and/or block their view, you could cause other runners' finish times to be missed. If your question is truly urgent, look for me (Scott). 

Jogging Strollers are allowed.
We just ask that anyone with a stroller position themselves at the rear of the field at the starting line. We'll also insist that the child wear a DOT approved helmet. Yes, the child must be registered for the race. This way we can assign them a bib number and their participation waiver is agreed to.  

Pets
Are not allowed in the race. 

Refunds
Once we are within 15-days of the race, no refunds can be considered. 

Footwear
With the exception of the 200-feet of gravel road inside the Fairground, you'll be running on paved road. Your regular trainers are fine. If you want to lace up some flats, let 'er rip tater chip!

Bandits
There have been several recent incidents where "bandits" or runners who did not sign up for the race but run anyway, jump into the Arena Attack. We understand that the Arena Attack races can sell out in advance and you might miss your opportunity to run. However, we need to make sure that the people that did appropriately register receive the experience that they paid for. Additionally, bandits create an enormous liability issue for all involved. Therefore, bandits will be immediately removed from the course. 

Volunteers
The UConn Women's Ultimate Frisbee Team will be supporting the race - checking you in, handing you water, and generally allowing the race to happen. Please thank them!

Be Cool
Leave the day behind. Put on a smile and some running shoes. Come run with friends. 

Did we miss an important detail? Let us know, so we can share it with the crowd! Email Scott at scott@sneaa.org with your question or suggestion.

If you haven’t already done so, please “Like” our Facebook page to stay up to speed on future race updates: https://www.facebook.com/TheSouthernNewEnglandAthleticAssociation Looking forward to seeing you all at the starting line! Cheers!

-Scott, Your Somers Great Escape Race Director

The Connecticut Department of Public Health sets the COVID protocol we must follow. As we have come to learn, these protocols change regularly. Be flexible. Be cool. Be respectful. Be safe.

Regardless of whatever precautions we all take, COVID is contagious. We, the race directors and officers, cannot guarantee your health. When you sign up for the Somers Great Escape, you recognize that you are responsible for your health.