Celtic Solstice 2011

Druid Hill Park - Stieff Silver, Keswick and Wyman Park Drive/800 Wyman Park Drive

Saturday, December 17, 2011 @ 8:30 AM

Date

Start: Saturday, December 17, 2011 @ 8:30 AM

Additional Date Information

8:30 AM

Address

Druid Hill Park - Stieff Silver, Keswick and Wyman Park Drive/800 Wyman Park Drive
800 Wyman Park Drive Baltimore, MD

Fees

$55 with Race Shirt

Registration Closing Date

Saturday, December 10, 2011 @ 11:59 PM PST

Brief Description

Baltimore's premier winter race! The eleventh running of a rolling course that winds around the Mansion House, the Baltimore Zoo, the Arboreteum, Druid Lake, the Moorish Tower, to a downhill finish. And absolutely the finest winter running shirt in the land.

Late entry

All timing chips have been distributed. Anyone who wishes to attend the 2011 Celtic Solstice must sign a waiver and pay the $25 entry fee, but you will not receive an official time because we have no more timing chips. However, you may partake without guilt of the soup and wassail and other refreshments at the end, be eligible for random awards, and run the race. 100% of these entries goes to Team in Training.

Waiting List Procedure

The race is filled, but a few slots do open on occasion. Register on the Waiting List, you will be notified if and when an opening occurs.

Premium Availibility

As of November there were about 10 women's medium, 10 women's large, and 2 men's XL remaining. Once these are gone only non-premium registration will be available.

Invited Runners

The following five runners have completed all ten previous Celtic Solstice races and will receive a complimentary race entry. Email jim@baltmorerunning.com before registering here. Jack Heisler, Richard Krummerich, Ingrid Pfoertsch, Shawn Pinamonti, Linell Smith. Also, all previous race winners receive a complimentary entry.

Volunteers

The demand for volunteers continues to increase. We are looking for experienced volunteers who understand the needs of the runners. You can register to be a volunteer here. Volunteer tasks include: 1. Pre-race preparation 2. Packet pickup 3. Race day registration activities 4. Premium distribution 5. Course set-up and marshalling 6. Water stop 7. Parking marshals 8. Food set-up 9. Chip retrieval 10. Clean-up

Race limitation -

Due to parking and course limitation, the race is capped at 2500 runners.

2011 Race Logo

This year the race logo is Cari Buziak's interpretation of pair of intertwined snowbirds, a wonderfully mystical creature of a bygone era. The design will be screened on the backs of the race shirts in matching pattern colors to the shirt fabric at the Brooks factory.

Sizing Issues - Men's and Women's Sizes

If are are female and order a female medium, you will be issued a female medium, not a male medium. If you are female and order a male medium instead of a female large, you will receive a male medium. Shirts run true to size and will be on hand to try on before the event.

This year's Premium shirt - Equilibrium Thermal

This year's premium is the Brooks Equilibrium Thermal long-sleevel....technical enough for the run, comfortable enough as an everyday base-layer. Silky, super-soft brushed fabric is both lightweight and stretchable with cozy thumbholes. The men's is a dark red with grey contrasts, women's are light blue. MSRP is $55

Pricing / Budget Information

This event attempts to provide a quality race and post-race party and high quality premium at an affordable cost. Fixed costs are insurance, permits, police, and Parks&Rec Maintenance to salt and clear roads. Variable costs go to food, drink, awards, tents, spot-a-pots, chiptiming, etc. We try to keep the race cost at the premium cost . However our costs for timing, permits and other city services keep going up year after year but we continue to try and hold the line.

Waitlist for non-premium entries

If your premium size is sold out, or you want to enter without a premium, you may sign up for the waitlist at no charge. As the bulk of the premiums (and associated chips) are accounted for we will open up the waitlist by emailing all who are on it a password so that you have the opportunity to register early once that category opens.

Non-Premium Entries

In the past we have allowed runners to register for a lesser fee without the premium. We intend to offer that feature again this year, however we will wait until after the premiums are sold to registrants before opening up that category. Those spots are extremely limited.

The Show Must Go On!

This event received some degree of notoriety because we ran the event anyway in the face of a raging blizzard in 2009. http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/video/video.php?v=256020564427&ref=mf The fact of the matter is that about 10% of the entrants live within walking distance of Druid Hill Park. The late-starting snow and dry road surface helped logistically. Had the weather pattern developed the way it did with the February blizzards we would have had a difficult time pulling it off.

Reserving the right to cancel

Despite the adventure in a blizzard, the race director reserves the right to cancel the event without notice if unforeseen circumstances present themselves that render the event dangerous to attend or conduct. We cannot stop you from driving on icy roads to an event. We will can choose not run the event on icy roads however.

Invited Runner Standards

In addition to our ten time finishers, we will offer very limited complimentary entries to local "elite". Let's just say that the starting point for consideration is consistent age-group rankings in WRR. Email your racing resume to baltimorerunning@yahoo.com

Premium pickup hours

All entrants may pick up their race premium and race bib number at Falls Road Running Store Saturday December 10 through Friday Dec. 16th at 5PM. Race premium and bib numbers are also available for pick up on race day at the race site under the big tent. Timing chips are picked-up on race day only and must be returned after you cross the finish line.

Walk Up Registrations

Runners may sign up in person at Falls Road Running during the shirt distribution/packet-pickup week starting on December 10. This is limited to available unassigned numbers and may be closed by then.

Out-of-town Premium Pickup

In the past we have coordinated out-of-town premium pickups in Annapolis, Arlington, Columbia, and Silver Spring on the weekend of December 10th and plan to do so again this year. Details will be published at www.baltimorerunning.com

Parking Instructions - WE WILL TOW

Detailed parking maps and directions will be posted at www.baltimorerunning.com. Do not block the course inside the park, you will be towed. The lots at the start at Stieff Silver are closed. Main parking lots are Druid Lake Drive on the outer perimeter, the Mansion House Loop, and the Maryland Zoo. There is a pay parking garage ($6) on the Johns Hopkins campus about 1/2 mile away from the start.

Directions to the Start From I83 (Jones Falls XPY)

Take Exit 7 to Druid Lake Drive. Take Druid Lake Drive to the first road on the right at the end of the lake (not the lakeside road). Turn right. Go to the Mansion House Loop and follow the parking instructions. Shuttles will take you to Stieff Silver.

Host Hotel

There is no "official" host hotel, however, the closest hotel to the start is The Inn at the Colonnade, 4 West University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21218-2306 (410) 235-5400. It is about a mile and half by foot to the starting line, shorter if you figure out how to cut across the Johns Hopkins campus.

Christmas Tree Decorations

Per a special arrangement, we plan to have a limited number of Christmas Tree balls with this year's Celtic Solstice logo available for sale at packet pickup or on race day.

Other Falls Road Events prior to Celtic Solstice

Oct 2 - Falls Road 15K in Druid Hill Park ---- November 24 Gobble Cobble Turkey Trot at Harbor East. Registration is here on active.com for both events.

No Refunds, No Confirmations

If you entered the event twice in error, contact active.com directly for a refund. No refunds for no-shows at the race. Bib transfers must happen no later than November 30. All left-over shirts will be sold post-race.

Additional Information

$55 pre-registered with premium race pullover $25 race day without premium if there are any openings. Leftover premiums will be offered for sale post-race only Stieff Silver is an historical renovated factory adjacent to Druid Hill Park.

Map

Photos