The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Jog, Captains 5K to be off and running
Competitor waves, other precautions net official approval
The Captains Grand Slam 5K on July 4 and Johnnycake Jog on July 12 will proceed.
The plans have been meticulously drawn — and the approval is now there to complement that hard work. The Captains Grand Slam 5K on July 4 and Johnnycake Jog on July 12 will proceed with organizational race modifications necessary amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Bill Dennison confirmed June 24.
The plan to stage those Lake Health Running Series staples has received the proverbial green light from the Lake County General Health District.
At least for one summer, the biggest alteration is the typical uniform start to a race is eliminated.
“What we’re doing is, we’re asking people for their predicted time, and we’ll break the waves down based on times,” Dennison said. “So people will have a time slot that they will show up at. We’ll social distance from that point on. Mentor Avenue, like for the Johnnycake, I could make waves all the way down Mentor Avenue because we’ve got three lanes to work with.
“So we’re all going to start this on July 4 at the Captains’ stadium.”
Dennison noted packets can be picked up at Second Sole in Mentor at designated times.
For the Captains 5K, pickup will be July 2 and 3 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For the Johnnycake Jog, it will be July 10 and 11, also from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Packet pickup the day of the event will ideally be limited for both races to those coming from out of town.
“We’re kind of pushing for people to pick stuff up early,” Dennison said. “That way, we don’t have any lines forming or anything on race day. Obviously, there will be limited day registration or packet pickup. But you’ve got people coming from out of town. We’ve got to take care of everybody.”
A request will be made for runners to wear a mask to the starting line, then take it off during the race.
There will be two water stops for the Johnnycake Jog, down from the usual three of years past. Volunteers for the race will be wearing masks and gloves, with plans for sanitizing in place as well.
“But you know Johnnycake — it can be blasting hot,” Dennison said. “So we’ve got to make sure that people are hydrated.”
When competitors proceed through the chute at the finish line, they will get water, potentially a snack and their medal — and then they’ll be asked to head straight home. Medals can also be picked up at Second Sole or mailed to competitors from out of town.
For the Captains 5K, former Indians second baseman Carlos Baerga will be back for the event to encourage competitors — from a distance of course. But no meet and greet or autograph session will be held.
Overall, the objective is an optimal but safe event.
“We’re just trying to have the race and do everything right, make people comfortable,” Dennison said. “If we bring people in waves based on their time, they’re racing with the same people they’d be racing with if we had a normal start. We’re able to put people in groups, and we’ll keep moving waves up.
“They’ll social distance when the wave starts, and with technology, which is great, your time doesn’t start until you cross the mat. Everybody in your wave is somebody you’d be competing against anyway. We feel really comfortable with the setup and how we’re going to do things.” Dennison has been consulting regularly with Lake County health commissioner Ron Graham and has also implemented some of the measures being used at Mentor as his Cardinals’ cross country squad returns to practice.
In those practices, runners are broken down into groups with social distancing, and no mass team gatherings are held before or after.
A full list of pandemic precautions for races can be found on the Lake Health Running Series website by visiting its COVID-19 information linked at the top of the home page.
The Captains 5K will be used as a dry run of sorts for the plan, with room left to tweak if needed going forward.
For those who wish to do so, a virtual option to compete will continue to be available.
“We were doing a virtual run for the Rock Hall Half Marathon last August, and we had 150 people sign up throughout the country,” Dennison said. “It’s just added another component for people who can’t be there. I’ve talked to some people who have said, ‘Hey, look, I’m so glad you’re back. But I’m just not comfortable yet.’ If they want to participate, this gives them that opportunity.”
Signup for the virtual option for upcoming races can also be found at lakehealthrunning.com.
The waves might help usher in a wave of the future in a sense as well, bringing more clarity to races organizationally that, in turn, makes for an improved competitor experience.
“I think we can get people around each other that are a similar time,” Dennison said. “I think it can give us some more organizational skill out there.
“If you’re coming with family, by all means — run with your family. If you’re not, let’s all be safe so we can keep racing and social distance. So we’re just looking at people to use common sense, and we’re doing our best to give them the ultimate race experience that they’re expecting.”