Race for the Cure question

alycedale10

I just had a couple of quick question about it. This will be my first 5k to participate in so I kind of don't know what to expect. I know this is a big walk/run. My question is would it be easier if I got a hotel room the night before? I live out in Cypress and I'm worried the traffic is going to be crazy and I have no idea where to park. Also do you recieve a packet in the mail about the race and when do you recieve it? I know these questions might be better for the H&F board but I figured I would ask here first. TIA!

charlotteL

We did it last year and it was so unorganized.  I would stay down there.

kat.in.the.hat

I would stay downtown, just to make a big event out of it.

Most races (but I haven't done race for the cure) they do packet pickup - where you go the day(s) before the race or the morning of the race and pick up your number, t-shirt, etc.

 

aggiewed

I did the walk last year but i will assume the run is the same. If you sign up early enough everything will be mailed to you ( your number shirt and all info). I would stay down there somewhere cause it starts at like the butt crack of dawn and is crazy crowded so there is like no where to park. Just know even for the runners it is very very crowded so I dont know how much they really get to run.

alycedale10

Thank ya'll so much! I'm going to look into a hotel to make life easier. Do you have any suggestions of places that are right by Sam Houston Park? Sorry for all the questions I'm just not really familar with downtown. I did register for it about a month ago give or take.

sm

we've done Race for the Cure a few times.  it is super-crowded, but we've never bothered with a hotel room. (we drive up from Pearland.)  if you want to stay downtown and make a weekend of it, that might be fun - but i don't think a hotel room is required.  just plan ahead.  we usually park several blocks away from the start, and just walk to the start.  nice warm-up.  

and just be aware that the race itself will be very crowded.  if it's your first 5K, you might not have anything to compare it to, but the crowds make it slow-going, especially at the beginning.  it's not a race to try for a PR.

good luck, and have fun!

p.s. if you sign up in time, they mail your packet to you.   

erica_kaspar

alycedale10:

Thank ya'll so much! I'm going to look into a hotel to make life easier. Do you have any suggestions of places that are right by Sam Houston Park? Sorry for all the questions I'm just not really familar with downtown. I did register for it about a month ago give or take.

Doubletree is right there

CindyandScott

Yes they will mail your packet to you unless you sign up at the last minute. I'm sure it would be easy if you stayed downtown. We drive in from Cypress every year. It is one of the most packed events I have been to and you want to be sure and get there early.

FinallyKrisB

This will be my third year in a row.  We always drive from Baytown and have parked in the same free parking lot about three blocks from the starts both years.  We've are always there in plenty of time and have never had any issues.

Temp38995750004016

You'll get your packet in the mail about a week prior. 

My company charters buses to pick us up and drop us off, we park offsite, away from downtown.  Doesn't METRO do something like this on race day?  I thought I read somewhere that they did.  There are 30,000 people in the race, they really should!

04JaxBride

my experience with this race was "too many people in one place and not enough organization".  

it's made me much more likely to "sleep in for the cure"!!!

good to see so many people in support of this cause, though. 

Febbride04

sm:

we've done Race for the Cure a few times.  it is super-crowded, but we've never bothered with a hotel room. (we drive up from Pearland.)  if you want to stay downtown and make a weekend of it, that might be fun - but i don't think a hotel room is required.  just plan ahead.  we usually park several blocks away from the start, and just walk to the start.  nice warm-up.  

and just be aware that the race itself will be very crowded.  if it's your first 5K, you might not have anything to compare it to, but the crowds make it slow-going, especially at the beginning.  it's not a race to try for a PR.

good luck, and have fun!

p.s. if you sign up in time, they mail your packet to you.   

All of this, except, I have actually found that if you line up in the competitive run area about where you should based on your pace, you actually can have a fairly fast race. I did PR in it a few years ago. Of course, I got to the finish line before DH and my neighbors even reached the start line for the walk. So crowded!

charlotteL

Febbride04:

sm:

we've done Race for the Cure a few times.  it is super-crowded, but we've never bothered with a hotel room. (we drive up from Pearland.)  if you want to stay downtown and make a weekend of it, that might be fun - but i don't think a hotel room is required.  just plan ahead.  we usually park several blocks away from the start, and just walk to the start.  nice warm-up.  

and just be aware that the race itself will be very crowded.  if it's your first 5K, you might not have anything to compare it to, but the crowds make it slow-going, especially at the beginning.  it's not a race to try for a PR.

good luck, and have fun!

p.s. if you sign up in time, they mail your packet to you.   

All of this, except, I have actually found that if you line up in the competitive run area about where you should based on your pace, you actually can have a fairly fast race. I did PR in it a few years ago. Of course, I got to the finish line before DH and my neighbors even reached the start line for the walk. So crowded!

 

We did the walk last year and it took us two hours to finish.  My friend did the competitive run and then found us and did the walk too.