So, in Boston, every year there's the tradition of waking up at the crack of dawn, riding the Boston marathon course out to Hopkinton and back in.
In LA, there's the newer, annual 'Marathon Crash Race,' in which participants start from ~Tang's Donuts at like 4 or 5am, dip onto the marathon course, and race their way along the course to a finish at the beach in Santa Monica just before sunrise.
Both of which take advantage of a closed course on urban roads, with general support (or at least not minding) by marathon organizers/police details, and are loads of fun. (I've had the good fortune of being able to do both at least once, and they're a total blast!)
That being said, since I haven't been in Pittsburgh long enough to know what's up here - what is the timeframe that marathon setup begins, and would allow for a closed/semi-closed course before the marathon start time? Also, on a scale of 1-to-'getting-tackled-by-the-'po, how likely is it that such an event could actually take place?
Given the chance, I'd love to organize some shenanigans...
Conversely, could then runners crash a closed road pedal Pittsburgh?
That being said, I have ridden parts of closed running race courses with the race in progress. I was very mindful to do it at a time when there were very few runners about.
I have also ridden lead bike for cross country races in Schenley and Frick to alert others that a large group of runners was approaching.
At that hour you'd have the roads to yourself anyways. I'm always amazed how little traffic there is at even 8 or 9a on Sunday morning.
That would be rad. How long before the race do they close the course to traffic?
The Great Race runs through my neighborhood and they close the course not long (say, half an hour or so) before it starts, with police cars. I think you'd have a hard time crashing the course here in Pgh.
Here's the road closure information for last year's event.
It looks like if you started at 6:00 AM (not sure what time the event went off), you could probably string together the closures, given that they are kinda rolling.
I would totally be down for this.
Interested, perhaps we could work it into something bigger?
On a side note the guys that watch over the course for the Gran Prix let me ride it on my bicycle without a care. That was kind of fun.
If I wasn't running the half marathon, I'd so be down for this!
Why not just race real races?
"Real" races? I'm not sure what you mean. If you mean a bike race instead of a running race...well I don't really "race" either. To me, I'm doing the half marathon just for fun and the sake of doing it, I'm really only competing against myself, in my mind.
My comment was to the OP.
I went to the start of the LA Marathon crash race
the other year.
I get the idea of alleycats. You navigate your
own way around and can be faster by being smarter
and knowing the city.
But then people want a closed course and
want it to be like a real race. In LA there
were pack dynamics and break aways and carbon
wheels. Why not just race real races rather
than do something illegal that further gives
cyclists a bad name when basically the same
thing already exists?
Racing licenses are for squares.
Bike jocks.
@steevo - I already do race real races, but this would just something else fun to do. These kind of events elsewhere bring out all sorts of cyclists - serious roadies, commuters, 'fixed gear' kids/typical alleycat types, etc etc, and doesn't necessarily have to be a race, just another excuse to ride bikes.
I think whether or not it would give cyclists a bad name is up to debate. The LA marathon course was DEAD aside from the set-up workers themselves (who didn't care), but it was nice knowing you weren't going to get t-boned at an intersection by a some lone car. (Also, LA is weird, in that although there's pack dynamics, breakaways, and carbon wheels, they have SERIOUS talent that comes out, too.)
The Boston out-and-back ride begins a bit later, but it's VERY well traveled, until very close to the marathon start time. Marathon organizers don't seem to mind, as the cyclists never get in their way, or drain any of their resources (aid stations, portopotties, etc), and police details are actually pretty friendly unless you're still on the course when the marathon actually begins/anywhere remotely close to them. And in that case, they say "hey, get off," and most cyclists are plenty courteous and do.
Right. So. All's I'm saying: there is a 'market' for these type of events elsewhere, I'm just curious to see if there's a market for them here, and if they'd even be viable.
If this happens I'll probably be riding it on my Felt B14 triathlon bike.
this thread makes think of "Pathletes"
this thread makes think of "Pathletes"
I resemble that remark.
@reddan - hardly...you and I BOTH did the CTC. you know who I'm talking about. Full time trial kit, carbon slice frame, deep v carbon tubulars, rear Zipp disk, full fairing aero helmet, skinsuit, shaved legs and requisite iPOD...RIDING ON THE SCHYULKILL RAIL TRAIL!!!!! hahahaha
Willie P, so you're saying I SHOULDNT ride my tri bike on CtC?
@boostuv - I was actually referring to the hordes of "urbanites" from Philly that apparently only ride back and fort all day long on the paved trail in FULL TRI/AERO KIT.
I actually think CtC competitor in full Aero would be pretty cool. Danny Chew would probably do that.
In fact, probably better served for the CtC thread - but I'd like to see Chew do the CtC and hopefully shatter the course record. Steevo could probably bend Dan's ear into doing it.
"I was actually referring to the hordes of "urbanites" from Philly that apparently only ride back and fort all day long on the paved trail in FULL TRI/AERO KIT."
Ha! Seattle has those too on the Burke-Gilman trail. You'd think the jerks were trying to break some TT record as they race along dodging joggers with strollers.
For those who have not visited the Urban Velo site, see the video of the LA Wolfpack Hustle marathon crash race. awesome. Truly great video, even aside from the subject matter.
http://urbanvelo.org/wolfpack-hustle-marathon-crash-race/
Having said that, I don't know that it could or should be done here. Sometimes you just can't imitate awesome.
Last night (this morning?) I did the Boston Midnight Marathon. A couple of guys have been organizing this for a few years now, and participation trends seem to mirror that of the keg ride. Last year it was 200 something. This year I heard numbers ranging from 450 to 700. Hopefully someone comes out with an official count.
The marathon is a one way thing, rather than a loop, and as per the OP, it starts way out in the burbs.. 26.2 miles out in the burbs. The ride was supposed to start at midnight. Some people carpooled out, others rode out, but most took the commuter train (photos courtesy of the corresponding twitter handles):
dwillen - At South Station, Boston, MA - around 10pm
smoorearch - loading up
dwillen - mid loading
smoorearch - almost done!
jmevans00 - loaded up...
BostonTweet - all the train cars were unique as far as the seating arrangment went, so stacking bikes was a bit different on each one.
leetoma - a different car...
JackSullivan19 - another...
skurpie - my favorite
The MBTA was really, really awesome. The ride organizers notified them a couple days in advance, so instead of their usual Sunday night, 11 pm train, they brought out a train with extra cars. We started boarding an hour before departure and filled all the cars in only 15 minutes. They added more, and more, and more cars until everyone was on. We had over 13 train cars full of bikes and cyclists. This worked great except that all the other train platforms are only long enough for something like 4 train cars. They had to let everyone out in shifts. Let the first cars out, move the train up, let the next group out, repeat.
After we all got out and gathered in a massive group, it started pouring rain. It was about a 3 mile ride to the start line, then you had 26.2 miles till the finish. The course was marked, the outhouses were out, banners everywhere, but the roadway was technically open to traffic. We had a bunch of spontaneous police escorts at the start of the ride (I guess they figured they couldn't hassle 700 cyclists, so may as well support them till they gtfo). The rest of the course, I was passed by only one car, and saw maybe 4 cars coming from the other direction before we got into Boston proper. Not a lot of traffic that time of the night on a Sunday. The finish line was blocked off from traffic already, so we had a little place for people to gather as they finished. All in all it was tons of fun to get out on a nice evening with hundreds of other riders.
Last night (this morning?) I did the Boston Midnight Marathon. A couple of guys have been organizing this for a few years now, and participation trends seem to mirror that of the keg ride. Last year it was 200 something. This year I heard numbers ranging from 450 to 700. Hopefully someone comes out with an official count.
The marathon is a one way thing, rather than a loop, and as per the OP, it starts way out in the burbs.. 26.2 miles out in the burbs. The ride was supposed to start at midnight. Some people carpooled out, others rode out, but most took the commuter train (photos courtesy of the corresponding twitter handles):
dwillen - At South Station, Boston, MA - around 10pm
smoorearch - loading up
dwillen - mid loading
smoorearch - almost done!
jmevans00 - loaded up...
BostonTweet - all the train cars were unique as far as the seating arrangment went, so stacking bikes was a bit different on each one.
leetoma - a different car...
JackSullivan19 - another...
skurpie - my favorite
The MBTA was really, really awesome. The ride organizers notified them a couple days in advance, so instead of their usual Sunday night, 11 pm train, they brought out a train with extra cars. We started boarding an hour before departure and filled all the cars in only 15 minutes. They added more, and more, and more cars until everyone was on. We had over 13 train cars full of bikes and cyclists. This worked great except that all the other train platforms are only long enough for something like 4 train cars. They had to let everyone out in shifts. Let the first cars out, move the train up, let the next group out, repeat.
After we all got out and gathered in a massive group, it started pouring rain. It was about a 3 mile ride to the start line, then you had 26.2 miles till the finish. The course was marked, the outhouses were out, banners everywhere, but the roadway was technically open to traffic. We had a bunch of spontaneous police escorts at the start of the ride (I guess they figured they couldn't hassle 700 cyclists, so may as well support them till they gtfo). The rest of the course, I was passed by only one car, and saw maybe 4 cars coming from the other direction before we got into Boston proper. Not a lot of traffic that time of the night on a Sunday. The finish line was blocked off from traffic already, so we had a little place for people to gather as they finished. All in all it was tons of fun to get out on a nice evening with hundreds of other riders.
So awesome. I should have flown out.
That is damn cool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuJBb4ZE3JU
Apparently it blew up to over 2000 cyclists this year for the LA Marathon, and they got a police escort to go with it too.
@dwillen, that looks like a lot of fun, would you mind a couple of campers on your floor next year? (assuming we can get a few bikes onto Amtrak or Megabus) I would be up to doing something similar here if we started at midnight.
I wouldn't mind at all. Send me a message closer to next spring though. We might change apartments before then.
Two different outfits here were renting bikes. There was a hubway rep there that gave all the hubway members free rentals.
Awesome that MBTA accommodated everyone. What great PR!
Serious dearth of helmets in those photos, hope no one spontaneously combusted or otherwise died.
that is very cool, MBTA looks like they definitely "won".
The pictures make me understand better the idea (and make it look like an impossible amount of fun), but the title of the thread ...
I can't help but see it and envision a planned catastrophic collision of a foot race and a cycling race - lycra and sweat and steel and screams in every direction as people chaotically attempt to weave across the path of the other race via their own mode of transportation. Like some athletic game of frogger, with nothing but frogs.
Majority of people were helmeted.
The start of the race was way out there. No street lights, newly paved roads in the pouring rain, and little rolling hills. I saw maybe half a dozen people go down, half on wet, angled rail crossings. I didn't hear of any serious injuries.
The first 5 or so miles people were all over the road, filling the oncoming lane. I'm happy there wasn't serious carnage. I think I am going to contact the organizers though and suggest they include a little blurb about traffic safety in their pre-ride announcement next year.
I liked the idea that other groups were ok with the idea of this happening. Having a semi-structured event with the knowledge, blessing and cooperation of the main event organizers sits a lot better than "crashing" someone elses organized event.
As I said before, imagine if hundreds of runners showed up on a closed bike event course before it started. If prior understandings were not arranged, I think there would be some very upset people.
