Bull Run Run 2008 -- Entry Procedures

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Executive Summary

This entry procedure is for the 2008 VHTRC Bull Run Run 50 mile (BRR). It is not for MMT. Furthermore, it may or may not be used in whole or in part for future BRRs.

The BRR entry will be open for two and a half days. At any time during this period, those desiring to apply may visit the Web page and do so.

At the end of the application period, some runners will get in automatically based on the criteria set forth below. The rest of the applicants (most) will be entered in an "even, unweighted" lottery to get in. A wait list will be kept for those who don't get in automatically or through the lottery. The wait list will be prioritized based on the second set of criteria set forth below.

Overview

Anyone who wants to run the 2008 BRR must complete the on-line application form during the specified time. The application form will be available from 9 am, Sunday, January 13th through 9pm, Tuesday, January 15th. No one who wants to enter gets to avoid filling out the online application during this two and a half day period. If you do not fill out the form during this time, you will not be considered for the event regardless of who you are or the circumstance.

Runners may enter only one time, under their legal name. All entrants accepted may be required to verify their identity with a drivers license or a valid id at race packet pickup. This is necessary to help ensure that the lottery is fair, even, and that everyone has the same odds. For the most part, ultrarunners are upfront and very honest. However, it must be said that anyone caught intentionally trying to subvert or "game" this system may be barred from all future VHTRC events.

There are two classes of people who will receive special consideration. The first class will be guaranteed selection if they apply and will not have to go through the lottery. The second class will be prioritized at the top of the waiting list if they do not get selected in the lottery.

Special consideration is non-transferable.

Special consideration does not mean free entry. Everyone must pay to run the race. The only exceptions to this are scholarship recipients and the winner of the BRR logo contest. Furthermore, receiving a scholarship does not mean automatic entry. Those who receive scholarships must apply to enter the race based on the same criteria as everyone else. However once in, they do not have to pay.

After the application period is over, the people who are in automatically will be moved to the official entrants list and will not be in the lottery. The remainder will be in the lottery. After the lottery is over, the full entrants list and prioritized wait list will be published on the web.

Special Consideration

Guaranteed Selection:

  1. People for whom the number of BRR finishes plus the number of years they volunteered at BRR equals or is greater than 10.
  2. Overall male and female winners from all previous BRRs.
  3. Present race directors of MMT and the WHM; former race directors of BRR, MMT, and the WHM.
  4. Winner of the BRR logo contest.

Placement at the top of the waiting list:

Applicants will be ordered by category. All in the first category will be ahead of those in the second category, etc. Within categories, the applicants will be ordered as noted.

  1. Volunteers at three or more BRRs. Ordered by number of years, most recent year, and then randomly.
  2. Volunteers at three or more MMTs. Ordered by number of years, most recent year, and then randomly.
  3. Age group winners from previous two years. Ordered 2007 before 2006, then randomly. (The age groups are the unique groupings used by this event, e.g. "Male Masters North," etc.)
  4. Runners who have 1 to 9 finishes at BRR. Ordered by highest number of finishes down, and then randomly.

Lottery

The lottery will be open, transparent, and fair.

It is a "virtual" lottery and it is designed so that all applicants know where they stand and where everyone else stands at all times via the Web. The selection of the initial number (the DOW) for where the selection starts is also available on the Web and is completely out of the hands of the VHTRC (indeed, anyone for that matter). Be that as it may, it is slightly complicated to describe so the following may not completely make sense on the first read through. You are not required to understand the mechanics of the lottery to enter and run! The important aspect to take away is that everyone is treated equally. But, part of the transparency requires that we describe these details for those who are interested.

During the period that application is open (see above) each person who fills out the application form will be given a unique randomly generated number from 0 to 999. Their name and their randomly generated number is added to the lottery list immediately and can be seen by the public. So, they know their number and so does everyone else. This list will be "ordered" based on the randomly generated number from the lowest to highest as the names are entered. Within a few days after the application period closes, we will use the least three significant digits of the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DOW) to decide where we start selecting the list of entrants (ignoring the decimal). The date of the DOW will be specified before entry begins. We will use the number/trend published at www.cnbc.com at 4:30pm on the date specified. If no one has that exact number from the DOW, we move up or down (see below) to the next number on the list as the starting point for selection. If the DOW closes up, we select up. Otherwise, we select down. If we get to the end/beginning of the lottery applicant list and not all the slots have been filled, we wrap around to the beginning/end and continue selecting.

[CNBC lists the DOW to two decimal places (e.g. 13438.86). If the last digit is a zero, CNBC will drop it. If that occurs, we will add it back. So if CNBC lists the close as: 13438.8, we will start at 880.]

For example, lets say that 630 people entered during the time entry was open. Lets also say of those 630 people, 27 qualify for automatic entry. That would leave 603 people left competing in the lottery for 323 slots. Lets further say that the DOW closed UP at 13625.58 on the day specified. The starting number for selection would then be 558. If the list had someone at 557 but the next person wasn't until 571, the starting point would be 571 (NOT 557, which is closer - remember, we select the next highest to start, not closest). Then, starting with the person who had 571 we would select the next 323 people in order going UP the list. If we reach the end of the list before we fill all 323 slots, we would wrap around and select the remainder starting from the lowest number until all the slots are filled. The people not selected in the lottery would then be placed on the wait list with the priority specified above. The results would be posted on the Web and the people selected would have a week or so to go back to the page and complete the entry by paying online. Anyone who has not paid at the end of this period would lose his or her slot and we would start working our way down the wait list.

Those not selected would automatically be put on the wait list using the priority criteria specified. We are not planning to run the Waiting List with paper as we are with MMT. We have not, however, worked out the details of the workings of the Waiting List. It is likely that people on the Waiting List will have to pay attention to how it is progressing.

Schedule

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