2016 United Way of Southwest Michigan Girls on the Run 5K
Frequently Asked Questions
WHERE IS PACKET PICK-UP?
Early Packet Pick-up: May 16 & 17, 7:30 am to 6:00 pm - United Way office, 2015 Lakeview Avenue, St. Joseph.
Early packet pick up is for registered participants who want to collect their t-shirts and race bibs prior to event day.
You can also pick up your t-shirts, race bags, and race bibs after 4:00 pm at the Registration Table at the 5K event,
Thursday, May 19th.
WHAT TIME SHOULD WE ARRIVE?
Most schools will coordinate buses to transport your daughter to the fairgrounds after school is out. Please ask
your daughter’s coach or site liaison about the transportation plan for the event.
Community runners, Running Buddies and spectators will want to arrive well in advance of the 6:00 p.m. start. The
5K welcome and acknowledgements will begin at 6:00 pm. Please allow enough time for traffic, parking, and
walking to the grandstands.
WHERE DO I PARK?
First of all, give yourself plenty of time to get to the event, plan on traffic:
o Gate 2 on Old U.S.-31 will be open during the entire event.
o Gate 3 on Shawnee will be open ONLY UNTIL 5:45 p.m. After that, traffic will be re-routed
to Gate 2 via Redbud Trail.
Parking will be allowed in the WHITE and BLUE lots only.
Prior to the start of the program at 6:00 p.m. in the grandstands, your daughter will stay with her
GOTR/GOT team. Their team meeting area will be in Building 36 with security services so that their
personal items are safe during the 5K. Parents may check in with their daughter, particularly to wait
with her if she did not travel with her team, but we ask that parents move on to the grandstands
once your daughter is united with her team or else that building simply becomes too crowded.
DO I NEED TO REGISTER MY DAUGHTER FOR THE GOTR 5K?
No. Your daughter is already registered for the event. You do not need to complete a registration form for her.
AS A COMMUNITY RUNNER, HOW DO I REGISTER FOR THE EVENT?
Registration information will be available on the United Way of Southwest Michigan website,
www.uwsm.org/girlsontherun.
WHAT IS A RUNNING BUDDY?
A Running Buddy is someone who encourages and stays with your daughter while she runs or walks at her own “Happy Pace”
during the 5K event. There are two types of Running Buddies:
1.
2.
Parent Running Buddy – Parents or guardians running/walking with a GOTR/Heart & Sole participant.
Parent-Appointed Running Buddy – A person (aged 14 yrs of age or older) assigned by a parent or guardian to
run/walk with a GOTR/Heart & Sole participant. This can be a sibling, relative, or family friend and can be male or
female.
PLEASE NOTE: It is not necessary that every girl have a running buddy. Many of our girls choose to run the 5K
alongside their coaches and teammates which is perfectly acceptable.
Girls on the Run of Berrien County – A United Way of Southwest Michigan Program
Presented by United Federal Credit Union
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WHERE DO WE GO AS SPECTATORS?
You may watch your daughter during the opening ceremony from the grandstands or you may go out to the course
to cheer her on!
For safety reasons, please do not bring pets, bicycles, or roller blades on the course. Strollers are allowed but
please remain to the side of the route at all times.
WHO WILL BE WITH MY DAUGHTER?
Your daughter is to “check in” with her coaches in Bldg. 36 or 37*. Each site will be assigned a designated area in
building #36 or 37*. For her safety she is to remain with her coach and her team until the start of the event. If
your daughter has a “running buddy”, the running buddy will be permitted to stay with your daughter.
*Due to unprecedented council growth, we found it necessary to secure an additional building for our girls &
coaches. As we move closer to the 5K event, we will provide more details.
WILL THERE BE FOOD AND DRINKS AVAILABLE?
There will be a concession area at the fairgrounds.
WHAT IF MY DAUGHTER GETS HURT OR NEEDS HELP?
There will be emergency medical technicians (EMTs), police officers, reserve officers, and volunteers on-site and
throughout the course should any type of medical assistance be necessary. We will use the emergency contact
information you provided on the GOTR registration form at the beginning of the program to contact you. We will
also use the BCYF public address system.
Police and volunteers will line the entire course. All major roads will be closed to traffic and staffed by police
and reserve officers.
WHAT SHOULD I BRING?
Bring some money to purchase food at the concession stand or to purchase GOTR merchandise. Also, bring
homemade signs, noise makers, and tons of encouragement to cheer on your daughter. And don’t forget your
cameras and video recorders!
WHAT IF IT RAINS OR STORMS?
If there is lightning or severe weather in the area, our incident command staff will actively monitor the storm. If
weather does not clear by 7pm we will cancel the 5k event. The event will NOT be rescheduled. In the case of
rain or cold weather, building #36 or 37 will provide shelter for the girls until the event begins.
WHEN WILL THE EVENT FINISH?
The event typically finishes by 7:30 p.m. Please encourage your daughter to stay until the last girl has crossed the
finish line. Every girl appreciates all the support she can get in reaching her goal!
Girls on the Run of Berrien County – A United Way of Southwest Michigan Program
Presented by United Federal Credit Union
39