It's almost time to CELEBRATE YOU! The Capital City Half Marathon and Commit to Be Fit 5k is just over 2 weeks away.

Our field is already over 80% sold out and registration fees (if not already sold out) increase significantly at the start of our 10 day Packet Pickup on April 21. Be part of the Celebration and Register Now!

RACE INFORMATION YOU NEED

New 5k Start Time: The Half Marathon and Commit to Be Fit 5k will start together at 8am. They will run together for just over a mile then the Cap City Half Marathon Course will take a left onto High Street.

Jon Yurchiak, our Operations Director, and I ran the 10TV Commit to Be Fit 5k Course on Monday. You get a much different perspective running or walking on this downtown and riverfront course than our team did designing it. This is really one of the nicest 5k courses in the country. If that is the 5k course, just imagine what the new half marathon course feels like!

One Size Does Not Fit All! Just a reminder that we will again have gender specific technical shirts. In order to make sure everyone who has registered gets the correct size, you will be given the shirt size indicated on your registration. Our great volunteers at Packet Pickup will not be permitted to make any exchanges. If you ordered a size that does not fit, on event day, after packet pickup closes, we will have a tent in our Michelob Ultra Post Race Party area on McPherson Commons where you may exchange your shirt for a different size.

Packet Pickup: This year we will again have a 10 day Packet Pickup Party at Fleet Feet Sports at Polaris. Free parking, convenient hours, cool stuff. The party starts on April 21st and ends on April 30th. Packet Pickup (and in person registration if the event is not yet full) is open during all normal store hours. Mon-Thurs: 10am-8pm, Fri-Sat: 10am-6pm and Sun: 12pm-5pm. We strongly suggest you pickup your packet at Fleet Feet. If you can't make it there we have last minute packet pickup on McPherson Commons between 6am and 7am race morning.

Parking: There is a ton going on in the Arena District that day. Maureen Griffen and her team at Standard Parking have created a site where you can reserve a guaranteed parking space for Cap City.Trust me on this! Don't wait.

This is YOUR event and your new Facebook Fan Page. We are posting updates and answering questions everyday on FB page. If you are not yet a fan, make sure you become one soon.

Tell us why you are running Cap City? Post it up on Facebook and we may send you some cool Schwag or VIP Credentials.

If you are receiving this newsletter it is because you are already registered for the 2010 Capital City Half Marathon or Commit to Be Fit 5k or we think you might be interested in joining 10,000 of your closest friends for the ultimate 13.1 or 3.1 mile block party.

The Diamond Cellar is our brand new partner and is the "Official Timer" of the 2010 Capital City Half Marathon and Commit to be Fit 5K. It is hosting a Swiss timepiece event that is not to be missed on April 16 & 17 at their Dublin location (6280 Sawmill Rd.). In addition to some great prizes, you will be among the first to see Hermes timepieces as they debut in the state of Ohio. For more information, please visit The Diamond Cellar.

We now have a system to allow your participation in both the CTBF5k and Cap City Half to be sent as both a "tweet" and a "status update" on your Facebook page. How cool is that? Check it out and sign up here?

On April 24 beginning at 7 a.m., the Arena District Athletic Club is hosting the Rock n' Ride Spin-A-Thon with 100 percent of proceeds benefiting Nationwide Children's Hospital. Sponsor a rider or jump on a bike yourself. There will be timed races for kids and much more. For information or to volunteer, contact Ryan Haslett at 614.461.7785 or ryan@arenaathletic.com. Ask Ryan about special membership rates for Capital City Half Marathon and Commit to be Fit 5K participants.

Ryan and her team at the Arena District Athletic Club have been fantastic new partners in our event. I have had an opportunity to work out at the club a few times over the past two weeks and it is one of the best in town. Great people, great location and state of the art equipment. If you have not yet had the chance to take a tour make sure you check it out.

With our event growing to 10,000 participants, over 1,000 volunteers and thousands of spectators, I am going to provide you with tips that will help you plan for a remarkable experience.

Tip #5 - Find Your Pace Leader.

This year both the Half Marathon and the 5k will start together at 8am. Once you arrive at McPherson Commons in the Arena District, you will see starting corrals with projected FINISHING TIMES ON FLAGS in 15 minute increments. For example 2:30, 2:45, 3:00 etc. This year Fleet Feet Sports will again provide pacers for each of those increments up to 3:15 and we will have Kathy and Susan our balloon team walking with the final finisher at a pace no slower than 4:00. Find your pace leader then RELAX. After the start it may take you up to 15 minutes to cross the start line. It is a chip timed race so YOUR time does not start until you pass over the start line. Be Smart, if your goal is to finish in 3:00 don't line up with the 1:45 pace group. You will have people working to get around you and most importantly you will not have as good or as safe of an experience as you would have if you lined up in the correct corral.

Attention to these types of details will make your experience remarkable.

There is no more valuable commodity than information! Make sure you follow the event on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, make sure you are receiving these newsletters and check the website on a regular basis.

Over the next few weeks we will continue to Tweet, Post and email out a number of tips to make your experience more remarkable, we just want to make sure you see it!

Join the M3S Team and Patron Tequila for our Cinco De Mayo Celebration on May 8, 2010 at Tartan Fields Golf Club. We run on the front nine holes of Tartan Fields and finish with Latin Music and a free Patron Paloma. Giddy up!

The event is limited to 1,000 participants but we will reserve a spot for all Capital City Half Marathon or CTBF 5k participants provided you register for Cinco before April 23rd. Chips, salsa and a free Paloma! Register today!

Get Fit. Stay Fit. Live Fit.
David