2014 Boston Gear check policy

fostever Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:57 pm

Just got an e-mail from BAA on this years gear check policy. Guess we'll all have to wear throw away clothing to the start line unless we have someone to hold our stuff for us. This year there will be NO gear check buses at the high school, only at a designated gear check at the finish. Also for those riding the school buses, they will be leaving based on your wave assignment. If it's cold this could be challenging for most of us. I'm still waiting for my club to officially announce their charter schedule which I used last year.

mountandog Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:52 pm

Yeah - I think this is overboard. Will miss my phone and all the last minute texts. I also saw only fuel belt water bottles. Does this mean I can't carry my gatorade bottle with heed in it?

Dave P Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:50 pm

mountandog wrote:Yeah - I think this is overboard. Will miss my phone and all the last minute texts. I also saw only fuel belt water bottles. Does this mean I can't carry my gatorade bottle with heed in it?

Yikes! I hope it doesn't mean that.

Jim Lentz Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:35 am

Dave P wrote:
mountandog wrote:Yeah - I think this is overboard. Will miss my phone and all the last minute texts. I also saw only fuel belt water bottles. Does this mean I can't carry my gatorade bottle with heed in it?
Yikes! I hope it doesn't mean that.

You can carry up to 1 liter.

Michele "1L" Keane Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:44 am

And you'll need a pouch/belt for that phone. Spibelts work pretty well. I carried one at Boston back in 2012 because of the heat (in case I needed to bail and call my Mom - really, but she lives on the course).

http://www.spibelt.com/home

http://www.spibelt.com/products/specialty-spibelt/spibelt-with-gel-loops

Schuey Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:04 pm

mountandog wrote:Yeah - I think this is overboard. Will miss my phone and all the last minute texts. I also saw only fuel belt water bottles. Does this mean I can't carry my gatorade bottle with heed in it?

Overboard is putting it politely! THIS IS F**KING STUPID!!! Might have to say that my Boston Streak may being ending at 8 after this year. To be honest this just might be the last road marathon I ever road and donate my money to them!!

Time to go spend time in the woods were one races are cheaper and there are all these f**king rules!!!!!

Schuey Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:06 pm

BAGGAGE POLICY, GEAR CHECK, AND BUS LOADING FOR OFFICIAL PARTICIPANTS

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The B.A.A. asks official participants to comply with a new policy for 2014. No bags will be allowed on buses from Boston to Hopkinton, and bags will not be transported from Hopkinton back to Boston. Bags will not be allowed in certain areas at or near the start in Hopkinton, at or near the finish in Boston, or along the course. At the conclusion of the race and new for 2014, the B.A.A. will provide you with a Heatsheet® Warmth Retention Cape for warmth. SEE IMAGE BELOW

A gear check opportunity on Boston Common will be available on the morning of the Boston Marathon, allowing official participants to have a change of clothing (shoes, pants, shirt, jacket) at the conclusion of the race. The bag to be used for this purpose will be provided at Number Pick-up by the B.A.A. Only this B.A.A.-provided, clear, plastic bag can be used for this purpose. No other bags will be accepted. Any items that you would like to have with you at the conclusion of the race must be placed inside the clear, plastic bag that the B.A.A. will provide for you. You must leave this clear, plastic bag at the gear check area on Boston Common prior to boarding the B.A.A. shuttle bus to the start in Hopkinton. Please be aware that the gear check area on Boston Common is approximately one half mile from the exit of the finish area at Arlington Street.

Bus loading on race day will take place on the Tremont Street side of Boston Common, between Boylston and Park streets. In order to effectively transport all participants from Boston to Hopkinton, official participants will load buses by waves. More information on the timing of bus loading will be forthcoming.

BIB NUMBER AND BIB PICK-UP INFORMATION

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New for the 2014 Boston Marathon, we are requiring that all participants claim their own bib number at the John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo during normal expo hours. Friends or family will not be allowed to claim your bib number for you. We want to communicate this change to you early so that you may plan accordingly.

The official bib that is assigned to you by the B.A.A. for the 2014 Boston Marathon must be visible at all times while on/in B.A.A. buses and other B.A.A. vehicles; entering, and in, the Athletes' Village in Hopkinton; in the start area corrals and start area; on the race course; and in the finish area in Boston. Your bib number may not be altered or copied in any way and may not be transferred to another participant or another B.A.A. event.

ALLOWABLE AND PROHIBITED ITEMS FOR OFFICIAL PARTICIPANTS

Allowable items for official participants: You may carry the following items with you on race day. Any such items are subject to inspection at any time.

Fanny pack (no larger than 5 inches x 15 inches x 5 inches) to carry food, nutritional products, medicine, identification, cell phone, home/hotel key or other similar and necessary small items
Standard manufactured "fuel belt" (bottles must be one liter or smaller)
The use of headphones is discouraged, but permitted

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Please note: Additional layers of clothing may be worn on B.A.A. shuttle buses and in Hopkinton for warmth before the race. Clothing that will not be worn during the race must be discarded in Hopkinton and will be donated to a local charitable organization.

Food, beverages, and portable toilets will be available at Athletes' Village before the start of the race.

Prohibited items for official participants: The following items areprohibited from entering any Marathon venue, including the course, Athletes' Village near the start in Hopkinton, start or finish area, and all officially-sanctioned Marathon events:

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Backpacks, any similar item carried over the shoulder, or handbags of any size
Glass containers
Any container capable of carrying more than 1 liter of liquid
Strollers, including baby strollers
Suitcases & rolling bags
Personal hydration system products (such as CamelBak®, Thor®, etc)
Weight vests or any sort of vest with pockets (Note: lightweight running vests are allowable)
Costumes covering the face or any non-form fitting, bulky outfits extending beyond the perimeter of the body
Props (including sporting equipment and military and fire/gear and signs or flags larger than 11 inches x 17 inches)
Any item larger than 5 inches x 15 inches x 5 inches

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Please note: Security at each location will have the authority to disallow other products or materials that it deems inappropriate.

Additional Rules For Official Participants

Official B.A.A.-assigned bib numbers for the 2014 Boston Marathon must be visible at all times while on official B.A.A. shuttle buses and other vehicles, entering and within the Athletes' Village in Hopkinton, in the start corrals and start area, and on the race course. Officially issued bib numbers may not be altered or copied in any way, and individuals who do alter or manipulate their bib number will not be allowed to participate.
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FINISH AREA INFORMATION

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There will be a few changes to the finish area for the Boston Marathon. The B.A.A. will offer the opportunity to exit the secure finish area at three locations prior to Arlington Street. More information on these exit areas will be forthcoming. Participants who choose NOT to check gear at Boston Common will have the option of leaving the secure finish area early to meet with family and friends.

The order of our finish area services has been modified. Finishers will receive:

Medals
Heatsheet® Warmth Retention Cape
Fluid replacement (Poland Spring Water and Gatorade)
Food

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If you decide to take advantage of the gear check opportunity on Boston Common, you will need to walk approximately one half mile to the gear check area to retrieve your bag.

Next week, you will receive another email from the B.A.A., requesting from you whether or not you intend to take advantage of the gear check opportunity on Boston Common on the morning of the race. We wanted to provide you with this information prior to receiving this email next week.
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RULES FOR UNAUTHORIZED PARTICIPANTS

For the safety of our participants, spectators, and partners, public safety officials and the B.A.A. strictly prohibit unofficial participation, and those in violation will be subject to interdiction. Those who are not officially registered in the Boston Marathon will not be allowed to participate. We ask official participants to discourage family and friends who are not officially registered participants from entering the course in any manner.

We are aware that many people want to participate in some way in this year's Boston Marathon as a display of support, but we ask that those who are not official participants to refrain from entering the course for the safety of the runners and themselves. There are several other opportunities which enable a show of support for the Boston Marathon, including the B.A.A. 5K on April 19, the Boston Marathon World Run, attending the John Hancock Sports & Fitness Expo, volunteering, or spectating.

Anyone on the course for any distance who has not been assigned, or is not displaying, an officially issued bib number from the B.A.A. is subject to interdiction. The B.A.A. reserves the right to remove any person from the course who is not displaying an official bib that has been assigned by the B.A.A. Similarly, units or groups such as military ruck-marchers and cyclists, which have sometimes joined on course, will not be allowed to participate.

Jerry Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:15 pm

Please be aware that the gear check area on Boston Common is approximately one half mile from the exit of the finish area at Arlington Street.

So we will need to walk one and half mile after the finish to get the bags?

I have a growing anxiety to withdraw New York application ...

Michele "1L" Keane Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:17 pm

Frankly as someone who was very close to the incident, I find a little bit of comfort in the new rules. I was planning on running with a phone and ID (since I didn't have it last year), and my gear bag was only for clothing anyway. So I get some throwaways instead. I guess I just get to respectfully disagree with those who are against these policies.

I do think that the Stroller ban and some of those issues apply to spectators at the start and finish areas only and not on the course. I kind of get that too. I've always wondered what the appeal was to having family at the start, but remember, I can truly be considered a "local" so it would never occur to me to have family come to Hopkinton.

Mrs. Schuey Thu Feb 27, 2014 6:00 pm

I just called the people at the BAA and confirmed that the stroller rule applies to both runners and spectators. I was told that for the spectators, it will be based on where they are along the course. When I said that I would be near the finish, I was told that it will be at the discretion of the Boston Police.

mountandog Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:26 pm

Jim Lentz wrote:
Dave P wrote:
mountandog wrote:Yeah - I think this is overboard. Will miss my phone and all the last minute texts. I also saw only fuel belt water bottles. Does this mean I can't carry my gatorade bottle with heed in it?
Yikes! I hope it doesn't mean that.
You can carry up to 1 liter.

Standard manufactured "fuel belt" (bottles must be one liter or smaller)

Don't think this includes a gatorade bottle that I fill myself. This would mean I'd have to toss away a $10 bottle if I have to carry a "standard manufactured" bottle

Jim Lentz Fri Feb 28, 2014 11:55 am

mountandog wrote:
Jim Lentz wrote:
Dave P wrote:
mountandog wrote:Yeah - I think this is overboard. Will miss my phone and all the last minute texts. I also saw only fuel belt water bottles. Does this mean I can't carry my gatorade bottle with heed in it?
Yikes! I hope it doesn't mean that.
You can carry up to 1 liter.
Standard manufactured "fuel belt" (bottles must be one liter or smaller)

Don't think this includes a gatorade bottle that I fill myself. This would mean I'd have to toss away a $10 bottle if I have to carry a "standard manufactured" bottle

This is what is not allowed, so I assumed any bottle you carry of a liter or less would be OK.

Any container capable of carrying more than 1 liter of liquid

Diego Fri Feb 28, 2014 7:55 pm

My family and I spent the 4th of July weekend in Boston at the Esplanade. Security was tough but reasonable.
This new policy, however, is grossly unfair.
The BAA is squarely placing the blame for last year's terrorism on the runners, making them pay for the sick terrorists. Very disappointing!!
With the new 3-d printing, the next bomb or terrorist device will not be in a runner's backpack. It may be in a plastic 1 liter bottle and most likely in an area where spectators/mass population is located, not at a race start!

Way over the top!

Start worrying more about Russia invading/annexing Ukraine!

Schuey Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:20 pm

Diego wrote:My family and I spent the 4th of July weekend in Boston at the Esplanade. Security was tough but reasonable.
This new policy, however, is grossly unfair.
The BAA is squarely placing the blame for last year's terrorism on the runners, making them pay for the sick terrorists. Very disappointing!!
With the new 3-d printing, the next bomb or terrorist device will not be in a runner's backpack. It may be in a plastic 1 liter bottle and most likely in an area where spectators/mass population is located, not at a race start!

Way over the top!

Start worrying more about Russia invading/annexing Ukraine!

Thank you fight doc!! That is exactly how I feel. I will stop there because really I don't have anything good to say about the Boston organizers but I will say this is one BIG JOKE!

Hell maybe someone will put a bomb in there jock strap!

nkrichards Fri Feb 28, 2014 9:34 pm

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:Frankly as someone who was very close to the incident, I find a little bit of comfort in the new rules. I was planning on running with a phone and ID (since I didn't have it last year), and my gear bag was only for clothing anyway. So I get some throwaways instead. I guess I just get to respectfully disagree with those who are against these policies.

This is more than just another race this year. It is an event that should be treated with the respect that it deserves. Maybe in the future it will become just a race again but this year it is much more than that.

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