"Sounds like a good activity for Cub Scouts and slacker runners, but not what I would think a serious ultra runner would want." -- 2008 C2M Wannabee

OK, Scouts and Slackers, time for another round of far less than serious ultrarunning...

Format

100 Mile (40 hour limit) and 100K (26 hour limit), 150 entrant limit (100 for 100M, 50 for 100K unless 100M doesn't fill), on a sortafull moon weekend (85-91% waning gibbous, for those tracking). Staggered start based on anticipated finish time - e.g., if you need 40 hours, you'll start first on Friday afternoon; if you only need 30 hours, you'll start approximately ten hours later; with the objective that all runners finish within a calculated four hour window before 10:00 AM Sunday. Thus, your time under one or two full moons will depend on your anticipated speed, and your risk of DNF'ing is somewhat comparable across the whole field, not just the "back of the pack"ers - when you miss the A/S cutoff, you're done... We have one year's worth of lab rat data, so we won't be quite so generous in padding hours in your favor. Aw, gee...

Entry Fee

$299.99* for 100M, $249.99* for 100K, which includes yummy pre- and post-race meals (correct, Twinkies won't be main course, as one very famous ultra chose to offer as post-race food); Patagonia shirt, Patagonia jacket, and really spiffy buckle (for finishers) for the 100M; Patagonia shirt and Patagonia jacket (for finishers) for the 100K; a splendid assortment of delectables at strategic aid stations; and who knows what else thrown into your goodie bag... You'll earn only one buckle regardless of how many times you run the event; if you don't finish, we'll reserve your buckle for when you do. Same applies for 100K finisher jackets. The plus side is, on subsequent visits, your entry fee will be reduced accordingly (* this year, $229.99 and $189.99, respectively, if you ran last year and don't want another spiffy jacket in your inventory). (If your heart skipped a beat on the entry fee, then you haven't been paying attention to other events' fees, none of which offer up as much in quality/goodies as this one...) Plus, your entry will be part of at least $1500 donated to the Thacher School Cross-Country Running Team (www.thacher.org), as appreciation for their letting us base from their grounds.

Start/Finish Base Camp

This year, on the front side of the ridge, at Thacher School, with the S/F a mere 100 feet from the trailhead. For those familiar with last year, that means you'll still do all your favorite hills, just in a different sequence. And easier, too, fershur, I promise, no bull?

Crews/Pacers

Crews will have access only at off-ridge stations. No Pacers - you're presumably starting with a pack of comparable speedies, and progressively picking up others as you close in on the finish, so lots of potential to pick and choose running compadres as you motor towards the Finish.

Aid Stations

12 staffed plus 2 water stops for 100M, 8 and 1 for 100K, positioned where best we can put our volunteers - you may want to camel up for a couple stretches. Check elsewhere in the online program for distances between aid.

Pecking Order for Entrants

Last year's Volunteers (assuming qualifying experiences) get first shot at entry slots; then DNF'ers from last year; then other entrants from last year; and then the other 37,853,129 people who've anxiously awaited this 2nd offering of Two Moon. Heck, this year, unlike last, maybe we'll even take an enormous bribegift to insure the most anxious among you can get in.

Entries close either when full or not later than 11/15/08, whichever occurs first. You'll be notified of application acceptance or rejection within three weeks of application receipt (except the later 100K applicants, who may have to wait longer if the 100M entries only dribble in). Note that names won't show up on the online entrant list until after acceptance. We'll have a Wait List - to include, at the RD's discretion, a relevant suckup questionnaire - until it becomes too cumbersome to account for the changes, which could be as early as Thanksgiving or as late as Sir John A. Macdonald's birthday (all you canuckles: you're welcome!).

More information about the event (pre-event fun stuff (think Bowling), lodging, directions, bonus/boner minutes, etc.) will be posted to the web as soon as we can get it up in accurate form. Just rolling over last year's information won't work, as some information has necessarily changed. Visit the website often, to include buying nifty stuff from the Zombies...

Qualifications

If running the 100M, you must have completed another 100M with not less than 18,000 feet of elevation gain within 16 months prior to 10/31/08; or have had an arguably comparable running challenge within the same timeframe (e.g., capturing 90 miles of HardlyWalk before timing out may be a fair comparison). Identify that qualifying experience and your time. If you've also entered any other 100's or comparable challenges within the last two years, please provide that information as well, as the larger database will help determine a more probable/realistic starting time. (Failure to pay attention to this detail will be interpreted to mean that you'll likely miss some future critical instruction pre-Start, and totally bugger up the weekend for some over-stressed Volunteer - hence, blow this one, and you may not get in).

If running the 100K, provide race results from your 3 most recent and representative ultras (if you DNF'd because of an owie, that's not necessarily representative), also for the purpose of helping determine your starting time.

Start Time

Your Start Time will consider this "dialogue":

(1) You assess your conditioning regardless of recent history;
(2) add in how much night running may slow you down;
(3) how might 25,000+ feet of elevation (~19,000 for 100K'ers) add to your time;
(4) check finish times of runners from '08 with whom you've run comparable times as they in your qualifying runs;
(5) make your guess of how many hours you'll need to complete your Two Moon experience (your starting time will be calculated based on your input).
(6) The dialogue then includes the C2M Kalkulus Klutz's guesstimate for which Start Group you'll join, with hopefully not more than one chance for you to attempt to influence the Klutz's decision.

Garments

Shirt Size (gender, not unisex)

Jacket Size (gender, not unisex):

A twist on color choices for this year: to reduce the confusion over ordering varying colors, elect now if you're willing to (1) just accept the default colors (usually navy blue, black, gray or white) or (2) trust the RD to choose a color for you in either (pick one or both) (a) earth (reddish) and/or (b) cool (blue-greens) tones. (You'll have a separate opportunity later to choose your own color and add apparel for your crews, etc, as well as change your size... after we select style.)

Race Fee

100M @ $299.99 100K @ $249.99
Without Jkt $229.99 or $189.99
(only an option if you already have a jacket)

Camping

Camping at Thacher: Y N (add $31.31 to cover both Fri & Sat nights)

Additional Meals

Additional Meals: x # on Friday @ $21.21, x # on Sunday @ $21.21

Refunds

Refunds: If you withdraw before 11/15/08, you'll get all but $39.99 returned. If you must withdraw before 1/15/09 or whenever we make our apparel order with Patagonia (whichever is earlier), you'll get about $39.99 returned. After that date, consider your investment sunk costs, with your surplus hopefully going into the Thacher donation.

Chris Scott, Chief Idiot

Questions? Contact the race director.