Run2BQ 2021

Short review

Welcome to the inaugural Run 2 BQ marathon at the world famous Margaritaville Resort in Conroe, TX.

If you have been trying to qualify for Boston and just missing out, this is your race. Our goal is to give you a flat, fast course with sweeping turns to maximize your chance at qualifying. Our unique format will be a 13 loop 2 mile course on within the confines of the Margaritaville resort. Every loop you will have a water station at the halfway point of the course and an elite-style station close to the start\finish line where you can put out your own nutrition. Each runner will also be permitted to have a “crew” along a designated part of the course to lay out their nutrition if you choose not to use our station. Everything about this race has been thought out to maximize your chances of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Accommodations:
Although not required, we highly suggest staying at the Margaritaville resort where the race is taking place. We have a special rate that is good through Nov 30th, or when the resort sells out. Click on this link to book a room, or during registration you can request a call from the resort to book your room with a live person that can tell you all about the resort. Special Rate of $209/night for runners

Hotel Reservation Link

BONUS: If you stay in the resort, you get one free personal pacer! Send us an email with your hotel confirmation and we will get you a $50 off discount code. Reservation will be confirmed at packet up for pacer.

FAQ's

Why is the race field limited? Due to the size of the course, we want to make sure that runners are able to easily pass without slowing. We also don’t want to get cancelled, so this will keep us well under the current limits for COVID gatherings.Why aren't there finisher medals? The reward for this race is the qualifying time. If you are entering this race, you already know you can finish... we want you to meet your time goal! Qualifiers will earn a Boston Qualifying Challenge Coin to memorialize your achievement (design coming soon)Where are the pacers? It's on your wrist or the time clock every time you pass the start\finish line. We are trying to keep the course clear for people to run their own race. If you are trying to run a 3 hour marathon and come up on a 25 person group running a 4 hour marathon that you need to pass, that's going to be frustrating for all the participants.Can I have a personal pacer? YES! After much discussion, we have decided to allow personal pacers. Registration for a Pacer is $50 and each runner is permitted to have as many as they want….. but only one is allowed on the course at a time. Each pacer will be assigned a bib and wrist band with their runners number. Pacers must be with their runner at all times on the course. Pacers will enter and leave the course at the start\finish line.How easy is it to see friends and family? We promise you will not run another race that you can see your crew as much as you can here. In 13 loops, you can easily see them 25+ times.How do the aid stations work? We will provide a water station at about the 1 mile mark of the loop (approximately 1.2 miles from the start of the run). Around the start\finish line will be the tables that you can put out your own nutrition to grab as you come by. Additionally, there will be a designated area on the course where your "crew" can hand you bottles or gels as you need them. Please see the video and course map for where nutrition will be located on the courseWill there be an expo? We are working on the details.Why is the cost of this race higher than most? With the restrictions from Covid-19, the costs to put on events has gone up drastically. Due to the limitations on field size, the overall cost is spread amongst a much smaller pool of people. To our surprise, there wasn't much difference in cost between a 350 or a 3500 person event. We cut costs where we could to make sure you are still getting the event you deserve.What is the expected temperature? Morning temps in Feb can range from 35-50 degrees. We expect perfect running temperatures.

Maps:
Map My Run Course Link

Video of Run2BQ Course
Although the route on mapmyrun is accurate, there are some things to note.

La Toretta Blvd is now Margaritaville BlvdAt no time are you running on unpaved roads. The resort has been redesigned since this satellite image was last taken.The Finish of this route is the end of the loop\finish\celebration areaImmediately after the start\finish is a path that the satellite does not showThe first .2 of a mile on Margaritaville Blvd will only be run at the start of the race. After completing the first loop, you will continue following that same pathThe elevation on MapMyRun is not correct and we will be posting correct elevation from a garmin shortly. We can tell you that the course is nearly completely flat If there is any elevation, it would be a slight uphill of a few feet while on La Costa Dr and a long downhill on Margaritaville.The water station will be right after the turn onto Margaritaville BlvdThe nutrition aid station will likely be right after the start\finish line on the path between the pools.Crew stations will be in the grassy area after turning left back onto Margaritaville Blvd after passing the nutrition aid station.***Please watch the video!!!!

Packet Pickup:

Margaritaville Resort 2/13/21 Saturday Noon-6pm  Race Day from 5-6am (there will be an additional charge of $25 for race day packet pickup)

Schedule:
Saturday:
3pm - Athlete Briefing. Q&A with the race director to go over any last minute changes.
Sunday:
5-6am - Packet Pickup
6am - convention center opens for warmups
7am - Race starts
11:10am - Race ends

Swag/Medals

No swag is included in your race entry fee. We have decided to do this to keep costs down and let you choose which race swag items you want. They can be added during registration. What is included is a Boston Qualifier Coin, any athlete that breaks their specific age/gender qualifying time will receive the Run2BQ Qualifying Coin! This is meant to reward yourself by meeting your qualifying goal!

Training Plans:
$100 - generic 16 week marathon training plan
$200 - custom 16 week marathon training plan
$400 - 4 months of custom 1-on-1 coaching
Training plans and 1-on-1 coaching are provided by Vantage Point Endurance. If you decide to have a personal coach, Vantage Point is discounting their normal coaching price to $100/mth with no sign-up fees. You will decide which of their coaches you feel is right for you. After the race you can continue your coaching with your coach at their normal rate.
Learn more about coaching here

Contact:

info@vo2maxevents.com