Race Review: CWRRC Cleveland Fall Classic 2010

The Fall Classic, November 21, 2010. I did this race back in 2003 and hadn't done it since. I did, however, navigate the course nearly everyday for two years; it was my daily course while I lived in Broadview Heights. The route itself was two loops down and back through Valley Parkway from Bonnie Park to Edgerton Road. It's a nice part of the Metroparks and it was a fun feeling to run on such a familiar path.

This year the Fall classic really filled up and actually sold out... this caused some unfortunate side effects. Shirts couldn't be provided to all participants (not a big deal), but the medieval timing system in place just couldn't suffice. About a week after the race, competitors received an email notifying us that most of the manually tracked times weren't recorded properly, therefore, we wouldn't be receiving official results.

Because of the 2010 problems and overflow of competitors, CWRRC is planning to make some changes to next year's classics (Spring and Fall). The races will become 10-milers after 38 years of being half-marathons, and it sounds like they will be moving to electronic timing. CWRRC had been trying to keep race prices down through manual timing and limiting production of race shirts, but I think they are making the right choice to adjust their planning next year.


As far as my own run on the day of the Fall Classic, I had some trouble. I had some breathing issues and chest pain, possibly from beginning some heavy swim workouts the week before. I definitely wasn't happy with my performance, but since the times weren't recorded, I guess it doesn't matter much :)

Overall, my personal race experience was average. Competitors who were not given race shirts were supposed to get a registration discount, and we (my husband and I) didn't receive the discount or the shirt. After inquiring about this issue though, we did get shirts a few weeks later. I would rate this rate a 4 out of 10, not for lack of effort, but just poor and inadequate logistical planning. I do think that the classics are good races though, and that there seem to be plans in place to improve them in the future.