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For New Racers Until you figure out what works for you, the earlier you can arrive at the Park the better. On-site sales open at 5PM; go there and buy your voucher and/or license (if needed) before coming into the Park. Then get registered at the table in the Park and pick up your bib number. Get the number pinned to your jersey correctly on the R side (see the FAQ, q.15 for a link to a page that has several very funny examples of how _not_ to pin your number on). Whatever you decide to wear on your upper body, it must cover your shoulders -- sleeveless garments are not legal for USA Cycling road races. Once you are registered and pinned up, go warm up on the course for a while. Give yourself enough time after warmup to use the bathroom if needed and report to the start/finish line when the official calls you at about 5:55. The race is 30 minutes plus 2 laps. The official keeps track of lap times and once s/he figures out how many laps the race is going to be, there will be a lap counter at the finish line that shows laps left in the race. The race is usually somewhere between 8 - 12 laps. If you hear a bell and the lap counter shows 1 to go, that is called the "bell lap" -- the race is over the next time you come around. If you hear the bell but the lap counter shows a number bigger than 1, that means the next time you come around the first rider across the line gets a small prize, or "prime" (preem). C racers tend to be scared and very cautious because they're inexperienced at riding fast in a big group. They leave huge gaps, use their brakes when they don't need to, and slow way down for the corner. The upside is that crashes are rare because everyone is so careful. Since the C race is for beginners, there will be a wide range of fitness, natural ability, and skill. The race will not stay all together more than one or two laps. By the end of the race riders will be strung out the entire length of the course. The fastest riders will be turning laps in about 3:40 to 4:10, except that the last lap may be 10 - 15 seconds faster. Average speeds are about 21 - 22MPH. Results are posted at the registration table as soon as possible after the end of the race. Once the results are posted you have 15 minutes to lodge a protest with the officials if you don't agree with how you were scored. After the 15 minutes have expired you're out of luck -- don't bother asking. Riders are expected to return their numbers after the race.
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