It is with deep regret that FLRC must announce the cancellation of the 2020 Skunk Cabbage Classic 10K and Half Marathon on April 5th, 2020 and the club’s indoor track meet on March 29th, 2020, both of which take place at Cornell University. On March 10th, Cornell announced proactive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including a ban on all events with over 100 people. The FLRC board explored the possibilities of postponing or moving these races, but neither proved feasible.
Skunk Cabbage Donations, Refunds, and Virtual Race
We understand (and share) your disappointment, particularly for those who have been training for Skunk for months and the hundreds of people who pre-registered. Although FLRC has a general no-refund policy for races, in this special circumstance, we would like to offer everyone who has already registered two choices:
- Donate your registration and shirt fees to the club. You don’t need to do anything to donate your registration and shirt fees (the shirts weren’t printed). Income from Skunk makes up the lion’s share of FLRC’s revenues for the year. They allow us to maintain low registration fees for our races and to support other worthy running-related organizations, such as Girls on the Run, the Ithaca Youth Bureau, and Wilderness Search & Rescue.
- Request a refund, minus a cancellation fee. If you wish instead, we’ll refund your entry fee, minus RunSignUp’s registration and cancellation fees. To request a refund, please send an email message to fingerlakesrunners+skunk@gmail.com with your name and address. It may take a few weeks to process all the refunds.
Regardless of whether you donate your registration fee to FLRC or request a refund, we invite all pre-registered runners to participate in a virtual Skunk and receive a half-marathon finisher’s medal! Run a 10K or half marathon on your own, wherever you want, any time on or before April 5th, 2020, and you can pick up your medal at the Finger Lakes Running Company after March 18th. If you can’t make it to Ithaca, give us your address and we’ll mail it to you. (Medals available while supplies last.) This virtual race and medal giveaway is on the honor system, and we encourage you to post about your effort on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter (tag #VirtualSkunk and @FLRCithaca), and consider joining FLRC’s Strava group.
If you have any questions, please ask them in the FLRC forum, where we’ve started a topic to address all queries.
Indoor Track Meet Canceled
Along with Skunk, we have to cancel our indoor track meet on March 29th. Since we don’t collect fees at pre-registration, there is no need for a refund policy. We sincerely hope that the situation will improve sufficiently that our summer outdoor track meets will be able to take place. They aren’t on the FLRC Web site yet because we’re still determining where we’ll be holding them—construction is forcing some changes.
Advice for Preventing the Spread of COVID-19
Although there aren’t currently any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Tompkins County, we should all do our part to prevent a potential outbreak. To that end, FLRC has put together a set of (hopefully) commonsense suggestions for keeping the running community healthy.
FLRC believes everything is better when we run together. However, given the risks of COVID-19, our wider community benefits if we all work to prevent the spread of this infectious disease.
We recommend the following habits and etiquette:
- Stay home if you aren’t feeling well! We don’t want to hear, “it’s just a cold.”
- Avoid handshakes and hugs. Try a jaunty salute or 👍. Bonus points for 🖖.
- Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes with unwashed hands. That includes gloves, which should go in the laundry regularly.
- Clear your nose and spit away from other runners. Which you do anyway, right?
- Dispose of gel packs, tissues, drink cups, and other personal items in the trash.
- Don’t share water bottles, energy bars, gel packs, or the like.
Please exercise common sense before and after your runs:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Do this especially after you have been in a public place, after using the bathroom, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash. If a tissue is not available, cough or sneeze into your elbow.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces. Ever thought about what lives on your car’s steering wheel?
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
For more information and local details, we encourage you to turn to the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York State Department of Health, and the Tompkins County Health Department.