Lottery FAQ
Q: What prompted you to change to a lottery system?
A: Under the first-come, first-served system the race was filling up faster and faster each year. In 2009 it closed in 2 hours and 45 minutes. We felt this was so quick that it discriminated against individuals who could not access their computers from work. In addition, with our peak of registering 11 entries per second we encountered freeze ups in our server which caused people to be uncertain whether their entries had been accepted or not. We have seen similar delays with other online registration companies with similar peak loads.
Q: Why is there an entry limit in the first place?
A: The entry limit of 15,000 is set by the National Park Service as a condition for granting us our permit. The race takes place during the peak cherry blossom tourist season and the Park Service is trying to balance the needs of the runners with those of the thousands of tourists who are in town for a visit.
Q: So how will the lottery work?
A: Starting at 10:00 A.M. on Thursday, December 1, you will be able to register for the lottery at the event website, www.cherryblossom.org. You will complete an entire entry form as if you were registering for the race. You will include your credit card information. However, your credit card will not be charged unless your entry is accepted. The lottery will remain open until 11:59 P.M. on Friday, December 9.
Since the lottery will be open for 9 days, we encourage everyone not to try and register the moment it opens as in the past. There is no advantage to entering earlier in the 9-day lottery period. Everyone entering throughout the entire period will have an equal chance of being accepted.
Entries will be selected electronically after the lottery closes and an easy-to-use alphabetical list of both accepted and rejected entrants will be posted on the event website by 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday, December 13. We would suggest that everyone not try to check his or her status right at 10:00 A.M. on Tuesday because we expect heavy website traffic at that time.
The credit cards of the accepted entrants will be charged. The credit cards of those individuals not accepted will not be charged.
Q: Does the lottery system apply for the 5K Run-Walk as well?
A: Yes. There will be a separate lottery for the 5K Run-Walk. In addition, we will leave slots in the 5K Run-Walk for 10 mile registrants who later decide that they cannot meet the 2 hour and 20 minute time standard and wish to switch to the 5K Run-Walk.
Q: I have heard that it is possible to enter the lottery as a group. Tell me more about this.
A: Yes. It is possible for groups as large as 10 people to enter as a group. This policy was instituted to avoid situations where a husband got in and his wife did not, or to allow families to ensure that everyone gets in or no one does. Groups can consist of all 10 mile runners, all 5K Run-Walk runners, or a mixture of both 10 mile and 5K Run-Walk runners. Here is how the group lottery registration works:
The first individual of the group to register for the lottery will have the ability to create a group and give the group a “Group Name” such as “The Jones Family Runners.” Once the group is set up, others (up to 10) will be able to affiliate (or join) with the group when they go to sign up for the lottery. You can only sign up either as an individual or as part of a group – not both – and you will not be able to change your status from individual registrant to group registrant once you have signed up. Individuals signing up as both individuals and as a member of a group will have all of their registrations rejected.
Each group will be treated exactly the same as an individual runner when the electronic selections are made. In other words, a group has exactly the same chance to get into the race as any individual runner.
Please note that these Groups are only for purposes of entering the lottery. The Groups cease to exist after they are accepted or rejected. No additional individuals can be added to groups once the lottery sign-up period is closed. Lottery Groups have no relationship with Teams in our Team Competition. Teams may be formed from runners who are accepted into the race after the lottery is over. For details about team competition please contact Team Coordinator George Banker at teams@cherryblossom.org.
Q: I do not wish to enter the lottery electronically. Can I still enter the race?
A: For environmental reasons, we are not printing any paper entry forms this year. You will be able to download a .pdf copy of a general entry form from the website and mail it in along with payment per the instructions on the form. There will be a lottery conducted from the mail-in entry forms from which only 100 entries will be selected. Please only use one method to enter the lottery. Online lottery registration is strongly preferred. Duplicate registrations will be rejected.
Q: I have entered the lottery the last two years and lost both times. Can you let me in this year?
A: YES! Starting this year, the race will offer a guaranteed entry to the following year’s race to individuals who have been rejected in the lottery for at least two consecutive years. This means if you did not gain entry into the 2010 and 2011 races, you will be guaranteed a spot in the 2012 race (race date April 1, 2012). We know who you are, so there is no need to contact us regarding your status. (The only exception might be individuals whose names change over the course of the year.)
You will receive an email by Friday, November 18, 2011, containing a special registration link that will allow you to enter the race at the prevailing entry fee. These special entries must be completed by 11:59 P.M. on Nov. 30.
Q: Do you have any exceptions for “streakers,” those runners who have run a large number of the races either in a row or non-consecutively?
A: We will offer a guaranteed entry to individuals who have completed the race 10 or more times (the finishes need not be in consecutive order). However, streakers must enter the lottery, and only contact us to request streaker status after the lottery if they were not accepted. After the lottery results come out and you find you were not accepted, send an email to streakers@cherryblossom.org. We will then verify your status through our database of results from all the years the event has been run. Streakers who do not enter the lottery will not be given codes after the lottery is over. Streaker exemption requests must be received before Feb. 1, 2012. Please note that if this policy results in too many individuals gaining entry, we reserve the right to tighten the standards for 2013. Not sure if you have run the race 10 times? Check our 1973-2011 Searchable Database!
Q: What about individuals who order the New Balance Lightning Dry performance upgrade t-shirts and are not selected?
A: They will not be charged for and will not receive the upgrade t-shirt. There will be similar shirts available for sale on the website or at the Health and Fitness Expo on Saturday, so if you wish to purchase a similar item, you will have the opportunity.
Q: Is there any other way for individuals not selected to gain entry into the race?
A: The Children’s Miracle Network, our official event charity, has a limited number of guaranteed entry spots available to individuals raising funds for them. You can find details by clicking the “Become an Online Fundraiser, Support Children’s Miracle Network” button on the website.
In addition, individuals who volunteer for the 2012 race will receive a guaranteed, transferrable entry code for the 2013 race. Click Here for Information about volunteering for this year’s race.
Q: What about volunteers from the 2011 race? Do they need to enter the lottery?
A: No, they do not need to enter the lottery. All 2011 volunteers will receive an email by Friday, November 18, 2011, containing a special registration link that will allow them to enter the race at the prevailing entry fee. Volunteer entries will be accepted until March 1, 2012.
Q: What about team entries?
A: You should enter your team as a “Group” in the lottery to make sure that the entire team is either accepted or rejected. If you wish to create a team from individual accepted entrants after the lottery selections are made, you should contact our team coordinator, George Banker, at teams@cherryblossom.org.
Q: Will there be a number transfer period again this year?
A: Yes. Individuals who find they cannot run the race after being selected will have an opportunity to transfer their numbers between February 1 and February 28, 2012.
Q: Why can’t I sell my number or give it to someone else?
A: There are several reasons this is prohibited and could result in you and the recipient of an illegal transfer being banned from the race. First, there are potentially serious medical risks if we do not know the identity of every runner in the race. If a runner is transported to the medical tent or a local hospital, it is vital for us to know the real identity of that individual. Second, switched numbers cause problems with our awards. Finally, we calculate a certain no-show rate into our overall projections of the number of runners to accept. If our calculations are off, it means we may run out of water on the course or food at the finish and be in violation of our National Park Service Permit. This could cause our permits for using the current course and staging area to be denied in the future.
Q: Anything else I should know?
A: If you still have questions, please send an email to info@cherryblossom.org and we will reply quickly. We appreciate any feedback on the lottery process once it is over.
