The organizers of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile encourage team competition as an added dimension of the event. Runners with a common affiliation are urged to take part in the friendly team competition. The Guidelines for team competition are presented below.

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

Due to the necessity of having a lottery process for entry, some individuals wishing to compete on a team may not gain entry through the standard registration process. If a team has three members entered through the standard entry process, Team Coordinator George Banker (teams@cherryblossom.org) may allow 1-2 additional members to be added to existing teams until February 1, 2010 only. Team captains facing this situation should contact George Banker immediately to discuss how this will be handled. Banker will distribute the extra applications or codes as needed. The race organizers reserve the right to limit the number of runners admitted to the race through this process.

Team competition will be held in four general categories: a) Corporate/Government Agency, (including military teams and a special division for credit union members); b) Media; c) Running Clubs; d) Running Store Elite teams. 

Please read these instructions completely. The 2010 Team Entry Fee is $40 for each Corporate and media team (including Running Store Elite teams) and $10 for each running club team (plus $35 for each individual team member).

Corporate/Government Agency and Media Teams: Corporate/Government Agency and Media teams are mixed teams of men and women consisting of three to five persons. At least one scoring runner of each team must be of each sex (i.e. no all men's or all women's teams), and all team members must be full-time employees (30 hours per week or more) of the corporation or agency. Government agencies, media, law firms, non-profit businesses, Armed Forces members from a single base (e.g., Fort Belvoir), etc. are eligible. Credit Union team members must be members of the credit union putting together the team.

Running Club and Running Store Elite Teams: Each team must consist of three to five runners. There are three Running Club divisions: Male Open, Female Open, and Mixed Masters. All members of a Mixed Masters team must be at least age 40. Club teams may be assembled from RRCA or USATF clubs, other registered running clubs, YMCAs, school teams, etc., but must all be members of the same club. There are two Running Store Elite divisions: Open Male and Open Female.

Multiple teams may enter from the same company, credit union, government agency, running club, or running store, etc. For fairness, the Team Coordinator reserves the right to limit teams from a single entity and to evaluate team eligibility. His decisions are final.  No "pick up" teams are allowed.

Scoring:  Team scoring is based on the sum of the net finishing times of the first three eligible finishers on the team as recorded by the ChronoTrack D-Tag.  In case of a tie, the team with the fastest third place time will break the tie. Except for the single-sex teams in the running club and running store elite open divisions, at least one runner of each sex must finish and be included in the team score.  For example, if the team's finisher order is Joe, Fred, John, Mary, and Steve, the team's score will be computed by adding Joe's, Fred's, and Mary's net times. Teams in each division will be ranked in ascending order of times (i.e., lowest aggregate time wins).

Awards: Team awards will be presented to the top six teams in the Corporate/Government Agency and Media divisions and the top three teams in each of the three Running Club divisions and two Running Store Elite divisions.  Please note, however, that team scoring is a complex process (and can be affected by number switching and selling), and the race organizers reserve the right to postpone awarding team awards until after race day.

Each team must enter using the enclosed Team Entry Form (or a photocopy). All team members must have been individually accepted into the race either online or through the use of a downloadable .pdf of the entry form. The only exception is outlined at the outset of this section. 

You must submit a Team Entry Form with the names of the accepted runners included on the form. Be sure to include each runner’s sex and age in order to help us correctly identify the team members and "link" their entries up with your team.

Team Entry Deadlines: Teams will be accepted if the Team Entry Form (with all team members listed and with payment) is received by March 1, 2010. (Note: This covers only Team entries, not individual entries.) Earlier submission is strongly suggested as we reserve the right to limit the number of teams in any division.

If you are adding previously unregistered runners onto your team, the Team Entry Form with the registered runners listed and the additional applications must be submitted together by February 1, 2010.  The additional application forms must be obtained from the Team Coordinator. The Team Coordinator reserves the right to limit the number of individuals admitted under this exemption.

Entry Fees: There is a $40 team entry fee for each Corporate/Government Agency, Media, and Running Store Elite team and a $10 entry fee for each Running Club team. The entry fee must accompany the Team Entry Form.  In addition, each team member must pay the individual entry fee. All individual and team entry fees are non-refundable.

Team Captains: A Team Captain must be designated for each team and will be the primary point of contact for the team.  The Team Captain is responsible for assembling and communicating with team members, ensuring that individual entries and the Team Entry Form are completed and submitted on time, and resolving any problems with the Team Coordinator. Be sure that all Team Captain information (address, phone numbers, etc.) is on the Team Entry Form. The team captain does not need to be an entrant in the race or a member of the team.

Confirmations: The Team Captain will receive a confirmation of the team's acceptance or rejection, along with additional instructions. The Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run Team Coordinator has final authority regarding team eligibility.

Note: Team members accepted as individuals can run as individuals even if their team applications are rejected.

Packet Pickup: Individual team members should pick up their race packets at the Expo on Saturday, April 10, 2010. The Team Captain may not pick up team members' packets without a written authorization from each of those team members.  Substitutions and corrections may be made only as outlined below. No team changes on Sunday morning. 

Substitutions and Corrections: Substitutions (not additions) will be permitted if a team has at least three members and is properly registered by March 1, 2010. A previously registered team member may be substituted only by another registered runner. (In other words, substitution will not enable a runner to get into the race after the entry limit or deadline, nor will it enable a team that was incomplete as of February 1 to be filled out.) A removed team member may still run the race, but may not give his/her number to another runner.  No more than two substitutions to a team will be permitted. Substitutions must be made by the Team Captain through the Team Coordinator prior to March 15, 2010.

Substitutions will be accepted at the Team Table on Saturday, April 10, ONLY if the team has less than the minimum number of runners needed to score (two men and one woman or two women and one man). Substitutions may be made from registered runners only; no new entries will be accepted. No substitutions will be allowed on race day. NO EXCEPTIONS.

The no-refund policy applies to team members who are unable to run.

Contacting the Team Coordinator

If you have questions or corrections or need additional Team Entry forms, please send an email to teams@cherryblossom.org. We will respond promptly. Remember, photocopies of the Team Entry Form are acceptable.  Completed individual and team entry forms cannot be faxed or emailed.

Team Coordinator: George Banker, Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run Team Coordinator, 7507 Overlook Ct., Oxon Hill, MD 20745. E-mail: teams@cherryblossom.org. Race Hotline: 301-320-3350.