The MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon Presented by Nexbank is honored to feature Dallas Running Club Pace Teams as part of the half marathon race. The Dallas Running Club Pace Teams promise to provide fun and excitement for both first time and experienced half marathoners looking to reach their running goals – whether that’s a personal best or just getting across the finish line.
Half Marathon pace team goal times: 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20, 2:30.
The events will be timed using Champion Chip chip technology. A “chip” is is a miniature transponder in a specially designed plastic housing. It is attached to the runner’s shoelace and contains data that identifies each runner individually. The chip allows us to register your time when you cross mats that recognize your chip and record information.
You will need to pick up your chip at packet pickup during the Marathon Fitness Expo. There is no chip pickup on race day. Be sure your chip works by testing it after you pick it up. There will be a special table-top mat set up at the Expo over which you can pass your chip to make sure it is recognized and that it is assigned to you. Times CAN NOT be adjusted after the race due to chip error, so it is imperative that you test your chip at the Expo.
Your time will be recorded as you pass a start mat, finish mat, halfway mat and two other mats at undisclosed locations (relay runners see special instructions below). All award winners must have a time recorded at all five mat locations. Age group award times will be based on your chip time. The only exception is that the top ten overall male and female will be determined by clock time. After the race, volunteers will remove the chip from your shoe before you leave the exit chute area. Runners not returning their chips at the finish line will be assessed a $30 fee.
The chip should be worn by the person running the last leg of the relay, in other words, the team member that crosses the finish line. Your chip time will only be registered at the finish line. After the race, volunteers will remove the chip from your shoe before you leave the exit chute area. Failure to turn in the timing chip disqualifies your team and results in a $30.00 charge.
Click here for results of the Mayor’s Race 5K Presented by Cigna. Congratulations to all of our runners!
The 2011 Mayor’s Race 5K Run/Walk and 1 Mile Kids Run Presented by Cigna is part of the race weekend festivities surrounding the 42nd running of the Dallas White Rock Marathon. The 5K (3.1 mile) event is for serious runners looking for a non-competitive late-year 5K race, casual athletes looking for an interesting walking tour of Fair Park, or families seeking to get involved in all the Weekend activities. For kids who would find a 5K too much of a challenge, there is also a 1 Mile Kids event. This year’s Mayor’s Race is expected to be the best ever — the 5K course has been improved, making it potentially one of the fastest 5K courses in Dallas. The Mayor’s Race, launched nine years ago by then-Mayor Laura Miller as a way to encourage school kids to become more physically active, has blossomed into an ideal warm-up event for marathon participants and their families. All Mayor’s Race participants will receive a Mayor’s Race T-shirt. If available, additional t-shirts can be purchased for $10.
| Date: | Saturday, December 3, 2011 |
| Location: | Dallas Fair Park, adjacent to the Automobile Building |
| Parking: | Free parking on Fair Park grounds for Mayor’s Race participants. |
| Online Registration: | Open now, until 11/25/2011. Online registrants can pick up their packets at the Mayor’s Race booth inside the Expo on Friday. |
| Online Registration Cost: | $10 for registered Marathon, Half Marathon and Marathon Relay participants who register online before 11/25/2011. All other registrants, $15 before 8/31/2011; $20 from 9/1/2011 – 11/25/2011. Only those participants who register online for the 5K will be chip-timed. |
| Expo Registration Friday, 12/2/11: | $25 all participants. Chip-timing available upon request. Expo Registration begins at 11:00 at the Mayor’s Race booth in the Automobile Building. You’ll be able to pick up your packet when you register. |
| Race Day Registration Saturday: | $25 for all participants. No chip-timing available on Race Day. Race Day registration begins at 7:00 am at Start Line. |
| DISD Registration: | No cost for DISD students and teachers who register at their schools during the month of October. No chip-timing is available for DISD participants who register for free. |
Former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller and 2010 race participant Cameron Keysor
| 7:00 a.m. | Race day registration, pre-race activities and live music begin at the starting line adjacent to the Automobile Building at Fair Park |
| 9:00 a.m. | Mayor’s Race 5K Presented by Cigna begins |
| 9:10 a.m. | 1 Mile Kids Run begins |
| 10:00 a.m. | Check out the Health & Fitness Expo in the Automobile Building! Visit more than 100 health and fitness booths and the Kid’s Fit and Fun Pavilion. |
PLEASE NOTE: NO DOGS WILL BE PERMITTED ON THE RACE COURSE.To keep everyone safe, please leave Fido or Fluffy at home.
Email mayorsrace@runtherock.comwith questions.
The marathon and half marathon are single-loop courses that begin and end at the American Airlines Center. Race time will be called out or a clock will be located at each mile marker. There will be 21 aid stations along the course.
What does a 7.5-hour marathon course limit mean? The marathon course is open and closed on a “rolling” schedule similar to a parade, with the start line opening to runners at 8:00 a.m. and finish line closing to runners at 3:30 p.m. If participants choose to continue running after 3:30 p.m., they do so at their own risk and will be required by the Dallas Police Department to move to available sidewalks and obey traffic signals along the course. No times will be recorded after 3:30 p.m.
Commencing shortly after the race begins, race equipment trucks, accompanied by the Dallas Police Department, depart from the start line and travel the marathon course at 17-minute per-mile pace, picking up course equipment as they proceed. As the trucks pass over the course, the police close the course to runners and reopen it to ordinary traffic. Under no circumstances may participants be on the marathon course before the official start time. Starting before the official start will result in disqualification.
Finisher medallions and completion certificates will be awarded only to those who finish within the official time span. Medical Aid closes at 3:30 p.m. in the American Airlines Center lobby. If problems are experienced after this time, please contact your personal physician or proceed to the nearest emergency room.
In accordance with the guidelines issued by USA Track & Field and Wheelchair Sports USA, only runners and wheelchairs will be allowed on the course. The term “wheelchair,” as defined for this event, means push-rim wheelchairs only. In addition, guidelines for wheelchair participants state that all chairs must be equipped with brakes and wheelchair competitors must wear helmets.
The following are prohibited on the course: runners going backwards, jump ropes, animals, bicycles, baby strollers, baby joggers, roller skates, in-line skates, skateboards and headset devices. No wheeled vehicles are allowed other than wheelchairs. No exceptions. Please do not use cell phones during the race, as these can be hazardous.
In areas, only the side of the road runners are on will be closed to vehicular traffic. As such, it is imperative that you stay within the cones marking the course. Any deviations from the marked race course can result in a disqualification!
It is our intent to provide the safest possible race course. Those who participate in violation of these rules will be disqualified and removed from the course.
Foot runners and authorized vehicles have the right-of-way at all times. Wheelchair participants must yield the right-of-way to foot runners and to course vehicles.
Any assistance received from anyone other than an official aid station volunteer or other course official may result in a disqualification.
The course begins and ends in Fair Park near the north end of the Cotton Bowl and runs to and around scenic White Rock Lake, with so much course entertainment that you might forget you’re running a marathon! The 26.2-mile certified course is mostly flat with some rolling hills. Along the way, runners pass through the Downtown Dallas Arts District, through the hip Uptown area, along majestic Turtle Creek, through prestigious Highland Park, around White Rock Lake, through beautiful Lakewood and down the Swiss Avenue historical district back to the finish within Fair Park.
Dallas White Rock Marathon Presented by the Dallas Police Association and Michelob Ultra “Run the Rock” Half Marathon Overview
From a tremendous runners send-off to 30 locations of course entertainment to a post-race party like no other, the Dallas White Rock Marathon is one of the nation’s premier running events. Consisting of a full marathon, a half marathon and a 5-person marathon relay, race day offers something for every runner.
The 26.2-mile certified marathon course, mostly flat with some rolling hills, begins and ends at the American Airlines Center near downtown Dallas. Along the way, runners pass through the wooded Turtle Creek area, prestigious Highland Park, around White Rock Lake, through beautiful Lakewood and down the Swiss Avenue historical district.
The half marathon also begins and ends at the American Airlines Center. Half-marathoners will follow the marathon course race except for the necessary 2.5 mile detour which trims 13.1 miles off the marathon total.
There will be more than 20 aid stations along the course!
These events will be chip-timed. The chip registers your time as you pass the start mat, finish mat, halfway mat and two other mats at undisclosed locations. All award winners must have a time recorded at all five mat locations. Official times and award times will be based on your chip time. The only exception is that the top six overall male and female will be determined by gun time.
Be sure your chip works by testing it at Packet Pickup during the Marathon Fitness Expo. Times cannot be adjusted after the race due to malfunctioning chips.
After the race, volunteers will remove the chip from your shoe before you leave the exit chute area. Runners not returning their chips at the finish line will be assessed a $30 fee.
There is a 7.5 hour course time limit, which is equivalent to a 17.08 minutes per mile pace. For more information on the course time limit, go to our page on course information.
There is no packet pickup or registration on race day. All packets must be picked up at the Marathon Fitness Expo at the Hyatt Regency Dallas on Saturday, December 11, 2004 (packet pickup hours 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.). Packets will not be mailed to participants. Late registration will also be available at the expo.
The primary beneficiary of the event is Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children – one of the nation’s leading pediatric centers for the treatment of orthopedic conditions and learning disorders, such as dyslexia.
Crossing The Line™ offers a family of personalized commemorative items that have been developed specifically for the Dallas White Rock Marathon.
The Dallas White Rock Marathon has grown steadily over the last 40 years, and during that time, we’ve occasionally had to move to new locations to meet the growing number of race participants. For the last few years, our marathon has sold out earlier and earlier, and our waiting list has grown longer and longer.
After the 2009 race, the Board of Trustees met and decided after careful consideration to find a new location that would provide ample parking for participants, plenty of open space for expanded runner amenities, like the food tent and family meeting areas, and a larger area to help ease congestion at the start and finish line.
Fair Park provides marathon participants with expanded parking options (including free parking on race day until 8AM), a larger start and finish location, and plenty of open space to accommodate the infrastructure necessary for a 22,000 participant race.
Fair Park is also one of the most historically significant parts of Dallas. The 30-structure complex constitutes the largest intact concentration of 1930s-era exposition buildings and public art remaining in the United States. It is also recognized as one of the most significant sites in the world for Art Deco architecture.
Today, Fair Park is a 277-acre venue containing one of the largest complexes of year-round cultural, entertainment, exhibit and sports facilities in the U.S. Southwest, including the recently renovated Esplanade Bellagio-style fountains, and museums such as the Women’s Museum and the Museum of Nature and Science.
We’re working with the city of Dallas to build our best full and half courses yet. The Dallas White Rock Marathon has always been a race built by runners for runners, so making sure that we’re constantly improving the runner experience in our marathon, half marathon and relay is a top priority. Both the half and full marathon courses will remain uniquely DWRM courses; they will not be replicas of other race courses that start and/or finish at Fair Park.
The full marathon course will not be drastically changed; rather it will be tweaked and improved over the course from Victory Park. It will still run through historic Dallas neighborhoods like Swiss Avenue, through beautiful tree lined areas in East Dallas, Highland Park and along Turtle Creek, and of course, will curve around White Rock Lake.
We’re very excited about the new half marathon course, which we believe will be the DWRM’s best half marathon course yet and will combine the best features of many popular Dallas races from the past and the present. We will release course details as soon as possible.
Before television – and long before the Internet – World Fairs were a means of introducing the public to new products, new technology and far away places.
In 1936, Texas celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Texas Republic with a world’s fair in Dallas. Texas’ history, economy, flora and fauna were portrayed in the building, statues and murals designed for the event – all constructed in Art Deco style.
Fair Park is the only intact and unaltered pre-1950s world fair site remaining in the United States – with an extraordinary collection of 1930s art and architecture.
Today, the 277-acre park and its cultural, educational and sports facilities play host to more than seven million annual visitors.
Before you Run the Rock, SHOP the Health & Fitness Expo! If you are looking for one of the largest gathering of sports fitness experts, nutrition and training products, and running enthusiasts in the Southwest, join us at the Health & Fitness Expo. With over 85 vendors and more than 60,000 people expected to attend, the Expo has something for everyone! Admission is free and open to the community!
Friday, December 3, 2010 – 12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 4, 2010 – 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Automotive Building – Fair Park
1010 First Avenue, Dallas, TX 75315
If you are driving to the expo, please note that the City of Dallas charges $10 per car for parking in Fair Park. The DART Green Line stops at Fair Park Station, within yards of the Automotive Building. More info on DART’s Green Line can be found on their website.
A shuttle bus will be available to transport guests to and from the Expo from the marathon host hotel –the Hyatt Regency Dallas beginning at 8:30 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Buses will also transport runners to and from Fair Park on race day from 6:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
Dallas Area Rapid Transit rail schedules available on the DART website.
Clif Bar and Co. is proud to be the official recycling partner of the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon. We aim to reduce the environmental foot print at the Dallas White Rock Marathon by recycling as much waste as possible. You can help the environment by using the recycling bins positioned throughout the Expo.
There is no packet pickup or registration on race day. All packets must be picked up at the Expo. Packets will not be mailed to participants. Late registration for the marathon only will also be available at the Expo.
| 2010 U.S. Census | Inwood Chiropractic |
| 3M Half Marathon & Relay | iRUNLIKEAGIRL |
| AAA Texas | KT Tape |
| Active.com | Lane Four Swim Shop |
| Advocare | Larabar Cascadian Farm |
| Alimtox | Lasting Commemoratives |
| American Laser Centers | Lifespeed Sports |
| America’s Run | Little Rock Marathon |
| Anthony Travel Inc. | Lone Star Relays |
| Athletes Honey Milk | Luke’s Locker |
| Austin Marathon | Marathon Charms |
| Bandeau-Ni the all-sport headband! | Max Muscle Sports Nutrition |
| Bath Fitter | Mellew Productions |
| Baylor Heart & Vascular Hospital | Metro PCS |
| Baylor Sportscare | MGD64 |
| BeeCause Charms | Monroe Products |
| Bondi Band | National Running Center |
| Broadview Security – | Nature’s Best |
| The Next Generation of Brink’s | Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon |
| Home Security | Polar Electro, Inc. |
| Cabot Creamery Cooperative | Power Balance |
| Celsius | Precision Sport Eyewear |
| Chevron Houston Marathon | Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) |
| ChicaBands.com | Rock Shop |
| CK SPORTS | Route 66 Marathon |
| Clif Bar & Co. | Run On! |
| Community Coffee | Selkin Laser Center |
| Competitor Group | Sensational Sheets |
| Culligan | Seven+ |
| Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau | Sewell Automotive Companies |
| Dallas Running Club | Snickers Marathon Bar |
| DART | SOMA by Seiko |
| Dick Beardsley Foundation | Southern Journeys |
| EFX | SPIbelt |
| Elektroplate | Sport Hooks & More |
| Enlyten | Sports Central Supply |
| Evolv Health | Spring Valley Wellness |
| Exercise Express | Susan G. Komen for the Cure |
| Fitfindr.com | Team In Training |
| Fit For Sport | Team Nuts |
| Fond Memories Graphics, Inc. | Team World Vision |
| Gecco Marketing | Texas Center for Foot and Ankle Surgery |
| GG Quad | Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children |
| Good Gear | The Cowtown |
| Green Mountain Enegy | The Shoe Bank |
| Gypsy Runner | TheStick.com/RPI of Atlanta |
| Heels and Hills | University of Phoenix |
| High Beam Promotions | UT Southwestern – Sports Medicine |
| Hold On Girls! | Vega by Sequel Naturals |
| Hughlett Chiropractic | Vitalsox |
| iFitness | yurtopia: yurbuds earbud enhancers |
| Inside Texas Running | Your Eyes |
From an incredible runners’ send-off to more than 40 flavors of entertainment lining the entire course, the MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon will provide continuous hooplah for both runners and spectators alike.
From the moment the runners line up to get ready for the race, the excitement begins. Live music at the starting will keep you energized while you await the starting gun and a military fighter jet flyover. With fireworks and confetti rounding out the race’s tremendous kick-start, you’ll be on your way to 26.2 miles of rock, funk, country, soul, hip-hop and pop.
After the race ends, the entertainment continues with the Post-Race Party that features live music on stage for the resting and weary. Here is a listing of our 2009 course entertainment:
| Mile | Address | Band |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ross @ St.Paul | 1st United Methodist Church Carillion Ringers |
| 3 | McKinney @ Allen | Gird Your Loins |
| 3 | McKinney @ Hall | Tom Kellner a/k/a Zom |
| 4 | Turtle Creek @ Fitzhugh | Luke’s Locker |
| 6 | McCommas @ Central | Director’s Staff Shrine Band |
| 6 | 5436 Longview | Second Hand Noise |
| 7 | Granada Theatre – 3524 Greenville | Hot House |
| 7 | 5715 Ellsworth | All Talk |
| 7 | 5835 Ellsworth | Shortwave Audio |
| 8 | 6148 Ellsworth | Alpha Dogs |
| 8 | 6460 Ellsworth | School of Rock |
| 9 | 3923 Frontier | The Big Guns |
| 10 | Tee Pee Hill | Charli Alexander Jam |
| 12 | NW Hwy/W. Lawther | The NeverRest Band |
| 14 | Big Thicket | KUMAASI African Ensemble |
| 15 | Bath House | Drums Not Guns |
| 16 | Sunset Bay | Bedrock |
| 17 | E. Lawther @ Arboretum | The Smeetones |
| 18 | 7-Eleven – E. Lawther @ Winstead | Jimmy Barcus |
| 19 | Winstead @ Loving | Hooters & DH Sports Anchor Rose |
| 20 | 7030 Lakewood | Sad Design |
| 21 | 6252 Richmond | Guitars4Cadillacs |
| 22 | Savage Park | Trinity Dogs |
| 23 | 4726 Swiss | CatDaddles |
| 23 | 4726 Swiss | When Squirrels Attack |
| 23 | 3434 Swiss | Tonti Properties |
| 24 | 2600 Live Oak | Hi-Lifers: Romantic Retro Lounge |
| 25 | San Jacinto @ Griffin | Finish Strong Dallas |
| 26 | Dick’s Last Resort | Neighborhood Nuisance |
| 26.2 | FINISH LINE | DoctorDoctor |
| 26.2 | FINISH LINE | The Lupners |
| Inside the AAC | PitPops |
| Mile | Address | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Half | Matilda @ Goodwin | Maine Corp Recruiting |
| Half | Knox & Katy Trail | Phoenix |
| Half | Cedar Springs & Katy Trail | The Bad Monkeys |
| Mile | Address | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Start | City Hall | Rockupational Therapy |
| Start | City Hall | Beckley Ave. |
| Young @ Market | Greenville Avenue Pre-Teen Chorus |
| Hyatt Regency Dallas | Shelley Laine & The Random Act Band |
Much has been discussed regarding the status of the course maps for the 2010 MetroPCS Dallas White Rock Marathon and Half Marathon. A little history – the planning for an eventual move from Victory Park began a couple of years ago as we saw a dramatic rise in participant numbers and heard stories from frustrated runners and spectators regarding the amount of time spent in lines for parking, the shortage of parking, the inability to easily circumnavigate around the finish line corral, the lack of additional attractions, and other concerns. The race prospered at Victory Park and the American Airlines Center, and as a result the reputation of the Dallas White Rock Marathon as a first-class race continued to grow. But with that success came problems that would eventually need to be addressed one way or another.
We began searching for viable alternative courses prior to the start of the 2009 race. After the 2009 race the alternatives and their impact on the race were researched, discussed and voted on. Although the Board of Directors made the final decision, many outside parties contributed to the search process, including the City of Dallas, the DPD, Fair Park officials, and runners themselves.
Once the decision was made the process of filing for and working towards approval of the course began. There are several different agencies that approve the course, some of them city departments and some outside third parties. With approximately 1.3 million people, the City has to consider the rights of all citizens and the impact a race as large and long as the marathon has on its citizens. Likewise, the organizers take into consideration not only what is best for the runners, but also the impact on residents and businesses along the route.
Decisions made on this basis are not made overnight. It’s not as simple as opening a map, drawing a line 26.2 miles long on it, and declaring it the official course. We take into consideration the conditions along the course that come into play during a road race: the type and condition of the road surface, width of the road, level or curved, high curbs or no curbs, surrounding land uses, traffic patterns, aesthetics, and the list goes on. What we think makes a good course may not be the same conclusion as others. So we all work together to find the best compromise between all parties involved. This doesn’t happen at a single meeting where everyone gets together and hashes it out before we can go home. Paperwork is filled out, different departments review different aspects of the proposed course, provide feedback, revisions are made, the proposal goes back out, etc. Once we have enough feedback, the course route is submitted for final review. At that point it is pending as it goes through a last round of formal reviews. At this level new eyes look at it and provide feedback. During this process all parties involved have been very supportive. We are fortunate that many of the people involved in this decision making process are also runners and want to make this the best race possible.
So when does the map become “Official”? Once it has been officially approved by all parties involved. But wait – at some point we want to get the course certified by USA Track & Field so the course can serve as a Boston-qualifier and the runners can rest assured that they are on an accurately measured 26.2 mile course. If we do that too early in the process and then have to make changes later we may have to start the measurement and certification process all over. That alone is a time consuming and expensive proposition. So we wait until we feel fairly confident that there won’t be any more significant changes to the course. If we measure the course and find it’s either short or long and have to make an adjustment, then we go back to either the proposed course or submitted course stage.
With the move to Fair Park we are addressing several problems we experienced at Victory Park. While we loved having our event there, Fair Park offers new opportunities to improve the overall event. The courses are flatter (removed a couple of hills), have less turns (cut the number of turns through Highland Park alone by 60%) and as a result are faster. As runners that all sounds good to us. There’s more parking at Fair Park, more open areas, the museums will be open for free during the day on Saturday and Sunday, state fair type food vendors will be out selling their deep-fried treats, and other activities. Fair Park is truly a gem within the City of Dallas and should be appreciated by all who visit it.
So when will we announce the maps are Official? Plenty of time before the race that you will be able to look at every manhole cover along the route. Although this may not please all, the timing is very similar to what we went through when we moved from White Rock Lake to City Hall, and then again from City Hall to Victory Park. Using the same course year after year speeds the approval process up dramatically and makes our jobs that much easier. But the goal of the organizers is to make this the best race possible and changes were needed. Talk to veterans about our previous races and then give us a chance to show you our improvements.
