Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Location Change for Saturday's Hare and Tortoise 8K

Due to the damages from Hurricane Irene, the Hare & Tortoise New Quarter Park 8K Run (Karene O’Hare Memorial Run for Ovarian Cancer) will be changed to a start and finish at the Queens Lake Middle School on West Queens Drive in the beautiful Queens Lake neighborhood of Williamsburg . York County is using New Quarter Park for hurricane debris removal, and the park has been closed for all activities until at least the end of September.
Getting to the new location is easy. Coming from Penniman Road on Hubbard Lane, instead of taking a right onto Lakeshead Drive, and taking that route to New Quarter Park (the way runners got to New Quarter Park for either the Queens Lake 5K Run or the Hare & Tortoise 8K Run), just continue straight on Hubbard Lane, which shortly becomes West Queens Drive, with the Queens Lake Middle School soon on your left. The school is less than a quarter mile past the Lakeshead Drive/Hubbard Lane intersection. For Mapquest or GPS systems, the school address is 124 West Queens Drive .
From Jim Elder, of Colonial Sports, who is assisting race director John O’Hare with the race and race course:

New Race Course: The Hare and Tortoise 8K Run will start and end at Queens Lake Middle School. This is a new course measured accurately to the exact 8K distance (4.97 miles), but is not USATF certified. Runners will start in front of the school, with the school on their right shoulder, they will turn left, and then right onto West Queens Drive . Runners should cross to the left hand side of West Queens and proceed to Lakeshead Drive (the entrance road to New Quarter Park ). Runners will turn left onto Lakehead Drive, staying on the left facing traffic, proceed up Lakeshead, then turn left onto East Queens Drive, following East Queens past the Queens Lake Marina and over the bridge (at some point prior to reaching the Marina, runners should move right to avoid the blind left turn by the Marina heading to the bridge). Runners continue on East Queens until it becomes West Queens and then on West Queens over the I-64 overpass, and turn right onto Schooner Drive, following Schooner to the turnaround cone and course marshal, just past the last median, looping around the cone and back up Schooner. Turn right onto West Queens, and follow West Queens to the second entrance into Queens Lake Middle School , to the finish line and chute.
This is an absolutely beautiful course, with a magnificent vista along Queens Creek. A must run/walk for anyone who enjoys serenity and scenery.

Additional Race Details: York County Sheriff's Department will support the race.
Race marshals will be on the course at critical points for added safety and support.
Water stops will be at 2.2 miles and 4.05 miles.

Times: No changes. Race day registration and packet pick-up starts at 7:45 a.m. in front of Queens Lake Middle School . The one mile fun run starts at 8:30 a.m. (location Queens Lake Middle School Baseball Field).
The 8K run/walk starts at 9:00 a.m.
Parking: Queens Lake Middle School parking lot to the left of the School. Some overflow parking by the tennis courts.
Directions: From Route 143 (Merrimac Trail) take either a right (if coming from Newport News ) or a left (if coming from Williamsburg/Colonial Williamsburg) onto Penniman Road . Proceed one block (the Magruder School will be on your left), and make a left onto Hubbard Lane . Follow Hubbard Lane for about two miles (go past Lakeshead Drive) until it becomes West Queens, and follow West Queens to the Queens Lake Middle School, which is on the left.
From Interstate 64, take exit 242A onto Route 199. Exit Route 199 onto Route 143 towards Williamsburg . At the first traffic light (Route 143 and Penniman Road ), make a right onto Penniman Road , and follow above directions.
From downtown Williamsburg : Take the Colonial Parkway (from the Information Center area) towards Yorktown . Take the Queens Lake exit off the Colonial Parkway . At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Hubbard Lane which becomes West Queens Drive , and follow above directions.



Jim Elder
Colonial Sports, Inc.
513 Prince George St.
Williamsburg , VA 23185
757 253-0277

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