Why do you have to cap races?

Q: Why do you have to cap races? Some races sell out within a few hours and I find that very unfair. What's the deal?

A: A lot of reasons! While race distances are the same anywhere (a 10K is always a 10K), the course itself can be very different. Different courses have different logistical issues that affect the number of participants the course can handle. In our case at the Philly 10K, we are working with narrow Philly streets and busy downtown intersections that can only be closed for a certain length of time. Every race director's top priority is safety, and managing capacity helps keep the course safe and manageable. It's also better for runners to have a little more room while they run so we keep a cap in order to preserve the intimacy of the course for every runner to have an enjoyable race.

Ryan Callahan is in charge of new store development for Philadelphia Runner and the co-founder of The Philly 10K.

Have a question for the On The Run panel? Ask it here or email us. Read more from the On The Run blog »