Yesterday, The Middle Half sold out after just 11 days of registration. Thanks to those of you who were able to sign up early. Our committee has been hard at work since October planning this event for you.

We were simply amazed at how quickly people signed up for this year’s race! In the first 5 days of registration, close to 1,500 people took advantage of the special pricing.

Many have asked about raising our cap to allow more runners into the race. Our mission at The Murfreesboro Half Marathon is to provide the best race we possibly can, not necessarily the largest. There is a concerted effort to maintain the quality of event that you expect year after year. By reaching our cap early, we are able to plan the event better. This allows us to appropriately allocate all of the needed resources needed to produce a great race day – including, but not limited to medals, bibs, shirts, food, and parking. Careful budgeting has allowed us to keep the price relatively low, a feature we know all runners appreciate!

Last fall, our board of directors determined our participation limit for 2011. Many factors are considered each year including logistics, in-kind sponsor availability and participant responses from the most recent event. The past 6 months of planning, paperwork, approvals, etc., has been based on 2,500 runners. We like growing, but at a manageable pace. (You runners know all about pacing!). After the race this year, we will determine the cap for next year’s race.

There are still a few options available for those who are not registered. Some of our sponsors may be holding drawings or contests to give away their spots. We will post these availabilities on Facebook as we are notified. Also, Fleet Feet Sports Murfreesboro has a very limited number of spots available in their half marathon training program.

Again, we are thrilled with the response during the registration process. Now, back to planning an exciting 2011 Murfreesboro Half Marathon!