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November 14, 2023   Reel Big Fish and Charities!
We hope the subject line didn't get your hopes up about a new musical partnership for the race. Instead, we wanted to alert you that the race did, in fact, *sell out* on the opening day of registration!

To those of you who made it in - hooray! We can't wait to bother you with many, many emails between now and race day! For anyone still hoping for a chance to get into the race, we want to share some options:

First, we encourage you to make new friends (but keep the old) via the Facebook group where you can post your interest in joining a team and those who have signed up without a full roster might ask you to join theirs.

Second, we will open 10 charity slots on Friday 11/17 (at 7am of course!). Charity slots (for the uninitiated) are, as the name suggests, a way to secure a team entry with the proceeds going to your choice of one of our charity partners. This is a great way to get in while giving back! Charity slots are first come-first served and final payment will be due by the end of the year (2023).

Third, you can take your chances with the wait list. If teams notify us that they cannot finalize a team, we will offer entry to the wait list teams--in sequential order--through the end of February. By March 1 the field will be set, with no additional teams added. If you have not already signed up for the wait list and would like to be added, you can do so here.

October 11, 2023   Registration is coming!
Sugar and (pumpkin) spice and everything nice, that's what the Seneca7 relay is made of. We're gearing up for registration and hope you are, too. Here's all you need to know to be ready for the big day:

  1. Registration opens Tuesday, October 31st at 7am! It's a Halloween treat!
  2. The-teams-formerly-known-as-bike-teams are receiving priority registration at the 2023 rate as consolation for the elimination of the bike option. Details will come to your team captain in a separate message.
  3. For registration, only one member of your team needs to sign up and pay the $100 deposit (via credit card). The balance of the registration fee will be due on November 30 and is payable by check or Venmo, so you have time to track down (and shakedown) your teammates!
  4. While the registration cost is increasing for 2024 (our first increase since 2015!), so is our level of service. Yes, there will be more port-a-potties, yes we will have more fun at the finish, yes there will be swag in that bag!
  5. We're also purchasing carbon offsets for all teams. If we're going to be motorized-vehicles-only, we want to do our part to mitigate the impact.
  6. The fastest teams to cross the finish line last April (in each category) will receive priority registration--team captains should check their emails.
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We look forward to seeing you (virtually speaking) signing up yourself and 6 of your closest friends on Halloween! (but again, if you are checking the website you will know that you do not have to have your roster confirmed in order to register. One person can sign up a team and fill in the details later).

July 1, 2023   Seneca7 2024
First, the good news: The next edition of the Seneca7 (lucky number 13!) will be Sunday, April 28th. We have secured permission from our wine trail partners and planning is now underway.

Now to the not-so-good news. For many years, we have tried to provide a safe, fun, and quirky challenge for all participants. Each year we've received feedback from many sources (our athletes, volunteers, spectators, exchange point partners, public safety officers, etc.) and have made changes to each edition to be responsive and improve the experience from one year to the next.

The decision to bring bike teams into the mix a decade ago was a function of your direct request to add an additional challenge to the day as well as our commitment to reducing the carbon footprint of the event by providing a non-motorized alternative for getting teams around the lake. For many years we've sustained this option with several variations to respond to the needs of all involved.

In 2022, the challenges of biking the Seneca7 were becoming difficult to manage. For this year's race (2023) we instituted the "Bike Czar" in the hopes of mitigating some of the ongoing issues. Although we do believe the addition of the czar (as well as the efforts of the bike teams themselves) improved the experience, it was not enough. Runners, spectators, and officials all provided feedback that indicate serious concerns about the ability for motorized and non-motorized teams to coexist on the course. Some of the bike teams themselves shared safety concerns.

As race directors we cannot ignore clearly expressed warnings from law enforcement, volunteers, and participants about safety hazards. While it pains us to do this and we know it will be a great disappointment to many of you, we will not be offering a bike option in future editions of the Seneca7.