Nielson Challenge
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Nielson Two Mile Challenge - Summer Series #4
The Nielson Two Mile Challenge is a recurring, monthly running event held at North Monument Valley Park, W Fontanero St and Culebra Ave. The event uses the same flat 2 mile course each month, providing a consistent basis to compare performances under similar conditions.
Registration is online through RunSignup only; there is no race day registration. Pre-registration closes at 5:00pm on the Friday before race morning. Participants are asked to arrive early to collect bibs; those who arrive after the announced start may not be officially timed but can still run without a bib.
The event uses a handicap format. A first-time finish establishes a base time for a participant; that base time is used to generate a handicap time with an algorithm designed to favor beginning and slower runners. Once a handicap is established, results measure improvement relative to that handicap. Monthly results are regenerated and handicap times are updated after new results are recorded.
Awards are given to the person who improves the most over their handicap at each monthly race; the award is a Nielson shirt donated by a local screen printing studio, EON Studios. There is no entry fee, and a free lunch is provided at the event.
The course description: the first mile is an elongated loop on the park trails, first heading north on the middle trail and then south on the main trail parallel to the creek. The second mile is an out-and-back, heading south on the main trail and returning north to the start. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
