While nearly every USA road race offers online entry, the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10-K in Cape Elizabeth, Me., has become the first to completely eliminate the paper application, requiring all athletes to register via the Internet for the 2008 edition of the race on August 2.
"The printed applications really had grown obsolete with such a vast majority of runners preferring to register using the online process," said David Weatherbie the race president. "It just stopped making sense to continue to print and mail applications. The money and time expended can be better utilized in other areas."
Weatherbie also cited the environmental cost of printed applications, many of which are eventually discarded. Many races have been attempting to "go green" with many of their race practices.
Race officials don't expect too many problems switching to the all online format for registration because 85 to 90 percent of the 5500 entries received last year were sent via the Internet. Last year's online registration closed in just ten days.
Registration for the 2008 race opens at http://www.beach2beacon.org on March 15. Weatherbie wants the running community to be ready.
"We really want to get the word out so everyone knows they will not be receiving a paper application in the mail," Weatherbie said. "We also want to encourage them to mark their calendars for March 15 so they can be sure to get online and register and not miss out."
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