South Mountains 50k

So I am scheduled to run the South Mountains 50k in a few weeks. Today, the race director sent us an email with a status update. At the current time, the race is on unless a new executive order comes down preventing it in the next week. 

Reading through their email they describe some special protocols to help put on this race. 

One protocols that caught my attention was their usage of the wave start and how they are determining each runner's wave start time. 

This is how I understand it. Waves 1, 2, & 3 will go off at 7:40, 7:50, and 8 AM. Waves 4 & 5 will go off at 8:50 and 9 AM. 

Our placement in the waves will be based on our Ultra Signup ranking, and if someone does not have a ranking, they are placed in the last wave. 

Ok, I thought about this, and I can see the reasoning behind it. The higher ranked runners would typically be expected to be faster and therefore clear through the course faster. Logical right?

Runners theoretically would be spread further out and not passing one another. This all makes sense to me. 

Then, I read further down through the email to where they talk about race cut offs. The first cut off is at 9:40 at 6.1 miles. That means covering 6 miles in 40 minutes or in other words sub 7 minute pace on a trail. While I know it is possible to run sub 7 on trails for 6 miles, considering the last wave leaves at 9 AM, I have think that this is going to catch a lot of runners if they hold firm to this rule. 

The email goes on to say that the park closes at 6 pm, and the race needs to concluded to by 5pm. 

Could these rules be such that it pushes runners toward their virtual race option. I don't know. Then, I am not sure that I understand the need to wait 50 minutes for waves 4 & 5 go off. If 10 minutes is good enough for the first 3 waves why not the last 2 waves. This part of their equations just doesn't make a lot sense to me. 

If I happen to get slotted in to either waves 4 or 5, I may consider the virtual option. I admit; I couldn't maintain sub 7 pace then go on to run the next 26 miles on the South Mountain trails.  

I did email the race director so I will share what I hear back. 

** The race director responded to my email the next day. Seems this was an oversight on his/her part, and plans to correct it. Runners should be leaving around 8 AM or shortly there after depending their wave. I have not seen an updated email but I would expect as much. This should give most runners ample time to get through the first cut off despite it being uphill. 

The Cool Down Runner