A Guide to the Route: Pit Stop vs Grab & Go

The Susan G. Komen 3-Day® is filled with experiences and information that may seem foreign to first-time participants or even veterans. To ensure that you show up to the event as prepared as possible, we’re kicking off A Guide to the Route, a three-part series giving you a behind-the-scenes glance at what you’ll see while inside the Pink Bubble. Today we’ll be covering the differences between a pit stop and a grab & go. Future posts will talk about sweep vans and ceremonies, providing insightful information from those who create the event from the ground up.

When you arrive at the Komen 3-Day you’ll be handed a route card each day which provides information regarding the day’s mileage and schedule. You’ll probably notice a plethora of pit stops and the occasional grab & go along the route and may wonder exactly what these are. While similar in their purpose to provide you with a place to rest and fuel up, there is a difference between the two types of stops. It’s important to know what makes these two route stops unique, so that when you begin each day of the 3-Day®, you can plan accordingly and in a way that will help you safely reach the finish line. To ensure that you’re successful along the route, we’ve gone ahead and noted all the frequently asked questions and misconceptions about pit stops vs grab & gos.

What is a pit stop?

A pit stop is a rest opportunity for walkers that occurs every 3–4 miles as allowed. Pit stops have snacks, drinks, portable toilets and medical. They are a chance for walkers to take a load off, refresh their water bottles or seek medical attention if necessary.

What is a grab & go?

A grab & go is a mini rest stop and is used to fill in gaps in mileage where a pit stop either doesn’t fit or where there is too much mileage between stops. A grab and go only offers drinks and portable toilets for walkers. A grab & go does not have snacks or medical services.

What are the similarities and differences between the two?

Like a pit stop, a grab and go has a scheduled opening and closing time to ensure participants keep on pace. Both are staffed with wonderful crew who are ready to add a little pep and energy back into your step.

While both are available to all walkers, ONLY a pit stop has medical crew present and is staffed to help ALL walkers. Without Medical onsite at a grab & go, walkers who need medical help are brought to the next available pit stop. Sweep vans, vehicles that pick up participants along the route and bring them to the next stop, do NOT drop or pick up from a grab & go (except in extreme situations).

When can a walker expect to see a pit stop vs. a grab & go?

Pit stops are approximately every 3–4 miles. A grab & go is used to fill in gaps when mileage between pit stops is more than four miles, to help whenever participants are bussed out to the route, or whenever a site is not large enough for a pit stop.

How many grab & gos are on the route each day?

The number will vary depending on the needs of the route each day. Typically, there is one grab & go each day but sometimes there are none and in very rare cases there are two.

What are the need-to-knows when planning your day along the route?

Since your safety is of our utmost importance, sweep vans are NOT allowed to drop off participants at grab & go locations as the onsite crew is not equipped to assist walkers in need. A grab & go is staffed with a smaller crew than a pit stop and it does not have the resources or space for medical crew or to provide sweep van access. If after arriving at a grab & go you decide that you need to utilize a sweep van, you will need to walk out on the route and signal for a sweep van like you typically would.

If you have any more questions regarding pit stops vs grab & gos, please contact your 3-Day coach for more information. Happy walking!

Buzzing by Pit Stop 1 with Crew Captain Steve

On Day 1 the Michigan 3-Day, pit stop 1 is buzzing: from the contagious energy of fresh walkers just over 2 miles into their journey, to the excited and energized crew, to the beautiful weather shining down on the first 3-Day of the year. At the entrance of the pit stop, a friendly and familiar face greets each and every walker: “Hey, how are ya? What’s buzzin?” The welcoming smile of this person only grows more enthusiastic with each new walker, no doubt because every walker who sees him and his “jugs” laughs almost immediately upon sight.

Steve, “Mr. BooBee”, at the 2014 Michigan 3-Day

Now, let’s be clear: on a breast cancer event, we can say “jugs” as a euphemism for breasts, but in this instance, we actually mean jugs – empty water jugs, the tip of each embellished with a fuzzy bee, googly eyes, pom-poms, and all. Welcome to the hive: this is pit stop 1, a BEE-utiful bumble bee themed pit stop, complete with fearless leader and crew captain Steve Z., a six-year supporter of the 3-Day. Steve was a self-proclaimed “walker stalker” for two years, supporting his fiancée as she walked. “Then I couldn’t take it any longer and HAD to join,” he said. “I walked the following year and crewed pit stop 2 the year after that.” He was promoted to crew captain last year, a role he’s returning to this year.

How did Steve hear about the 3-Day? “I really got brought to it by my fiancée, Barb. She has such a passion for this event, it’s infectious. She has two cousins who are survivors, my mom is a survivor and she and I have walked for Team Suze Cruise, where Sue has been an inspiration to so many.” Like so many other people involved with the 3-Day, Steve is struck by the numbing truth is that we all know somebody affected by breast cancer. “When I walk into the Remembrance Tent every year, I am so saddened, but steeled to fight breast cancer. To see the devastating effect it has on not only the person with the disease, but also their family and friends…. It’s heartbreaking.”

Some members of the BooBees at Michigan Pit Stop 1 at the 2014 3-Day

Some members of the BooBees at the 2014 Michigan -Day

We heard about Steve because of some amazing feedback about him from his fellow crew teams, and also because of the incredible kindness he (like all crew members) demonstrates to the Michigan walkers. “I’m very lucky. I have a great crew, who are friends more than ‘co-workers’ really. I have been lucky enough to make many friends here at the 3-Day. They make me a better person and captain,” he said. “I try to get to know each crew member, find their strengths and weaknesses, and work to their strengths, while supporting them with things they might need help with, always remembering that not everyone can do everything. It’s kind of that whole theme of this year’s crew message of ‘Inclusion.’ We ALL bring something to the party, so use those strengths to progress forward.”

While talking to Steve, it’s obvious that his leadership shines through compassion and the ability to understand a diverse group of people. Steve honed these skills in the army. “I was an Infantry Drill Sergeant, and at the Closing Ceremony, even an old drill sergeant gets misty.” (You’re not alone Steve – we think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t get misty at the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 3-Day!)

“I can honestly say that the forced marches I did with my troops are every bit as hard as the walk for the 3-Day. Sixty miles in three days is a pretty damn impressive thing to accomplish. I’m proud to be a part of this event and organization,” Steve says, smiling, as he continues to cheer on walkers entering his pit stop. Steve’s contagious energy is drawing walkers into the hive like a beautiful flower, and as smiles erupt around him and his jugs, the spirit of the 3-Day shines through.

Crew members at Pit Stop 1 are all smiles handing out snacks bright and early today on Day 1 of the Michigan 3-Day.

The ABC’s of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day – Part 4

Welcome to Part 4 of the ABC’s of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day^®. This special alphabet is made up of 26 people, places or things you’ll encounter on the Komen 3-Day. Check out Part 1 (Letters A – D) here, Part 2 (Letters E – H) here, Part 3 (Letters I – L) here, and don’t forget to share your ideas for each letter here on the 3-Day blog or with us on Facebook. You can also help us spread the word about the 3-Day^® by pinning these images on Pinterest. The more people who learn about the 3-Day, the more we can make a difference in the fight to end breast cancer forever.

Got blisters? Dehydrated? Sore muscles? Our Medical Crew is here to help. The Medical Crew is made up of certified medical professionals who volunteer their time to make sure your 3-Day experience is healthy, happy and safe.

See also: Mac n’ Cheese, Matching Gifts

You’ll hear walkers, crew and spectators at cheering stations yelling out “Never Give Up” as you walk 60 miles on the 3-Day. It’s our version of Ra Ra Ra — and we mean it, in every possible way. Never give up on yourself. Never give up on the fight to end breast cancer.

The 3-Day Blog

Tag Archives: pit stop

A Guide to the Route: Pit Stop vs Grab & Go

Buzzing by Pit Stop 1 with Crew Captain Steve

The ABC’s of the Susan G. Komen 3-Day – Part 4