My debut as Race Director, am I missing anything?

PRESIDENT

So this Saturday I make my debut as RD. Mr. Green

I'm not too nervous, but want things to be as perfect as possible. I've no clue how many runners to expect and have about 20 pre registered. I do expect quite a few to register day of race, it's going to be nice or so they say so now. I hope to have 40-50 more maybe. Let me tell you about it and please let me know if I'm forgetting anything or if you have ideas.

This is a 5 and 10K race/walk called The Run Of The Mill. I designed the course, part of my regular running route. It is very nice a few small rolling hills. Registration is at 9 am, race time is 10:30am I have the following:

30ish volunteers

1 port a jon

bib numbers, pins,

Goodie bags/shirts

timing gun and someone trained to use it, numbered sticks

nicely set up finishline that tapers into the chute

course marked with mile markers in 1 color, directional arrows in another color.

volunteers on the course to direct which way to go between markings

6 water stops, 3 for the 5K, 6 for the 10K. 2 volunteers for each stop.

4 volunteers trained for registration, and timing recording

1 person to do all announcing

finish line food: granola bars, fresh fruit, bagels, bottled water

T Shirt printer who is coming and printing shirts on site as we need them

A large ten/canopy shelter thing to be put up the night before

PA system

Plenty of parking

Po Po for directing traffic at 3 different spots

Local ambulance on standby, they may be at start/finish area(I'm confirming this.)

I have assigned myself and another person to ride our bikes through out the course to be sure everyone is OK.

We have trophies for overall M and F winners of both the 5 and 10K, and AG awards for top 3 each AG M and F.

We also have 4 significant prizes for the 4 overall winners. I guess a drawing for the prizes among the 4 winners??

We also have a special volunteer shirt which I think is cool. The shirt has the event on front and back says volunteer And then Summer Tour 04' and event name. There are 4 events this summer the gym is sponsoring so 4 shirts can be collected for volunteers. Very Happy

This event begins at a local resturant/bar and we will be grilling out burgers/hotdogs for a buck or so. We will also have a popcorn machine out there. They can also go in to the restaurant to eat. They actually have a coupon in their goodie bag for a free drink and save $ on a meal or something.

My main concern is that we cross the train tracks at 2 different places. There are train schedules for weekdays, however no set schedule for the trains on weekends. I have been told that usually if train will come through, it is before 10:30am. Shocked

You know my luck.

It will be announced before race start that this could possibly happen. Would this piss you off if you were racing?

so, what do you guys think??? What am I missing?? Ideas, thoughts??

Excelent

Looks good and it appears to me that you haven't missed anything. Good luck

Master of Prissface

Looks good to me too, Deb. It's a LOT of work doing all this......

Did you check CR for their RD's guide? I know they had a checklist of some sort and some helpful info on their site. I've sent a couple people there who were looking to become RDs. Also PM jrjo if he doesn't see this and respond, I know he's got some experience in this area too.

Good luck! I wish you were closer, I'd come!

PRESIDENT

Gone Fishin

A couple things that might be nice...
Do you know how you'll post results? If you have somebody with a laptop and a printer set up ahead of time with even a spreadsheet, you can post some printouts. Most people like to look before the awards, so they can hit the road if they missed their age group.
And how about if you'll get them in the local paper? Runners go gaga over that. And if you can even give a call to the local tv station and get them to announce the male/female winner during the sports segment, that's cool too.

Do you have a finishline tape for the winner to break?

Is there going to be a lead bicyclist or golf cart? If there's a possibility of someone taking a wrong turn.. it just might happen.

And what's your highest age group? I'd recommend 70+ instead of 60+ because there are getting to be more and more competitive 70-something peeps.

That train possibility make me nervous. If it happens, you'll have some upset runners. I don't think it would be fair to adjust any times because that "break" of waiting for the train is a benefit to some degree...I dunno, it'll be your lone headache if it happens.

Is your changebox ready? Be ready to break some big bills possibly.

Is it going to be hot enough for all the water stops? I might cut the number of stops in half and bring those volunteers to the finish. The chute area needs at least one person directing people in, then a couple to take tags, one tracking them, one compiling results and then a couple people to direct and assist with snacks/water/medical.
In our club race, we have a 5km with one water stop and a 12km with three. And if you can have gatorade at the later ones, that's a plus too.

Another traffic control idea is to have a whole bunch of "Running Race In Progress" type of signs to put a points of the course where side streets intersect or culdesacs come out or business entrances are. We put up a whole bunch within an hour of the start and if anything, it gets drivers to slow down and look around.

Can you get an extra few port-a-jons? One could be a prob if you catch my drift. Embarassed

Also be sure to have one or two of the volunteers along the course have a pad of paper in hand and write down bib numbers as runners go by. It's hard to believe someone would cheat on a local fun run, but unfortunately, it happens. Sometimes unintenionally. In our 5km, I'm sure the 12-yr old that went sub-14 is still stinging that I didn't believe he ran the whole course.

For the finishline food.. garbage cans? napkins?

I'll keep thinkin'.... Surprised

Master of Prissface

Did I not tell you the man is a genius!!!

PRESIDENT

Member

having just directed my first race, I can tell you this. The day CRUISES by!

Sounds like it's all in place and jrjo added a bunch of good advice as well.

You have ALOT of volunteers so make sure that you have duties for them all. There's nothing worse than disgruntled volunteers whining about nothing to do. I kept my volunteer staff down to a minimum because I didn't want that problem.

THE BEST OF LUCK TO YOU and congrats on all your fine work thus far!

joel

Frightened Inmate #2

my boys could swim

Well, sounds like you have plenty of help.

And more than enough water stops.

Good luck to you.

Gone Fishin

Gone Fishin

Somthing else... if you can have 2-way radios or volunteers with cellphones to communicate with each other and the start/finish. Then they can know about any emergencies and also when the last runner goes by and they can fold up the tables and clean up.

Pyromaniac

I see nothing about having the keg cold and tapped and plenty of glasses handy! For shame!

The Pinball

all this "behind the scenes" stuff is amazing. sounds like you've done a great job so far and jrjo offers some excellent stuff too. i really like his idea about more chute help. it seems to me this is an area of basic panic in alot of races -- the volunteers either aren't really trained on what to do, or there aren't enough of them in the chute...i hate when they have that what the Heck do i do now look

good luck!! you're great for doing this.

PRESIDENT

Well, I'm cutting the water stops down. I'll have just 1 for the 5K at the turn around. 10Ker's will have 4. I'm iffy on just 1 for the 5, but everyone else thinks 1 should do it. Some people who are walking the 5K may bring a bottle I suppose.

My debut as Race Director, am I missing anything?

LIFEFORM SOCIAL COMMUNITY NETWORK