Holding a break tape at the finish of a major (or any) race and what the tape actually looks like is a perfect example of how something seemingly very simple can have huge implications.
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Anyone who knows me knows I like to put EVERYTHING in writing. In our industry, there are so many details and so many moving parts that documentation is critical to succeeding in this business. Sharing of information with your race committee can sometimes make or break your event. The more people involved in the race who knows what is going on in your event the better. A race director who holds all the information close to their vest is doing a disservice to everyone.
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It took 1,310 miles to get here, but because of the support and encouragement of family, friends, and colleagues, I was able to finish my 50th Boston Marathon this past Monday evening.
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Event refunds are a complex issue. I’ve been on both sides of the issue—as a race director faced with the possibility of issuing refunds, and as a participant of a canceled event. Whether a road race issues refunds for a canceled event is dependent upon several factors.
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Occasionally, it’s fun to look back and recall “the way it used to be.” Evolution is good and inevitable, but there is something about days gone by that was refreshing and just… easier.
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Many of us are frequently asked to speak at other events or at conferences about our profession and about our experiences with either producing events or as runners ourselves. And, on the flip side, many of us recruit speakers to attend our events as a keynote at our expos or at one of our monthly local running club meetings.
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One of my most favorite expressions is, “The comeback is always stronger than the setback.” For those of us in the event management business, I am praying this statement holds true for all of us.
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Everyone has their own long-term goals and objectives that may frame their New Year’s resolutions, so we won’t impose our opinions by telling you what you should or shouldn’t set as your own personal goals. However, we do have some tips that may help you with keeping your resolutions and not giving up on them only a few short weeks into the new year.
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Real estate. This is one of the single biggest challenges many races face given the current incredible and amazing growth of our industry. Where do you put all these people? Demand is far exceeding available space for many races – look at the BAA Boston Marathon, the TD Beach to Beacon, the Mt. Washington Road Race, and the New Balance Falmouth Road Race, to give just a few examples.
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In the 70s, I was a member of the North Medford Running Club. They hosted many of the road races in the New England area. Fred Brown was one of the pioneers and leaders of the club. I remember some of the entry forms of his races where he included the following line:
“Entry fee is $5.00 for the race. If you want a trophy, add $2.00 to your total.”
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When planning for an event, most of us focus on the front end—all the setup and race management details. Rarely do we focus on the back end—the breakdown and the cleanup.
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More often than not, runners arrive to the race site about one hour before the start. Everything is usually all set up by then. Do they ever wonder how that all happened? Who set up the scaffolding and truss, what about the photo bridge or the bleachers and all the barricades and fencing? What about the tents and staging and the sound system? Who moved all the pallets of food and water into place with forklifts? Contrary to popular belief, it didn’t all just fall out of the sky…or did it? So, who exactly does all of this “heavy lifting” at road races?
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Is it me or does it seem that lately all of us are being challenged by Mother Nature more than ever before? The problem with outdoor events is that, yup, you guessed it, is that they are outdoors...no kidding.
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No matter how meticulous your planning, sooner or later something unexpected is going to occur that is going to require you to make on-the-spot decisions. Veteran race directors Dave McGillivray and Sean Ryan offer some tips on what to do (and not do) when disaster happens.
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I previously wrote on the power of spectators, focusing on all the positives of attracting spectators to your event. However, there are a few areas we must consider when dealing with spectators along our course or even within the start or finish line areas of our races.
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Years ago, before the huge field sizes and multiple wave starts, I always thought seeing course clocks along the race route was both informative and motivational. Now, I'm just not so sure.
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Lately, I’ve been running in a lot of road races in preparation for the World Marathon Challenge (in fact, when you read this, I'll be a week from landing in Antarctica for the first of seven marathons). I haven’t participated in this many races in such a short period of time in 20 years. Back then, however, I was running fairly well, like in the 6-minutes per mile range. Now I’m closer to 7-minutes or even 8-minutes a mile. It’s a different experience running with the masses versus running closer toward the front with the faster and more competitive folks.
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When I'm hired to direct a race, the client will often ask, “Do you think we should put on a clinic for the runners, too?” I am always torn as to the best way to respond to this. I’ve been to many clinics that were well organized and well attended but I’ve also been to as many or more that bombed, especially in terms of attendance of participants running in the race. It can be incredibly embarrassing to both the organizer and the presenter to be talking to an empty room with only six pigeons and three squirrels present.
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“It’s not over until it's over” is a cliché, so as a race director, I usually say, “It’s not over until all the post-race reports are in from all your key people.”
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