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.
Read MoreLately, 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.
Read MoreWhen 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.
Read More“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.”
Read MoreThere was a time when I thought a road race could never be sold. Who would buy it and what exactly would the buyer be buying anyway? Today, however, races are now being bought and sold left and right. Boy, did I miss the bus on that one.
Read MoreAs event directors, our focus tends to be on making sure our course is an accurate and safe one, that we have plenty of water to distribute, that our race starts on time and that we deliver quick and accurate results…all extremely important aspects of producing a successful event.
Read More“You actually get paid to direct a road race?” How many times have we all had someone say that to us?! Um, yes, we get paid… well, most of the time.
Read MoreEveryone has pet peeves. As race directors, we, too, have pet peeves—a lot of them—that drive us all insane. Knowing that misery loves company sometimes, I’ve listed a few of my race pet peeves, which I know all of you can identify with:
Every now and then it feels good to be recognized when people know who you are, what you do and what you have done. Then there are times when it might be better not to be recognized at all, or as I like to call it “being incognito."
Read MoreWhen managing our races, we tend to focus a lot on the elite leaders in the race: we make sure they go in the right direction, they follow our lead vehicles, and they're cheered on by thousands of spectators. However, what about the last runner(s)?
Read MoreSimultaneously conducting multiple distance races along the same course can create problems.
Read MoreRules and policies — the U.S. government has the Bill of Rights, the Catholic religion has the Ten Commandments, but what does the sport of road racing have? Not a whole lot, really.
Read MoreI used to think the more signs (operational and functional signs, not sponsor signs) at an event, the better. However, throughout the years, I’ve come to realize more is not necessarily better, and it's not simply the number of signs but many other factors that come into play.
Read MoreI've been a runner for most of my life, and I love running in races. I've volunteered at a handful, too, and recently realized I would love to make it a career—working for something like, say, the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series. How should I go about meeting the right people and gaining the experience to do this?
Read MoreAs a race director with only one event under my belt, I'm curious: Have you ever had a race where you didn't have someone contact you afterward to complain about something? I'm not being sarcastic; I'm honestly curious.
Read More
