Race Director HandbookA Guide to Organizing a Community Road Race

Pacers Events • www.pacersevents.com • v1 1.20.11

Table of Contents

Congratulations!! 4

Introduction & Budget Basics! 4

Where Do I Start?! 5

Expectations! 6

Race Registration & Fees! 6

Sponsorships! 7

The Race is On! 8

Pre-Event Budgeting & Planning ! 8

Your Budget & Related Tasks! 8

Municipality: Permitting & Event Services! 9

Race Management & Timing! 10

Runner Premiums! 11

Insurance! 13

Awards! 13

Other Costs & Responsibilities! 15

Your Course, of Course!! 17

Pacers Events • www.pacersevents.com • v1 1.20.11

Course Design & Management! 17

Start Line Location! 17

Finish Line Location! 18

Course Design & Measurement! 18

Monitoring & Marking the Course! 19

If I Build It, Will They Come?! 20

Registration & Event Marketing ! 20

What’s Your Hook: Developing a Desirable Event! 21

Setting up Registration! 21

Registration Trends! 22

Race Flyer Distribution! 22

Web and Online Media! 23

Your Local Running Store! 23

Things to Do, People to See! 25

Race Day Preparation & Execution ! 25

Volunteer Recruitment & Deployment! 25

Race Day Preparation: Organization & Materials! 26

Finish Line Basics: Organization & Materials! 27

Water Stop! 28

Miscellaneous Race Day Items! 29

Checking It Twice! 30

Race Director Checklist ! 30

Checklist! 30

Race Management & Timing! 33

About Us! 33

Pacers Events • www.pacersevents.com • v1 1.20.11

Pacers Events! 33

raceDC Timing! 34

Sample Budget! 35

Pacers Events • www.pacersevents.com • v1 1.20.11

Congratulations!What to consider before planning a road race

INTRODUCTION & BUDGET BASICS

Runners at the inaugural Crystal City Twilighter 5K

Congratulations on deciding to organize your first road race1. Producing a race is a lot of work

but can be a very rewarding experience. Many groups across the country have found success in

promoting and raising funds for their charity or organization through a foot race event.

By providing this handbook2 as a service to the community we hope organizations will use this

guide as a tool and resource as they plan their event. If your organization is looking for more

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1 Throughout this handbook we will refer to foot races as road races. Many foot races, however, are held on trails or paths in

parks. We use the term road race to encompass all foot races, including those not on roads. In addition, this handbook is

designed for charity or community-based event organizers with approximately 500 expected participants, and who are primarily

interested in using a road race as a fundraising tool.

2 This handbook is provided as a community service by Pacers Events and Pacers Running Stores. Please use this handbook as a

guide as races vary greatly by season, location, demographics, and other factors.

extensive assistance, such as race management services and timing and scoring, we encourage

you to contact our friendly race management staff.

We wish you the best of luck.

Where Do I Start?

Before planning a road race, it is important to understand what your charity or organization is

looking to attain from the event and to set realistic expectations. Planning and executing a race

can be a significant task and the organization needs to look critically at the cost-benefit of the

event, especially as it pertains to staff time and volunteer resources. If managed correctly, a road

race can be a great fundraising tool and public relations vehicle; if executed poorly it can become

a financial drain and a frustrating experience for your volunteers, staff, and participants.

Once your organization has decided to support

a road race, your next step is familiarize yourself

with the local road race market. Determine

where, when, and what type of event your

organization would prefer being mindful of

busy race and festival dates in your area. A

good source of information is your local

running specialty store, where just about any

staff person would be able to offer their view on

the road race circuit and landscape. If you are

not a runner, be sure to engage one of your

organization’s volunteers or staff who is familiar

with the scene.

When you have a preferred date and course contact your local municipality. Each municipality is

different in how they handle requests for special events. Some are managed out of the police

department while others fall under the Department of Parks and Recreation. Be sure to start this

process early as many municipalities require advanced time for permit review (typically six

months).

In addition, be mindful of multiple jurisdictions, permitting requirements, and rules of private

businesses and organizations. Often times an event crosses into multiple jurisdictions or your

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event may be looking to utilize space (e.g. parking lot) of a private business. Be sure to

coordinate all these entities before finalizing your date and time. Do not assume the municipality

will coordinate these items for you; the responsibility is yours to make sure you have received all

appropriate permissions.

Permitting is often the most complex, confusing, and time consuming activity for a road race,

especially for new events. Hiring a local race management company can save you a lot of time

and even money as they are familiar with the courses and permits and costs associated with a

municipality or course.

Expectations

The very first exercise a race director must engage in is setting expectations and planning a

budget. A lot of your budget is based on the requirements of the course (e.g. will your event

require police officers, cones) so be sure to take into account any expenditures that are impacted

by your course. Expect to spend on every line item: never assume you will get anything for free.

The most common mistake we see when dealing with community foot races is an unrealistic

expectation of number of participants, especially in the first year. Be sure to know your market

and set your goals conservatively.

Race Registration & Fees

Registration fees will pay for my race, right? Not necessarily . .

Yes, revenue is generated from your registration fees, but in most

cases sponsorship is essential to underwrite overhead expenses and

make your event a successful fundraiser.

Currently in the Washington DC metro market registration fees for

inaugural races range between $20 - $35 dollars, depending on a

number of factors including runner premiums.

Using a $25 registration fee as an example, you can expect to pay

around $10 to $15 per head on race management and related

activities, timing, and a few other items. In addition, depending on

your runner premium, you can tack on an additional $4 to $9 to the

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total. That leaves you with very little left over to cover additional expenses, such as promotions

and advertising, or to use towards your fundraising goal.

Many times registrations may just about cover the cost of the race. However, too few registrants

and you may find yourself in the red if you do not have sponsorship support. On the flip side, an

event with a tighter budget and higher participation numbers may yield a profit with little

sponsorship. Depending on a high participation rate, especially in year one, can be risky; events

outside of your control (such as weather) may have a significant impact on registrations.

Sponsorships

Sponsors are critical for a fundraiser or benefit race. Race directors should seek out a single title

sponsor or enough general sponsors to cover the majority of the race expenses. For community

races, finding sponsors to cover your expenses is a good strategy to better position the event as a

successful fundraiser. Any funding secured over your expected expenses can help maximize your

fundraising.

It is helpful to have someone on your race

committee who has fundraising experience. The

best place to start is with pre-existing business

relationships, such as banks, local gyms,

restaurants, or supermarkets. Start early with

sponsors and know their funding policies and

timelines. Many businesses determine

sponsorships as early as a year in advance so

make timely requests and be persistent.

In addition, in-kind sponsorships can be valuable to your event. Food and water donations, gift

certificates for awards or drawings, print houses, and media partnerships are all examples of

good in-kind sponsorships.

And remember, sponsorship is a two way street. Prepare a clear list of benefits to the sponsor

and thank them (and patronage) them frequently.

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The Race is OnWhat to do once you’ve made the commitment

PRE-EVENT BUDGETING & PLANNING

Bib numbers are one of many items on your to do list!

The commitment has been made and you are off and running (no pun intended) on producing

your first road race. In addition to your permitting and sponsorship duties, there are a lot of pre-

race tasks that you need to accomplish. By now you should have made a decision on whether to

manage the event on your own or hire a race management company, had your course and date

approved by your municipality, named your event, agreed upon the goals of the event (financial

or otherwise), and set a budget. In an ideal world, you would have these items completed six

months prior to race day.

Your Budget & Related Tasks

Setting your budget is key in ensuring your organization reaches financial goals and stays in the

black; staying on task will help you avoid additional costs, such as rush fees. Following are some

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of the large bucket expenses your organization should anticipate. Also be aware of any additional

activities your organization may want to engage in (e.g. post-race parties) and how those

activities will impact the bottom line.

There are typically three major expense categories for a race: municipality fees, timing/

management fees, and your runner premiums. These three categories make up the bulk of your

budget. Using a course that does not require police officers, hand or self timing, and passing out

cheap cotton tees will reduce costs but may impact the desirability of the event to participants

and sponsors (and may dictate how much you can charge for the event). Balancing the “big

three” expenses with your budget goals are important. Spending too much on runner premiums

could cut into your profits; alternatively not having a professional managed or timed event can

lead to a black eye (and bad reputation for year two) if something goes awry on race day.

Municipality: Permitting & Event Services

Depending on your course, your municipality fees can

be a significant chunk of your budget. There is very little

your organization can do to reduce these costs other

than selecting courses that require less support from the

jurisdiction. Typically fees are non-negotiable.

Fees vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Examples of

municipality charges include permit fees, street closure

fees, meter fees, fire marshall fees, business licenses,

trail closures, shelter reservations, EMS, and police.

Police fees can range from $40-$65 an hour based on the municipality and overtime structures.

Many jurisdictions have hourly minimums ranging from two to as high as five hours. Some police

departments have explorer or auxiliary programs that can provide limited coverage for little no

cost; in addition some intersections may be manned by crossing guards who may have a lower

hourly rate. Fire/EMS support might also be needed or required by the municipality or your

insurance company.

Check with your race management company or your municipality for fee estimates.

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Race Management & Timing

As your organization plans for an event, you may determine you

need to enlist the services of a race management company.

Most race management companies can create packages for your

organization that cover permitting, course design, marketing,

registration, premium procurement, race day management,

timing and scoring, and other services.

Some organizations prefer to manage an event in house or

through engaged and enthusiastic volunteers and may need only

limited services from a race management company. Contact your local race management

company for a request for proposal on the services that your organization may require. If you are

looking for a company referral, your local running store is a great place to start.

While race management can seem like a luxury for some organizations, aligning your

organization with a reputable company may help recruit participants for your event. In the

Summer of 2010, graduate students at George Washington University conducted a survey of area

runners regarding their decision-making when deciding to register for a community race. Of

those surveyed, 67% stated that it was very or fairly important for a community race to be aligned

with a reputable road race management company.3 In addition, race management companies

tend to have large databases of area runners.

In addition, in today’s market electronic

race timing and scoring is quickly

becoming a necessity for any event that

wants to attract the general population

of runners. Some events still hand-time

which can be labor intensive and opens

up the possibility of results errors. In

the same survey, 82.6% of participants

noted that the offering of chip timing

was somewhat important, important, or

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3 “Motivations and Priorities of Pacers Events Participants Survey”, M. Annacone, et al. Summer 2010. Unpublished.

very important when deciding to register for an event.4

Tag timing is typically disposable, however some

timers will have systems that are reusable.

Typically any lost or unreturned chips are

charged to the organization so be sure to budget

for these fees. Timing fees are usually based on a

per registrant basis with a minimum charge.

Your timer might also manage your registration

process; be sure to ask what is included in your

package.

Runner Premiums

The expectation of most runners is that a runner premium, like a t-shirt, is included in the price

of the registration. Runner premiums are usually your second largest cost, typically nestled right

between municipality and timing fees.

While you can provide virtually any premium you would

like (hats, bags, mugs, water bottles) the t-shirt tends to

have the highest perceived value and usually is the most

desired of all the possible premiums. Upgraded t-shirts,

such as technical running tees, are often offered as

premiums.

The t-shirt design is important to runners; unique and

colorful shirts are popular and will sometimes

guarantee a return next year. Short sleeve cotton shirts

will usually cost about $5.00 to $7.00 each depending

on the brand, the quantity ordered, complexity of the

design, the number of colors, print locations, and the

color of the shirt. Short sleeve technical tees typically cost twice as much. There may also be art,

set up, rush, and shipping fees so consider these costs when determining your budget.Be sure

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4 Ibid.

your company can deliver on on time with plenty of time for you to organize your premiums

before packet pick up.

Knowing how many shirts and sizes to order is

always tricky even for the most experienced race

director – after all, no one has a crystal ball.

Established races have the luxury of using race

history when estimating shirt quantities for

upcoming races. Keep good history and be sure to

ask registrants for their preferred sizes when

registering. Use your registration data to

extrapolate your order (our experience is that men

register later than women so keep that in mind

when analyzing pre-registration data before ordering shirts). And remember: your shirt

inventory is money so over ordering can sometimes be worse than under ordering. Do not forget

to order tees for your volunteers, sponsors and municipality workers who are assisting you at the

event.

Cautious or optimistic ordering based on the

projected number of entrants can leave the race

with too few shirts or too many--or with many

mediums left and large or extra large sizes

exhausted. If too few shirts, more might have

to be ordered and provided to entrants after

the race by some method of shipping; if there

are too many, you can try to sell them at a

reduced cost in the future. One idea may be

to offer commemorative shirts to the first, say 200, runners. However you

handle your premiums, be clear and consistent with your policy. Have it posted on your website,

registration site, and registration forms. Transparency is always the best policy.

Give yourself plenty of time from start to finish to manage your premium purchasing. This

process can take longer than you think, so make sure you start working on your shirt artwork and

find a screener no later than two months from race day.

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Insurance

We recommend obtaining race insurance through the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA).

Event insurance is also available through USA Track & Field (USATF) and also sometimes

through an organization’s general business policy.

The RRCA’s comprehensive general liability policy offers insurance for accidental medical,

property damage, and other incidents. Covered parties include race volunteers, trainees, event

participants and event spectators. For more information on obtaining insurance and fee

structures, please visit www.rrca.org.

Typically municipalities, beneficiaries, sponsors, and some contractors will require certificates of

additionally insured. Be sure to allow enough time for these certificates to be issued by your

insurance company.

Awards

Most road races provide some sort of award structure

for participants. In addition, some races prefer to

offer both finisher gifts (e.g. medals) and age group

and overall awards. Medals can cost upwards of $6/

participant and are not usually expected for distances

less than half marathon. Overall and age group awards

are a great way of celebrating the accomplishments of

your runners and offers a great way of wrapping up an

event with a post-race awards ceremony.

Overall Awards

Some races have special awards (either cash or product) for the top male and female finishers.

These awards are referred to as “overall” awards. Events typically go one to three deep in overall

categories and a generally accepted prize structure is $100-$75-$50 (for both male and female).

These numbers can be adjusted based on your budget. Cash is king to the guys and gals at the

front of the pack.

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The larger the purse the better the runner who will probably come out and run your event.

While having the top runners in the area is not necessarily going to drive participants to your

event, it may help in gaining media coverage and will legitimize the race in future years.

It is customary to offer complimentary entries to elite level runners as long as they meet your

criteria, although it is completely understandable if your organization chooses not to offer

comps. These entries may be limited in quantity and entrants may have to meet certain racing

standards. If you expect them to stay around for the awards ceremony you will need to outline

your expectations ahead of time. A good use of complimentary entries is also to provide a

handful to your partner running store so they can use to promote the event or give out to

employees (who will in turn talk about your event to their customers).

Age Group Awards

With age group awards, most races go one to three deep for both males and females in the

following categories: 0-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+

The above divisions are only a suggestion; you can set up your age groups as you see fit. If you

have a race that is directed at families, you might want to divide up the youth divisions to make it

easier for them to receive an award.

For events less than 250 participants, one deep is sufficient, 250-500 you might want to

consider two deep, 500+ might want to think about going three deep. The more age group

awards you promote the more prizes you need to procure. Gift certificates or donated

merchandise is usually fine for age group prizes.

Most races are “no duplicate prize” events, meaning the overall

winners cannot win their age groups. This is a standard

practice for community races.

Category Awards

Some races may want to recognize certain categories of

participants, such as survivors or alumni. Confer with your

timer or registrar prior to offering these awards so s/he can

ensure your registration sites are set up to collect this data.

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Team Awards

Team competitions based on scoring (e.g. fastest times) should

typically be reserved for events larger than 500 participants. Any

team competitions should be discussed with your timer before you set

up registration to ensure accurate timing and scoring.

Confer With Your Timer

Your timer should be consulted before promoting any team or

category awards. Data must be collected on these categories during

registration so forms needs to be set up properly and the timer will

need to set up scoring files that can accommodate your . Neglecting

to confer early in the process could lead to incorrect results.

Other Costs & Responsibilities

Restrooms

If your race is not held at a venue where restrooms are available for your runners, such as a park

shelter or a community center, portable toilets will need to be rented. Determining how many

units to rent is typically calculated as the number of expected attendees divided by 75. If your

event is has more female participants, you might want to increase the number of units ordered.

Check your municipality requirements on the number of ADA-compliant units needed.

Food & Water

Usually you can find a grocery store or local

market to donate enough food and water

for post-race. Pre-packaged items are

easiest and usually alleviate a need for a

food permit. Items such as bananas,

apples, granola bars, cookies, water jugs

(water stop) and bottled water (finish) will

usually do the trick.

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Runner Bibs

Runner bibs may be ordered through various companies or you may be able to find some unused

bibs from another event. If you are looking to customize your bibs, start the process at least two

months before race day. Race bibs are relatively

inexpensive so order a few more than you think

you need. If you are using a timing company,

they might be able to get you generic bibs for a

low cost. Don’t forget the safety pins (four per

person)!

Other Items

Talk to your organization and make sure you

have everything you need for the event. If you

need to rent tables, tents, and chairs order

early. If signage is important, have a realistic

timeline for production. Web design can take awhile. If you are hiring a DJ or sound system

confirm schedules and pricing. Will you need a stage? Professional photographer? Certification

can take longer than planned if you hit a stretch of inclement weather. Custom finisher medals

take a minimum of 12 weeks and believe it or not paper cups are hard to find. The moral of the

story: start early and budget accordingly.

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Your Course, of Course!Designing a safe and desirable course

COURSE DESIGN & MANAGEMENT

A good start and finish are key, but an accurate, safe course keeps your participants smiling!

Providing a safe, accurate, and well controlled course is important to ensure a successful event.

When managing several miles of road or trail, many things can go wrong so it is up to you, the

race director, to make sure the course is secure and well marked before the event. It is, in fact,

the reason many of your runners are participating in your event. Hardly anything is worse in

course management than a poorly marked road or when runners run off course. Make sure this

does not happen to you.

There are several key factors to consider when designing and executing your course; following

are items to deliberate before securing your course.

Start Line Location

First consider your expected participant size. Will your start area hold the number of runners

you are expecting? Is the street, path, or road wide enough to accommodate the projected

number of participants?

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Is there sufficient staging area adjacent to the start area to set up registration, port-a-johns, and

any other materials you determine you need? Can you tap into electricity or will you need to

bring a generator? Is there adequate parking for my volunteers and staff? Consider these factors

when determining your start area.

Finish Line Location

Is there enough room for chutes, barricades, and other crowd control items and their requisite

length? Do the runners have a long enough straightaway to enter the chutes? Do you have

restrooms nearby? Is there room for parking? If needed, is there electricity available? Do you

have enough space to host a post-race awards ceremony?

To simplify parking, toilet placements, and equipment (as well as save some money), consider

having the start and finish line in the same location or near each other.

Course Design & Measurement

When conducting a site visit for the course, online maps

can give you a good idea about the route, distance, and any

other items you might need to be aware of. A car or bicycle

ride can also get you started. Although an automobile

cannot be used to determine the final measurement of a

course, it can be used to get an approximate distance and

design. Riding or running with a GPS watch can also offer

approximate distance, however, GPS watches are often off

by as much as 1/10th of a mile. The only recognized method

of measuring a course is by the Jones Counter. Your local

certifier, equipped with a Jones Counter, can measure your

course to ensure accuracy.

When reviewing your proposed course, observe the

following: hills, intersections, driveways, businesses, and places for course marshals and aid

stations. It is advisable to either run or have a committee member run the course to gain an on-

foot perspective.

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When gathering approximate distances for your certifier, note that s/he will probably end up

with less distance than you would on a certain stretch of course because of tangents and other

measurement requirements. If planning a 5K, it would be prudent to have at least 3.2 to 3.3 miles

worth of distance in mind as an option if your certifier comes up short. Moving starts and finish

lines can typically remedy the discrepancy. Providing a Google Map or other computer-based

course design will help your certifier understand your intended, and approved, course.

Pacers Events suggests that road race courses be professionally measured and certified. A course

certification is good for ten years and is specific to the course, not the event. Check USATF.org

for a list of certified courses in your area as options for your event.

Monitoring & Marking the Course

The course--whether established or new---should be monitored as needed in the weeks

preceding the race and even on race day. Construction can take place during this time, and you

may find part of the course blocked by construction, torn up by bulldozers, or washed out by

uncooperative weather. Keep in close touch with the municipality or park representative if

construction is taking place. A race director will need an alternate plan for a course (and

approval by the proper authorities) if there is construction.

Marking the course is dependent on the

type of surface. Your certifier should mark

the start, finish, and any mile marks on the

ground and/or will provide you with a map

so you can locate these key areas. Make

notes and create maps so you know where

you will need assets, whether it be cones,

barricades, signage, or people. This can be

a complex and time consuming exercise,

however, it is the basis for your course and

will assist you in knowing how many signs, volunteers, and other directional items you’ll need.

Remember, you cannot be at every turn on race day so you will need to be able to easily

communicate to your volunteers and know where items need to go. Course marking and

managing is often conducted by a race management company who is typically familiar with a

course, the assets needed and, more importantly, can deploy on race day.

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If I Build It, Will They Come?How to get the word out about your event

REGISTRATION & EVENT MARKETING

Runners at the inaugural Independence 5000

You have your course, your date, and your registration fees set. Now all you need are

participants. Easy, right? It can be if you are strategic in how you promote your event, have

organized communications, and partner with the right groups.

A common misconception charity groups have is that people outside of their base supporters are

emotionally connected to their cause, and will register for their event accordingly. While they

will probably have success activating a portion of their community to support an event, these

communities tend to be small and might not have a high concentration of runners. Therefore, in

order to increase your participant numbers, you have to engage the general running population

where the first message they need to hear is not about your group but about how great race your

race is. And with a lot of races out there with a variety of agendas, you need to make sure your

message is on point with the general running population.

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In our survey, we asked what prompted our runners to register for their last community road

race. Nearly three-quarters indicated that they were simply looking for a race that weekend. Only

thirty-three percent were drawn to the race because the cause was important to them; simply, the

cause is not a strong motivator for most runners participating in a charity race.5

What’s Your Hook: Developing a Desirable Event

When first developing your event, be sure to consult local race calendars

for potential conflicts, consult runners on desirable dates in the running

calendar, attend successful races, and tap into your creative side.

While runners will primarily look for events that fit into their

schedules, they will also look to what perks or activities are being

provided with the event. Perhaps it’s an upgraded t-shirt or a fun race

category. The last thing you want is to be like “every other local 5K”;

be sure offer something different that will be desirable and unique

about your event.

Setting up Registration

Once you have your approvals and your timing and race management companies in place, you

should set up registration. Online registration is the preferred method; close to 92% of our

registrants register online.

There are many registration processors available. Check with your timer to see if s/he has a

preferred processor. Sometimes they can set the system up for you.

While many races are getting away from paper forms, you may feel it is still necessary to make a

hard copy form available. Checking out race flyers from different races can give you a good idea

of how to put yours together. Some are complete and simple; others may have so much

information and tiny print makes them difficult to read.

Key information should always be easy to read and designed to catch the eye of the reader. Basic

information includes the following:

1. Name of race

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5 Ibid.

2. Location (include city and state) 3. Date and start time 4. Distance 5. Course description 6. Pre-registration location, dates, and mailing address7. Race day registration and packet pick up dates and times8. Entry fee (pre-reg and race day) and check payable information9. Sponsor information 10. Exclusions, if applicable* 11. Award categories12. T-shirt type and sizes offered

Registrant information to be provided on form:13. First and last name14. Address (street, city, state, zip, and telephone number)15. Age on race day 16. Gender17. Payment type18. Any special categories or team information19. Waiver signature, or parent signature

*For example: “the following are not allowed in the race: animals, bicycles, skateboards, baby

strollers or baby joggers, roller skates or roller blades, radio headsets or other portable sound

systems."

Registration Trends

Although you may set up your registration early on in the process, do not be alarmed if there are

not initially have a lot of sign ups. Our experience is that runners do not tend to pay attention to

local race schedules until six to eight weeks before the event. Even then it might be slow until a

month prior. Watch the ten day forecast; you should see a bump two weeks out if the weather is

looking nice. In addition, Metro DC runners tend to register late so races may end up as much as

doubling their registration from the week before the race to race day (assuming nice weather). If

your race is outside of the metro area, share registration trend notes with another race director.

Race Flyer Distribution

Hard copies of a race flyer or postcard should be developed and distributed throughout your

contacts and communities. These flyers do not necessarily need to have a registration form but

should have instructions on how and where to register (e.g. a website address). Important places

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to distribute flyers are at local running stores, gyms,

supermarkets, coffee shops, businesses, and at other races. A

great marketing vehicle is the “bag stuffer” - having your flyer

stuffed in another race’s bag. You should aim to have these

flyers out six to eight weeks before your event and be vigilant

in restocking flyers.

Web and Online Media

Most areas have local running websites or blogs. While

there may be a fee to advertise, typically you can list your

event for free on online calendars. Also, social media sites

are good ways to get the word out about your event.

Your Local Running Store

Your local running store is a hotbed of activity for area runners and usually is a primary source of

information regarding races and events around town. Forming a mutually beneficial relationship

with your local running store can be extremely helpful to your event as these businesses tend to

have e-mail lists and will usually promote your event in store.

Sometimes running stores can also help with in kind donations from their vendors or from their

own coffers. Understand that running stores are asked for donations sometimes on a daily basis,

and may have their own events to manage, so making it a desirable relationship for them is

important.

The most important things you can do is agree to hold your

packet pick up in their store prior to the event. Also, offer to

promote their store and patronage it yourself. Owners and

managers who see the relationship as two-way are more

inclined to promote the event and encourage customers to

run.

If you do hold packet pick up at the store, it is a good idea to

drop off an FAQ to the store two weeks before the race as

the store will often get calls about your event. In addition, be

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early for your packet pick up and make sure you have all

your materials ready to go. Nothing is more frustrating or

stressful for staff then when a packet pick up is late or a

no-show. This reflects poorly on the store and the staff

are the ones that have to deal with your grumpy runners.

Also, offer a few complimentary registrations to the

event for the store to raffle or give to employees. This

will encourage participation for your event.

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Things to Do, People to SeePreparing for and executing on race day

RACE DAY PREPARATION & EXECUTION

Race day is upon you, be sure you are prepared!

Registrations are flowing in and race day is drawing near. Make sure your event is executed

flawlessly by being prepared and ready for the big day.

Volunteer Recruitment & Deployment

The key to any successful race is volunteers. Nothing warms the heart of a race director more

than individuals asking to help or saying “yes” when you phone them.

Keep a list of names, phone numbers, and emails of your volunteers. When you are planning the

race, know where volunteers will be needed and how many. Based on the total number of

required volunteers, it is always advantageous to have a certain number of extras for race day, as

you could have “no shows” especially if the weather is bad.

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Before making your calls, prepare your message in advance so that you avoid leaving out

important details. This should include the name and distance of the race, the time and date of the

race, its location, when and where the volunteers should check in, and the type of job (finish line,

results, water station, course marshal) you are asking the

volunteer to do.

Be sure to follow up with your volunteers either by phone

or e-mail the week prior to your event and ask for

recommitments. You might also want to forward on

their job description so they can familiarize themselves

with their duties on race day.

In most races, volunteers check in one hour before

race time. This allows for volunteer training and

identifying holes if there are no-shows.

Trust your volunteers; be sure to give them clear

directions as to their task that day and make sure they

understand your policies and procedures. Volunteers want to be useful and many

will execute your direction if they know what it is you want completed.

Most races need volunteers in the following areas:

•Set up of tents, tables, chairs (start/finish area)•Set up of race course the morning of race •Lead/tail bike or vehicle•At turns and intersections along the course •Pre-race registration (handing out bibs and t-shirts)•Race day registration (accepting money and handling new race day sign ups)•Food set up and distribution on race day •Finish line water distribution on race day•At the water stop on course

Race Day Preparation: Organization & Materials

Plan on setting up race morning at least two hours before start time – this allows plenty of time

for troubleshooting and attend to last minute adjustments should they be needed. If you are

done early, you can always double check the course.

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Race Day Materials

The goal is to be set up 60 to 90 minutes before the race starts.

•Tables and chairs (registration, packet pick-up/t-shirts, food and water)•Pop up tents – to keep morning dew or inclement weather off paperwork•PA system: bullhorn or DJ•Pens and pencils•Timing clock•Safety pins•Blank registration forms•Cash box with money for change•T-shirts•Awards•Cones•Stanchions•Rope or Caution Tape•Mile marks•Trash Cans and liners•Water stop: table, gallon jugs of water, cups garbage bags, and rakes •Finish line food and water

Finish Line Basics: Organization & Materials

The finish line should be designed to fit the

needs of a specific race. Many factors are

involved, including the distance of the race, the

amount of space available, the number of

runners, the number of volunteers, and how

results are being tabulated. Generally, the race

director has a race committee member

assigned as the finish line captain. This person

can manage the set up and tear down of the

finish line, leaving the race director to attend

to other matters.

There are many materials that are used at the finish line. Not all of the items listed below will

necessarily be used, but will give you a general idea of what is typically needed. Be sure to check

with your timer to see what s/he will provide; if you have a race management company they will

typically supply these materials.

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Timing Materials

•Timing clock•Tent•Tables and chairs for timers•Electricity or generator•Timing equipment•Computer and printers•Back up timing equipment

Finish Chute Materials

•Cones•Fencing, tape, or barricades•Bullhorn•Broom•Scissors•Signage•Finish line tape •Medical supplies•Finish line water

Water Stop

The water stop should be located about halfway through your race, ideally in an area where your

volunteers can park and/or walk to easily. The location of the set-up should be on a stable

foundation and on a through way away from course turns in order to avoid bottlenecking. For

smaller events, setting up on one side of the road is preferable as this allows individuals who are

not interested in water to move to the outside and avoid congestion at the stop.

Typically, a six (6) foot table can hold 300 eight (8) ounce waxed paper cups. Fill the cups to

about 2/3rds way (six ounces will do). Estimate one cup per runner; on hotter days make sure

you have some back up water.

Depending on the number of runners, you will want two to five volunteers to pre-fill the cups and

hand out to runners as they pass by. Start time for set up should be no less than 45 minutes

before the race begins.

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Miscellaneous Race Day Items

Pre-Race Announcements

In your pre-race planning, determine who is going to do the following: (1)

make introductions of individuals, if applicable, (2) give last-minute

instructions, (3) who is starting the race, and (4) how the race is going to

be started-- either voice command, starter gun or air horn (The timers

and runners need to know!)

Race Lead

The lead vehicle can take "many forms": a car, a scooter, a bicycle, a police car, or a

police motorcycle. In many cases, the type of course will determine which vehicle is

suitable --- if at all. It’s purpose is to guide the runners along the correct course.

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Checking It TwiceKeeping tabs on your responsibilities before and on race day

RACE DIRECTOR CHECKLIST

Start line of the Clarendon Day 10K/5K one hour before the start.

Keeping tabs on your responsibilities can be daunting, however following this checklist will

hopefully have you resting easy before your big day.

Checklist

•Race date and course selection: Your date and general course should be determined as soon as

possible. Check with your municipality for date availability.

•Race committee selection and timeline: Keep your race committee on task and communicate often with everyone on your team.

•Select race management company and/or timer: Ask other races or your local running store for recommendations. Select early as company schedules fill up early.

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•Permitting: You or your race management company should obtain permits before you start publicizing your event. Remember- this process should start no later than six months prior to your event although each municipality has different rules.

•Finalize course: Choose a pre-existing course or create a new one. Be sure to check for construction or other course hazards prior to race day.

•Insurance: Obtain insurance for your event; Pacers Events recommends the Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) membership and insurance package for road races.

•Course certification: Running a race on a certified course allows participants to accurately compare their time to performances run on other certified courses. No one can truly establish a personal best if the course distance is not accurate.

•Confirm police requirements, if needed: Be sure to communicate before your race with your city police contact. S/he may have requirements of the event, such as volunteers at certain posts.

• Medical: Research your insurance and municipality requirements.

•Volunteers: Recruit early and communicate often. Make sure they know where to go and who to report to on race day.

•Runner premiums: Decide on your runner premium, create your design, and contract with your screener. Start process at least two months before race day.

•Race flyer: Check it for completeness, clarity, and errors before it is printed.

•Race website: Have a URL that is easy to remember. Don’t have your race information buried within another site.

•Race bibs and pins: Be sure to order the proper type of bibs and safety pins (4 per bib).

•Toilet facilities: Can be in a civic building, park pavilion, or portable toilets. If portable toilets are needed, usually one (1) per 75 runners will do and remember to order at least one (1) ADA handicap accessible unit.

•PA/sound system/air horn: Confirm your needs and make sure your items are charged.

•Registration: Set up online registration and determine procedure for mail in, walk up, and race day registrations. At packet pick up and race day, be sure to have: list of pre-registered runners, unassigned bibs, cash box, petty cash, entry forms, ballpoint pens or markers, race bibs, safety pins, t-shirts, tables, chairs, and volunteers.

•Course management and safety: Determine who will be in charge of course management on race day. Train course marshals, check on the water stop, mark course turns, deploy mile

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marks, and coordinate with police. Check the course yourself on race morning and have your lead bike or vehicle tag along so you can be sure they know the course.

•Water stop: Purchase enough water and cups for station. Deploy pre-race.

•Bottled water and finish line food: Have enough water for finishers; be prepared with extras on hot days.

•Finish line set up: Assign a finish line captain to set up and train volunteers.

•Pre-race announcements and race start: Make a list of announcements and recognize sponsors and VIPs. Have a clear procedure for the race start and don’t forget to coordinate with your timer before pulling the trigger!

•Awards and results posting: Determine who is responsible for announcing awards and coordinate with your timer on a realistic time for the ceremony to start. Find a spot to post race day results for people to review after the race. Ask your timer to post to website and send to local running publications.

•Post-race clean up: Ask your staff and volunteers to stick around to help with loading up equipment and leaving the area as you received it.

•Post race wrap up: Take a few days to digest the event and then get together with your team to review. Make notes to find out what went right, what went wrong, how the race can be improved, and determine if it was profitable enough for your charity or organization to consider for next year.

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Race Management & TimingPacers Events & raceDC timing

ABOUT US

If you find you need help with the heavy lifting of race management, call us!

Pacers Events

Pacers Events manages over 25 races each year. Aside from our own

events, we are involved in the Arlington 9-11 Memorial 5K, GW

Birthday 10K, Dash for Dad, Wilson Bridge Half Marathon, and

many more.  In 2010, Pacers owned and contracted road races

served over 35,000 participants.

Management service packages are developed based on client

needs and budgets as well as Pacers Events availability. Packages

include full-service event management, first year race director

programs, and finish line management.

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Pacers Events contracted management services are coordinated by Lisa Hundley-Reeves. To

reach Lisa about your event, please submit a request for proposal to lisa@runpacers.com. For

more information on Pacers Events, visit www.pacersevents.com.

raceDC Timing

raceDC Timing times and score races of all types and sizes including road races, trail events,

endurance races, high school and collegiate cross country meets, multi-sport competitions, and

more.

We offer state of the art timing services and equipment for races from 100 to 30,000. raceDC

Timing is one of the only local timing companies with both ChronoTrack and IPICO timing

systems.

Managed by company principals Erik Kean and Jeremy

Lowry, our tenured and friendly timers successfully

timed over 50,000 runners last year at races throughout

the country. For more information on raceDC Timing,

visit www.racedctiming.com or e-mail Jeremy Lowry at

jeremy@racedc.com.

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Sample BudgetSAMPLE BUDGET FOR 5K RACE EXPENDITURES*

Goal: 500 Registrants

Description Amount

Advertising & promotion $1,000Medical $400Announcer / DJ variesAwards $1,000Packet pick up bags variesSignage/decor $400Barricades variesRunner bibs and safety pins $300Bottled water and finish line food $400Course measurement and certification $375Water stop materials $125Rental equipment (tables, chairs, tents, cones) $600Entertainment variesEvent insurance $500Permits (municipalities) $500Photographer $300Police support (municipalities) $1,000Portable toilets $300Race management varies Timing $1,800 Runner premiums $3,000Web Site design and hosting variesTotal Estimated Expenses $12,000+ management

and other costs

*Items listed are samples and costs vary from course to course.

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