10 Fatal Race-Day Mistakes for Race Directors (and 10 Forgivable Sins)

Caption: Socci Stiletto Stampede - a race that definitely benefited from having an on-site medical presence.  That ankle does not look like it wants to bend that way.

I want to preface the next installment of my "Common Questions in Site Planning" with some bullet points to lay the groundwork for the race examples.  Each of these examples is something I have seen at least once if not many, many times on a race site, and many of the worse ones resulted in a Race Director getting fired, the race disappearing the next year, or at least may have contributed to the race failing to 'take off'.    I will refer back to these at many later points, especially in the next two articles.

 == Race Day - 10 fatal mistakes (and 10 forgivable sins)* ==

*In no particular order

 1) Fail to identify key course marshals at confusing turns and make sure they don't get people lost.

 2) Fail to put up signage at a key turn
 solution: mark every intersection and turn with both chalk/signs and a volunteer. if you are in doubt, run the course with an experienced runner who doesn't know it and have them take lead to identify difficult spots.

 3) Fail to have enough water at later stops (on a hot day, especially!)
 solution: A common safety rule is if you are using 8oz. cups, have at least 2 cups and 2 6oz servings for each participant who is liable to cross that stop (6oz because filling a cup will just result in spillage).  1 is absolutely not enough on any sort of hot day.

 4) Fail to have enough toilets for your participants or have them inaccessible at all times on the race site.
  solution: Take this link and round up if not double:    (more on this in my next post).  

 5) Fail to be patient before and during the race in communicating with municipal authorities and police (remember, they are dealing with hundreds of other events like yours).
solution: communicate early, communicate often: familiarize yourself with principles of permitting and liability insurance.  In a later post I will outline a document I came up with through communication with municipal and law enforcement authorities here that outlines key talking points and will go a LONG way to assuring them that you have done adequate planning.

 6) Delay the start of your race for any minor reason for more than half an hour.
solution: move your registration properly (see below).  Plan your pre-race speeches out so they do not run long. 

 7) Start your race more than a couple accidental minutes early
 solution: don't.  If for some reason you are rushed or the race is very small and you are SURE everyone is in place, thunderstorms are on the way, etc.. okay.  otherwise, Don't.

 8) Have a poorly implemented registration process that keeps a substantial amount of runners unable to warm up, use the restroom, and rushing to the start line
solution:  separate pre-register and day-of registrants in the line, and have a volunteer who moves back into the line, getting people's information and triaging to make sure they are moving along.  Have a registration 'floater' who can assist where people are behind. 

 9) (Probably should be #1) Have a runner get seriously injured and NOT have a medical plan and first-responders available to assist them.  Include your marshals and a mobile rover in this plan.
solution: If you cannot afford to have an ambulance and EMT's on site, or it is not practical, at the VERY LEAST make sure you have communicated your route and schedule to all local police, fire, and ambulance.  This is personal as a mentor of mine died of a heart attack on site of a 10K because it was inadequately marked and medical was unable to get to him on time.  I will never stop emphasizing this.

 10) Have an inadequate parking plan - especially one that interferes with the flow of the start/finish or causes participants to be late or confused
solution: have a clear main and a few backup parking spaces - clearly advertise these on your website, emails, and main entrances as appropriate.  Do not place your start/finish line in a way that significantly interfers with traffic, parking, shuttle buses, where people will be lining up, etc.

 
== 10 Forgivable Sins: (try to avoid but generally people will understand if you don't)==

  1) Running out of food: people understand that things are hard to plan and they can always blame the runner in front of them as long as they get 'something', so at least have a few cheap backup items i.e. fruit, bagels, granola.  Recommend having a mix of your own food and vendors if possible.

  2) Running out of participant medals/ribbons etc.   Except for children's medals.  Do not skimp on children's medals.

  3) Delaying awards vs. getting them wrong.  People will wait 1:15 into a 5k for awards.. or 1:30.. or 1:45.  2h is pushing it.

  4) Sending out awards / shirts / participant ribbons at a later date.  Again, people will understand.  

  5) Failing to give participants at least 5 minutes warning of start (and a good ready, set, go!)

  6) Not having bathrooms near the start line (provided the start line is, say, less than a quarter mile from the finish / pre-reg and PEOPLE KNOW THIS)

  7) Poor bib number assignment; be sure to communicate with your timer to make sure, if bibs are not being labelled or written out, that you hand the correct bibs to correct people.  If you are having separate races, it helps to order different colors and number ranges and communicate this.

  8) Having an insufficient PA/microphone for your announcements (file under good communication).  Look at the wattage of the system you are using;  a 50-75w megaphone is nice and cheap, but will be insufficient for a densely packed crowd of more than a few hundred.  Consider finding a DJ with a couple hundred watts, or running a few separate systems together.

  9) Not having a SAG vehicle to follow the last runner on course, break down water stops etc.  It will be better for everyone's peace of mind (yours and your timer's), and will also help people who are wondering if their friend finished etc.

  10) Not having more than 1 water stop per 5K on a hot (above 80 and cloudy, or above 75 and sunny if I ahd to pick a number) day.   Generally this is hit or miss based on the weather but it is always good to be able to change your water plan to have water stops every 1.5 - 2 miles if necessary.
 
 

As always, if you made it this far through my rambling you must be a pretty serious race director or at least have a lot of free time, so if you have questions about these, you think I missed something, or anything else please feel free to message me here, email me at [email protected], or find me on Facebook.