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.
Read MoreIn 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.”
Read MoreYears 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.
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 MoreWith all due respect to everything involved in creating a new road race, the course and the management of the course is arguably the most important aspect of your event.
Read MoreI often get inquiries from various groups about them wanting to put on a new road race. The first question they typically ask me is, “how much does it cost to put on a road race?”
Read MoreEvery 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 MoreImagine not having to close online registration until the start gun fires. Imagine only needing five volunteers to manage number pickup for 10,000 people. Imagine ZERO data entry for your timer!
Read MoreBut who wouldn’t want an endless roll of duct tape, really?
Read MoreDave McGillivray writes about what it's like to run races he directs.
Read MoreThere are many reasons races don't have race day pickup- here are seven of the most common.
Read MoreSimultaneously conducting multiple distance races along the same course can create problems.
Read MoreThe race director explains how the last week leading up to the race is for him.
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.
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