Race Director Checklist

RACE PRELIMINARIES: 1 YEAR TO 4 MONTHS BEFORE RACE

  • Set a race date
  • Decide on location
  • Decide on who will be responsible for the course and set up on race day
  • Call to set up location with Presque isle or local municipality and confirm date, what insurance is needed for event
  • Confirm with timing service that they can time event on date, time and location
  • Set a race budget and set price of race
  • Contact possible sponsors
  • Race premium (supplier)- find out the deadlines and cost of the shirt or other premium
  • Pick shirt, color and who will design the shirt
  • Race prizes/age categories- decide if there will be awards and cost of awards and order deadlines
  • Write application as soon as you have details confirmed-Compare to other apps to be sure you haven’t missed anything.
  • Decide on race snacks and order before supplier deadline if necessary- Rule of thumb:  $1.00/participant for snacks.  ($200 for 200 runners) If doing fruit – $1.25/runner. (May have to be adjusted for inflation, but works right now. (Last updated spring 2014)

RACE PARTICIPANTS:

  • Erie Runners Club website- event listing email information to suzannec@erie-runnerclub.org

SPONSORS:

  • List of possible sponsors (Contact name, address, phone number)
  • Cost of sponsorship and what logo and information wanted on the premium
  • Letter to sponsors
  • Follow-up phone call
  • Pick up check and logo and ask for size of shirt

PUBLICITY:

  • Web listing of race on Erie Runners Club site-check other regional sites – Runhigh/BWT/Jamestown/Ashtabula/Mercer
  • Link to sign up sent in for E-Newsletter
  • Articles in newspaper- showcase listing- call and check on deadlines for listing
  • Television/newspaper coverage

PRE-REGISTRATION:

  • On-line registrations- who will handle this
  • Mail-in registrations- who will enter
  • When will pre-registration start

EARLY PACKET PICKUP: If desired

  • Store/company that will be used
  • Address of store on registration form/website
  • Hours for pickup
  • Sponsor inserts
  • Will tables/chairs need to be brought in

RACE ROUTE & SET-UP:

  • Race route distance calculated- who will set it up- Certification? Not necessary, but get an accurate course. Driving a course in a car or using GPS is NOT good enough
  • Traffic marshals, parking and turnaround volunteers
  •  Road cones
  • Safety vests for volunteers who are doing parking or are road marshals
  • Are any porta-johns needed – if so these need to be ordered in advance- call and ask deadlines
  • Are tables and tents needed to be ordered or has a reservation been made for any facility being used
  • Confirmation with Presque Isle State Park 2 weeks prior to race or the municipality being used

DAY OF RACE REGISTRATION:

  • Tent or tables needed
  • Pens, clipboard, day of race applications
  • Bib numbers or timing chips
  • Safety pins for bibs
  • T-shirts or other premium
  • Cash/change for late-registrations
  • Camera and tri-pod for publicity pictures- if desired
  • Volunteers

RACE:

  • Who will announce start of race
  • Who will be in charge of water and after race snacks
  • Will water be available on course- should be a consideration for races in warmer temperatures even for a 5K

CLEAN-UP:

  • Cones picked up
  • Marshal vests and supplies returned
  • Finish line torn down
  • Trash picked up
  • Extra snacks, t-shirts, supplies packed
  • All supplies to be returned promptly and in good condition and organized
  • Determine race profits

AFTER RACE:

  • Thank you signed by race director to sponsors, nice gesture to deliver with a shirt as a thank you for sponsorship-this can also be done prior to race
  • If you are planning to do the race next year take the time to make notes of what worked and what should be changed to make your next race better
  • Thank your volunteers