Volunteering

Every club activity that your participate in is made possible by other club members volunteering their services. The breakfast runs, social events, and races all need volunteers. Every club member should try to volunteer one a year. Volunteering is fun and provides the "glue" that binds the club together. 

Volunteer Rewards

• Volunteer at 5 TCTC events and get a $25 gift certificate from 4 Runners Only.
• Volunteer at 10 TCTC events and get a free pair of shoes from 4 Runners Only (up to $75 value).

Below is a list of volunteer opportunities.

Breakfast Runs

Four or five times a year the club hosts breakfast runs at Salem Lake. For each breakfast run we need three or four people to cook. Contact the Activities Director if you wish to volunteer to cook.

Race Organization

The following organization is recommended for managing a race. The precise organization will vary based on the characteristics of the race. Sometimes people double up on these duties, depending on the size and timing of the race.

Race Director

The race director is the person in charge of the race. The race director has the final word on all decisions and is the person to whom the committees listed below report. The Race Director will act as "Chairperson of the Board", trying to delegate most of the duties, but filling in where things need to be done in order to keep the time line.

Assistant Race Director

Assists the race director wherever possible. Often an Assistant Race Director will be the Race Director in training, since shadowing the Race Director is an excellent way to learn the process..

Race Committees

Liaison with local authorities

Responsible for contacting local authorities, i.e., police department, to set the route, arrange for traffic control, and parking. Virtually every event requires some form of permit, the job of liaison is to acquire these permits or coordinate their acquisition. Often the Race Director will do these duties for established races, since it's often simply submitting the paperwork from the previous year. New courses or news races will take more time to coordinate.

Sponsorship

Responsible for lining up sponsors to help in supporting the cost of the race. Also responsible for lining up T-shirts, freebies, etc.

Publicity

Before the race, responsible for printing the registration forms, for race advertisement in the various race magazines, newspapers, on radio/TV, and flyers handed out at other races and distributed at local running centers, i.e., local YMCA's, health clubs, sporting goods stores, etc. After the race, responsible for submitting race results to the news media.

Course

Responsible for laying out the course, and, if desired, arranging USATF certification. The course committee is also responsible for course safety which involves having the presence of EMT, ambulance and doctors), and providing water stations. Course timing also falls under this committee which includes lead vehicle, mile markers, volunteers to call out times at mile markers. Would also handle public address system for starting line, finish line, and post race ceremonies. Last but not least, the area of the race, including the course need to be cleaned of all trash and returned to their original state.

Course Volunteers

One person needed to coordinate course volunteers.

Arrive 1 1/2 hours before the race. Finish about a half hour after the race. One person at each turn on the course. Direct runners to keep them on course. It's not the police's job to direct runners, the police direct traffic, course workers direct runners.

You will need a lot and they will get bored and need to be relieved. So make sure all your club members bring friends to the race. At a road race don't forget to send a car around to pick marshals up and drop them off.

Split Timers

Arrive one hour before race, stay at position until last runner passes. Call out times when runners pass. One is needed for each mile of the course.

Participant Data

Responsible for setting up a system to track race data, to handle registration, door prizes, statistics (T-shirt sizes, etc.), worker assignments, and race results. Would also handle the post race ceremonies including awarding of door prizes and the presentation of awards to race winners.

Registration

Try to get someone levelheaded to be in charge. This is a deceptively hectic job and you can lose lots of money by forgetting whether people have paid or forgetting to charge them late fees, etc. If necessary, restrict the times when different categories can register - i.e. only in the hour before your race or something. This cuts down on the lines and the frantic action.

Arrive two hours before race. Set up registration area. Collect entry forms and race day fees. Give out bib numbers and information to runners. Stay until race starts.

Volunteers

Responsible for lining up volunteer race workers.

Packet

Responsible for assembling, storing, and distribution of race packets containing race number, T-shirt, and other "freebies" for the race.

Finish Line Director

Responsible for setting up and operating the finish line, including official race time, chutes for age and gender categories, finish line medical aid, and all finish line volunteers. You must obtain a vehicle capable of transporting the finish line equipment from the storage shed to the site. The club can rent these if you don't have one available. Arrive before registration opens and leave after results processing is complete.

Stringers

Arrive a half hour before the race and coordinate with the finish line director and results personnel the handling of the strings containing tear-off tags. Two are needed for each chute, with an additional person needed as a runner to deliver the stringers to the results personnel. One person will take the tags from the runners and hand them to the other person, who will place them FACE DOWN, on the stringer. You can leave after the last stringer is delivered to the results personnel.

Primary and Secondary Timers

Operate either the TimeMachine or Chronomix timer. Time each runners as they cross the finish. Requires being able to press a button repeatedly. Arrive 45 minutes before the race and leave after the last finisher.

Select Timer

Operate either the TimeMachine or Chronomix timer keypad. Key in selected bib numbers throughout the race. Arrive 45 minutes before the race and leave after the last finisher.

Chute Monitors

Chute monitors are positioned along the sides of the chute to keep runners moving and assist any runner that is having difficulty. Primary responsibility is to inform runners to stop running, keep walking, remove their tear-off tag from their bib, and to hand it to the person at the end of the chute. Arrive a half hour before the race and leave after the finish line is torn down and packed up.

Refreshments

Responsible for post race refreshments, i.e., ice, soft drinks, beer, fruit, etc. Also responsible for tables and coolers for the refreshments.

Arrive three hours before race. Set up food and drink tables. Prepare food as needed.

Water Stops

Arrive two hours before race. Fill water bottles and get tables, cups, and coolers out to designated spots on course. Stay until last runner passes, then police area and return.

Cleanup

One person needed to coordinate.

Not needed before race. Police start, finish areas, and course. Remove all debris and place in dumpsters. Will take one to two hours after race.

Results

Arrive before registration opens and coordinate with registration and finish line personnel; the handling of entry forms and tag stringers. Responsible for compiling the results from the bib numbers on the stringers. May require some computer experience if a program, such as RunScore, is being used to prepare the results.