If you are looking to raise money or awareness for a cause, chances are you have considered putting on a road race. The process seems simple enough, and based on how many there are each weekend, just about anyone can do it. With a little experience under our belts, we are here to offer up plenty of advice on how to organize a successful event. Whether you are planning to have fifty or thirty-thousand participants, here is a step by step explanation of how you can pull off a successful road race.

Cause

Before anything can get rolling, you need to find a cause that your race will benefit. If you plan on partnering with a local or national non-profit, you will need to contact them first and obtain approval. Some organizations (mostly large national groups) require an application and a minimum amount raised. If you want to keep things simple, find a local 501(c)3 (tax deductable non-profit) that is willing to help out and let you use their name and logo without restriction. Later in the process, you will need plenty of volunteers, so consider this as well. An organization with an active Junior Board or affiliated service group is a plus.

Date and Time

Once you have something to raise money/awareness for, the next big ticket item is to pick a date. This is critical, as you do not want to compete with other local races (especially large ones) that are already established. The best way to check for other events is to find a track club/running club website in your area that has an updated calendar. If your town has a civic event page, that would also be worth scanning. Lastly, and laughably most important: avoid coinciding with sporting events that everyone in town is going to or watching. In our area, nobody in their right mind schedules anything during Alabama or Auburn football games (seriously). If you to be conventional, 8am on a Saturday is a standard start time. However, Friday and Saturday nights can also attract a fun crowd (if you have a well-lit course and beer at the finish line). Sunday morning is typically reserved for Marathons, Half-Marathons, and Church.

Course

In determining the length of your race, it is important to consider the intended audience and the resources at your disposable. The 5K (5000 meters or 3.1 Miles) is traditionally the standard and most marketable to the general population. If people have a few miles of training under their belt they can probably tackle one. However, there is always a niche for being different. An 8k (about 5 Miles) is somewhat novel, while still being doable for the average runner. With a 10K (6.2 Miles), Half-Marathon (13.1), and Marathon (26.2), you are primarily targeting the avid runner, but these are some of the largest races in the country (they just require a lot of volunteers). In spite of all of this, you do not have to feel bound by established distances. There are two very popular events in my area that draw a crowd simply because they are non-traditional and different. If you have a great gimmick (cool location, amazing view, formidable challenge), then I say roll with it. Among the thousands of races each year, it pays to stand out.  Something else to consider: many events will also include a “one mile fun run/walk” or kids race to add an extra element.  This will make your race more accessible for the casual runner or walk-up who just wants to participate.  If you already have everything setup for a larger, longer, race, adding a smaller one will be relatively easy.

In regards to the actual layout of your race route, make sure that it is safe, easy to follow, and doable. If you want people to come back next year, you certainly do not want to kill them with ridiculous hills or get them lost in a bad part of town.  Note: I highly suggest running the course yourself before making it final.  There are three conventional course designs that all have advantages and disadvantages.  The “out and back” essentially goes half the race distance away from the start line, turns around, and comes right back.  For someone who enjoys slapping hands with oncoming runners, I tend to get a kick out of this arrangement.  A “loop” course starts and finishes in the same place, but keeps the scenery fresh in between the start and finish.  If there is not enough usable distance to pull off one loop, it is certainly permissible to make a multi-loop course, thus having runners repeat the same route a specified number of times.  You will occasionally see this type of layout for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and other spectator-friendly races.  However, if the loop is too short, or is overcrowded with participants; it can be difficult to keep track of everyone.  I like to refer to the third type of course as the “point A to point B” layout.  As is evident in the name, this will start in one location and finish in another.  The biggest drawback here is having to transport runners to the start or back from the finish line after the race is over.  On the upside, participants should have new surroundings for the duration and greater satisfaction for traversing to somewhere other than where they started.  Having described these basic choices, it is worth mentioning that you have to settle on one of them. Feel free to include all three of these elements in your course.

Once you have a course, take the time to figure out where water stops, volunteers, and aid stations will be placed.  The general rule is a minimum of one water stop every two miles, volunteers at every turn or intersection, and one medical aid station every five miles or so.  Longer races (10K and up) should have portolets on the course (for runners and volunteers) at regular intervals, usually between two and five miles apart.  For these distances, the runners will also need food (bananas, oranges, gels, etc.) at a few of the water stops in order to keep their energy levels up.

Start/Finish Line Location

When choosing a location, you have many variables to consider. I suggest finding a host site that provides all the essentials: bathrooms, shelter, and parking.  Runners are not a demanding bunch, but they do require restrooms that are plentiful and easily accessible.  Having indoor or covered facilities will insure that everyone can find a place to get comfortable before and after the event.  People will tolerate rain or chilly conditions while they are running, but not while they are waiting on an awards ceremony or a call to the start line.  Parking is certainly something to keep in consideration, but this is usually not a deal breaker.  If you are trying to get people to run your 5K, conversely, a mile-long walk from the car is not going to go over well.

Before making any final decisions, it is essential that you consider the municipality of the proposed race location/course.  Most, if not all, cities will require you to obtain a road race/parade permit months ahead of time and use their police officers to block the road. Be sure you check what the police will charge you for their services. I have personally seen cities quote from zero to over five thousand dollars.  Be sure to mention that the race is for charity and ask if a volunteer department can be used.  If the course crosses city lines, be sure to contact both municipalities.

Check back later in the week for more on how to put on a Successful Road Race.

DoGood!

Matt
Please Email me (matt@DoGoodedness.com) with any suggestions, comments, or thoughts!