Race Timing Check List

Schedule

Sponsors            Get financial sponsorship

Publicity          

Race forms

Promotions

Advertisement

Create a Committee

Race director

                     Sponsors, publicity, permits, budget, insurance

 Assistant Race director

                    Train to take over race in subsequent years

Chief of Registration

Forms, publicity, race numbers, pins, packets

Chief of course 

Measure, map, mark, cleanup

Volunteer coordinator

                    Be available race morning to assign jobs

Awards

                        Prizes, awards, ribbons, announcer, ceremony

Refreshments

                        Start, finish, aid stations, cleanup

One person can do several jobs, but most of these jobs happen simultaneously on the day-of-race, and it becomes impossible for one person to do them all adequately. Pre-assigning these responsibilities before the race will make your event fun for the racers, your volunteers and you.

Tips

Set a Mail-in registration deadline one week before the race

Provide on-site registration and packet pickup at local running stores

Provide Internet access to entry forms, or enable registration through the Internet.

Advertise in local newspapers and regional running magazines

Give all entrants a race number

Separate finish areas for walkers and runners.

Organize your event so the finish line isn't too crowded with all different events finishing at the same time.

Extra table for day-of-race registration, to write out forms.  Who is check to and fee schedule?

Test sample of entry form with 5-10 people before printing, have me look at it too.

Carefully mark the course and place volunteers at crucial turns, so that runners do not get confuse. A lead bicyclist helps with complicated courses.

"Sweep" the course to make sure everyone has finished. 

Responsibilities

 What the Timing Company does

·        Assign race numbers to racers, in alphabetical order

·        Furnish registration committee with  labels for each registrant (one for bib)

·        Train day-of-race registration volunteers

·        Set up finish chute

·        Enter day-of-race registrants into timing system

·        Train finish line volunteers

·        Capture finish times and finish order

·        Print preliminary results during race

·        Print Final results

·        Print Awards List for ceremony.

·        Post results on www.time2race.com  Internet page

·        Electronically transmit results to Bend Bulletin

What Race committee does

·        Collect registration forms and enter them into an Excel spreadsheet.

·        Check pre-registration forms for completeness, legibility and accuracy.  Confirm with entrants if necessary

·        Collect and validate fees

·        Secure Liability release signatures.

·        Furnish all materials

            Race numbers With pull tags

            Safety pins

            T-shirts

            Gifts and awards

·        Assemble pre-registration packets if desired.

·        Register late entrants

·        Day-of-Race registration

·        Awards ceremony, Announcing, Publishing results, Publicity to News media

·        Gather and Organize volunteers. registration 4 and finish line 4 people. Minimum.

Registration

There are three types of registration. Mail-in (pre-registration), Late registration, and Day-of-Race registration

Mail-in registration should have a deadline set about 1 week before the event.  The Saturday prior to the event is good.  This gives the mail two days and you four days before the race. 

The registration committee should do the following.

·        Check forms for completion

·        Name is it legible

·        Age

·        Gender

·        Event or special category I.E. 5K or 10K

·        T-shirt size

·        Correct money

·        Liability release Signature

·        Email the Excel spread sheet to Time2Race.  Inform Time2Race what race number series to use. I.E. Our race numbers start at 101 and go through 500. We will import the Excel spreadsheet into the timing computer and assign race numbers. 

·        The registration committee will affix the labels onto race number's pull tag and assemble materials for the pre-registrants. These supplies should include the race number, safety pins, T-shirt, and any maps or gratuities.

Late registration are entries received after the mail-in dead line, but before Day-of-race.  These must be handled manually by the race committee. 

·        Check the information for completeness

·        Assign the next available race number

·        Write the name on the pull tag

·        Write the assigned number on the registration form

·        Give these forms to timing company the morning of the race. 

Day-of-Race registration.

·        Check the information for completeness

·        Assign the next available race number

·        Write the name on the pull tag

·        Write the assigned number on the registration form

·        Give these forms to timing company

·        Please form one stack of numbers and keep them in order.  This guarantee’s that I get all the forms.

Volunteers

The quality and number of Finish line volunteers determine the accuracy and speed of results posting.  These are easily learned semi-skilled jobs that require training.  The individuals should be identified prior to race day and instructed to arrive at the finish area 30 minutes before the first finisher.  Anyone arriving late is of little use, since there is no opportunity to train them once the racers start crossing the finish line.  They must be mature responsible individuals willing to stay through the entire finish process (1-2 hours.)

Button Pusher

Pushes timer button to record time of each racer crossing the finish line.  They must push the button for every person that crosses the line.  If two people cross together, push the button twice.  It helps to mentally count the races when large groups or if a continuous string of runners are crossing.

Tag Puller

Pulls tags off each runner’s race number.  This is the primary evidence of the finish order.  This person determines who crosses the finish line first, pulls their tag and hands it to the Skewer.  This is a fast paced responsible position requiring an aggressive mobile individual.  Some one with prior experience is preferred.  They must get a tag for every racer or insert a blank turkey tag to represent the person.

Skewer

Puts tags in order on a wire skewer.  Works closely with the Tag Puller to capture pull tags and keep in order of finish.  Make sure they orient them consistently and place them on the skewer face down.

Chute Marshals

Keeps order in finish chute. Keeps racers in order after finish line and before tags are pulled.  Additional responsibilities include calling out numbers to help recorders; asks racers where numbers are, weeds out unregistered runners before they cross the finish line. 

1 required for small (150 person) races; 8K and longer races

2 required for larger  (150+) races

2 required for small 5K races

3 required for larger 5K races.