Organising a run (Read 730 times)

Hiya Im looking to organise a 5K charity run here in the UK. Basically because I have never organised something like this before, was hoping to see if anyone had any tips or handy guides to organising and running a successful run. Also, is 5K a good distance to use? The emphasis is on raising money for charity so would like as many participants as possible and to encourage people who have never run before, I was thinking of supplying some training plans to give them an incentive and a goal to aim for. At the moment, Im looking into: * First aid (is there a minimum required for a 5K?) * Traffic * Stewards/ attendants (any recommendations to how many to use per Km, per race etc...) * Drinks (at the end of the race, was going to offer some nice fruit squash/ water) So howsabout it? Anyone here with any experience of organising a charity run, or have any tips on things I need to think about?

I'm in the process of this myself so I look forward to seeing many replies. Mine is scheduled for April 28th, the permit for the city had to be done 3 months in advance. By getting the permit from the city the police service was made aware of the route and provides traffic control. At each mile marker, a team of two or three will be present to announce mile times and provide any needed services to the runners. At the half-way point and water station will be provided. The end of the race, bottle water and fruit will be served. For participants to assure themselves a race T-shirt they must pre-register. All others will be given on a first come first serve basis. Awards are given in different areas. First aid-The race registration starts at the fire dept. where a first aid station will be available. Note: I live in Charleston, WV--so it is the capital...but still not a huge area

Paging Dr. Trent.

Paging Dr. Trent.

I put together a marathon. Everybody should do this. Really. I even convinced a bunch of fools and monkeys to run the thing. Website: www.harpethhillsmarathon.com About to head out the door. Details to come...

Here is a start... I’m still not quite sure what I was thinking, here now in retrospect. I mean, what business do I have putting together a marathon? I’m just a regular guy, just some local runner imbued with a touch of madness. Sure, I am addicted to marathoning and have run far too many for my own good. But to organize a new marathon? What was I thinking? It all began seemingly innocently enough. We have a local running club called the Nashville Striders. The Striders maintain an internet message board with the stated purpose, “to serve the Nashville running community”. On this message board, all sorts of jabber goes on, including race discussion, running suggestions and occasional trash talking. Runners used the message board to plan weekend runs and to find people to join them on group runs. Many local runners were regular participants in the message board, and it served as a hub of information and entertainment for a virtual community, with many members having varying (and multiple) personas. Somewhere along the way, I picked up a reputation for designing running routes and making maps for other runners, using one of the myriad online mapping tools. I guess it was because I enjoyed making maps for my own runs whenever possible, and I enjoyed sharing my enthusiasm for the routes. Mapping my running routes before or after running them appealed to the compulsions that also keep me running. So, for people on the message board, I made maps for numerous training runs, races and fun runs. Middle Tennessee, including Nashville, is a fantastic place to run. The climate is particularly favorable. While perhaps a bit hot and humid in the Summer and cold and wet in the Winter, the days are often capped in hazy and lazy sapphire skies and clothed in temperate airs with only infrequent rains. A diverse topography undulates and flows, some places flat or gently rolling and others peppered with abrupt hills and knobs. Amongst the terrain, there are forests, swamps, meadows, rivers, neighborhoods and city streets. In a single long outing, a runner can pass through a misty marsh, along the wandering river, through the heart of Nashville’s downtown, rolling subdivisions and a hilly and heavily wooded park. One of the great resources to runners as well as walkers, bikers, hikers and even Sunday drivers is the Warner Park system, on Nashville’s west side. The two parks, Percy Warner and Edwin Warner Parks, named after two 19th century Nashville Industrialists and philanthropists, encompass nearly 3000 acres of woodland, open fields, streams and wetlands. While some parts of the parks are fairly flat, having soft terrain, much of land climbs and descends sharply over hills and ridges carved centuries before by the nearby Harpeth River. Framed by the hills, filled with the trees and fields, and made up with colors that change with each passing season (if not with each passing day), the parks display an awesome and inspiring natural beauty. And this resource is situated within the Nashville city limits, easily and quickly accessible to anybody who lives there. Winding through Percy Warner Park, the larger of the two parks, are numerous roads and trails, including an 11.2-mile long road loop. It is this road, called simply “The 11.2” by the local running and biking communities, that may be the single best place to run in Middle Tennessee. Over its winding and rolling loop, The 11.2 passes through the woodlands, open fields, peaks and valleys, ridges and knobs, and the trails, roads, cross country fields and grassy horse tracks for which the Park is known. There are overlooks that spy the distant downtown, nearby hills and fancy neighborhoods and other parts of the park. The road is shared by runners, walkers and bikers of all abilities, as well as with bikers and Sunday drivers (every day of the week). And with the varied scenery, fauna, topography and the changing seasons and foliage, every run in the park is a treat anew. But every run in the park is also a challenge. The 11.2 climbs over 1500 feet, and drops the same amount as it winds through the woods and hills. So it makes perfect sense that somebody would suggest the following, posted anonymously under the moniker “Run4U” on the Nashville Striders’ message board: "Here’s a crazy idea. If someone were to map a 26.2 mile race course in Percy Warner Park, and the race were held in the late fall (mid-November maybe?) how many people do you think would attempt it? I think there would be a decent number of local runners willing to try it, even though it would be a real “old-school” marathon and not officially sanctioned. It would definitely be one of the hardest marathons in the country and you would have huge bragging rights if you finished it. I have done a double-loop of the 11.2 and it was harder than some of the “hilly” marathons I have done. Does anyone think there is a realistic chance of a Warner Park Marathon ever happening? Or am I just plain nuts?" Does anybody think there is a realistic chance? Just plain nuts? Well, yes and perhaps. What followed this message board post was followed by a flurry of responses, including suggested courses, discussion about whether it should be an official marathon or just a bunch of runners showing up one morning, and running, and musings about what kind of finishers’ awards there should be (if any at all). How hard would such a marathon be? Would people come and run it? Should we include both Percy and Edwin Warner Park (requiring that runners cross a major roadway)? A lot of people had a lot of great ideas and questions. And, true to my reputation, I started throwing out a bunch of possible courses, some that were only in Percy Warner and some that included both sections. Lots of different maps and courses. And then eventually the chatter died down, and it was time to make it happen. I figured, why not see if I could come up with a final, doable but insane course, enlist the help of some folks that know how to put on a race, and then find out if anybody would actually register for the thing. As Run4U asked, “Does anyone think there is a realistic chance of a Warner Park Marathon ever happening?” Well, let’s just see. Time for a little footwork. I came up with a course, designed to be simple, but deviously tough in its simplicity. Two loops on the 11.2, one of Nashville’s traditions of pain and attempted only be a few foolhardy runners; that would be the backbone of the course. The Shell Hill cut-through, a hidden gem of a hill, as tough as it is beautiful. The Vaughn’s Creek cross country field, with a little bit of a gentle grassy field well known to many local runners. And the Luke Lea overlook, with its changing and distant views of much of Nashville from way up on high. Yes, the marathon should include all these, and they fit perfectly together to make up the necessary 26.2-mile course needed for a marathon. Put together, the course would carry runners over more than 3000 feet of elevation gain and loss, seven major climbs and innumerable rolls, and twists and turns enough to make anybody dizzy. And the worst climb was positioned right at mile 19, the point when most marathoners’ will begins to falter. It was perfect. Painful. Devious. Twisted. Just perfect. Well, with a course planned, it was time to try and make this thing happen. I made some calls to the Parks, had a chat with a friend of mine who hosts website space, a spent bit of time spent making pretty maps. With that done, it was time to pitch the proposal to somebody who knew what the heck it took to put on a road race. Given their extensive experience managing races in the local running scene, their breadth of community involvement and that the marathon was originally dreamt up on their message board, I went to the Nashville Striders for help. I pitched the proposed marathon to their board, answered questions, and apparently received enthusiastic support. That meant we were on. That meant we had to move forward and do this. Fantastic!

I didn't read any of the other replies so if this is a repeat, sorry but it'll be short. When I wanted to do one, I learned two things. Number one, it really helps if the local running club will help you with volunteers, getting the word out, and hopefully a lot of them have experience with doing this. Number two, If a local gym/hospital/charity can sponsor you for T-shirts/drinks and cost that would take a load off. Good luck!

Who won?

I'm getting there. Some guy named Jeff. He finished in a time that made several folks doubt whether the course was actually the full 26.2 miles. Some guy named Robert actually went out and measured the course after seeing Jeff's time. Alas, the course was the correct distance. Minus two yards. Two measly yards.

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