BY When it comes to covering races, we have seen them all, from the smoothest to the most chaotic. If you are into novelty runs and movie animation, you may have joined the Dreamworks Day event over the weekend and had a pretty decent weekend, provided you weren’t caught up in any of the issues that many others had feedback about.
From that, we are going to pick out a few things race organisers should take note when it comes to organising a huge event like a mass run.
Adequate facilities
When people participate in a run, they do not want to worry about where their belongings are at any point in time. They don’t want to waste time waiting for a port-a-potty when they just want to get down to business, wipe, wash and race off as quickly as you can. They definitely want enough hydration points, whether isotonic or plain water in this hot weather.
Thus, whether race or event village, always make sure you have enough facilities that can handle the crowds you will be facing. Is it a niche-event that probably only 100 people will attend? Or is it a popular, novelty run that relies on people’s love of pop-culture? Events facilitators will have to anticipate this, and even over-prepare, if need be. A good amount of parking space has to be negotiated, especially if the area you are looking for happens to be in a publicly used venue. Consider negotiating with nearby places for cheaper discounts on parking.
Events that advertise themselves with events especially for kids will also need to take note if there are any child-friendly facilities around, since parents will do anything to make sure their kids will be safe and entertained. This means things such as children friendly toilets, food, and always lots of water.
Clear information dissemination
Everyone wants to be informed adequately when events are happening. When you are planning a party, people need to know where the place is, what happens when it rains, where there is adequate parking, and what to bring.
The same goes for races as well. Where is the race going to be at? Where is the starting point? What race categories are there? How do you get to the starting point?
Participants need all the information given to them. Whether on Facebook, emails to the participants who registered, social media posts or even on the day itself to volunteers who will be directing others to the proper places, information has to be given to the participants as much as possible.
This also includes disseminating information to participants on the day of the event. If, for example, you were to try and direct a group of small children, you need to use clear, simple sentences for them to understand.
Accurate Markers, Clear Route Dividers
When running, people want to make sure that they are running down the correct path, and if the distance they are running is accurate. If you short-change their distance, you are cheating them of the full distance and giving them false expectations of what they have paid to experience.
This also means that if you want them to have a safe, enjoyable experience, make sure you have clear signs or indicators to state where and where the route changes. While giving all participants the route map before the event will do fine, the organisers have to make sure that all participants are running the same route and not going off track.
Respect and Politeness
We get it: Organisers are flustered and often not cheerful during event day. It can be tough being busy, making sure things do not mess up and that every single aspect of the event goes smoothly.
However, the number one thing to often remember is that the participants, stallholders, cleaners and members of the public are also there to enjoy the event.
Maybe some of them did not follow the rules. That’s understandable. However, yelling at them and being rude will never get you anywhere. Treat others the way you wish to be treated and that is how you should run the entire event.
Comment (0)