Anyone have any experience at organising a race?

[Tim]

Yesterday it was announced in our local press that a new long distance footpath was going to be created (from Glenbuck to Ayr following the river).

At 41 miles it's a nice ultra distance and I'm moved to organise a race along it's length. Unfortunately, I've absolutely no experience at this kind of thing but I reckon everybody's got to start somewhere.

If you've any experience to share, I'm all ears.

Cheers!

Tim

[El Gordo]

Sorry Tim, but it looks like we're a bit lacking in that department. I've often thought about organising a race though.

No hang on, let me rephrase that. I've often thought about what would make the perfect race (just as I've oftern daydreamed about what would be the perfect pub).

In the absence of real-life race organisation experience, perhaps the best we can offer is some arbitrary thoughts.

41 miles sounds like a hell of a marshalling task.

A long distance riverside path sounds delightful, but would you get enough takers to run the distance, particularly in an area that wouldn't be too accessible for most?

A plus point is that you won't have to muck about getting police permission to close roads.

Perhaps your best bet is to start very small, and try to work up. Perhaps you could persuade a small number (say a couple of dozen) to run it as an informal event, see what people say about it, and build from there.

Or perhaps better, you say that the path is going to be created, suggesting that it hasn't yet opened. Perhaps the local authority or whoever is administering the project, would like to co-operate with you in organising a race, as part of the publicity for the new path? You could get loads of administrative and perhaps financial/marketing help this way, and for them, they have your knowledge of long-distance running. It could be a good, complementary partnership?

Why not test the water?

[Tim]

Hi Andy, thanks for your thoughts.

Hopefully, if the route avoids too many road crossings marshalling shouldn't be too much of a problem and navigation for the runners should be pretty easy (just follow the river).

As to numbers, well, if I get just 5 runners it'll still be worth doing. I think it will appeal to Scottish ultra runners as there is a real dearth of ultra distance events here, particularly early in the year. I'm thinking about early May when we tend to get reasonably decent weather here and it would be a useful training run for those nutters who want to go on and do the full West HIghland Way race. ;-)

I've got a contact who works for the relevant council and it seems that they're already tentatively considering an inaugural race so it seems I could be pushing at an open door. It would certainly be a good way of giving a new long distance footpath some publicity.

I reckon it could be an ideal first ultra for you Andy. No big hills, nice scenery and good company. ;-)

[El Gordo]

I reckon it could be an ideal first ultra for you Andy. No big hills, nice scenery and good company. ;-)

41 miles? Gulp....

Sounds like a nice 2 day walk though....