To Groupn or Not

I have now been approached by several different variations of the social group daily deal and I am always torn. Do you take the participants or the money? It seems with these deals you can't have them both.

On the one hand you want to grow your numbers and get participants that will hopefully come back next year at full price and be able to offer your potential sponsors more eyeballs. You also get exposure to a list you would not have otherwise been able to afford to send to.

On the other hand, when you do the math, you do not make diddly squat on these grouponees. In fact, you have a high potential of actually losing money if you don't get enough full paying customers or you get those participants who were going to sign up at full price see the deal and only give you half their money.

And, when you throw in a nonprofit partner who you have promised x percentage of all money coming in, well, you have just thrown in a whole new can of worms.

The other question is can you handle all the new people? It boils down to this, if you can't offer a great experience for all your participants and you end up making your full paying customers suffer because of this deal, and you are not offering your deal people a good experience, its not a good thing.

These are the decisions of a race director.

Never Mix Business with Pleasure?

That is how the old phrase goes, right? Well, it seems to be the opposite for my company. I have found the people I love and trust the most are helping me through this start-up time with the utmost of generosity, care and love.

Perhaps I have only worked with friends and family on these races because I can't yet afford to pay anyone but I think even if I could hire other people I would still hire them.

After all, they have my best interest in mind.

My best friend is in charge of all the food, I run all my ideas by my mom and dad, my friend and former co-worker does my websites, my other friend does my graphic works, the one I love is my right hand man and is one of my logo masters, my running buddy comes up with all the fun names and scores of people advise me one way or the other or volunteer at the races or hand out fliers, or keep our Facebook page alive and well, or take the photos, or supply me with tables and tents, or load the truck, or keep me sane, or.......

I say, surround yourself with the ones you love and things will be good!

Thank you to all that have helped so far! You are all amazing and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Juggernaut

Last weekend was a really big race here in Seattle and as I worked the expo for a company handing out samples of juice and seeing the runners stream by me for hours and hours at a time I kept on thinking, my god, what a juggernaut this race series has become.

I have always been bothered by this race series and as I stood there, peddling juice to the captive audience, I realized why. Drum roll please......because they are so commercial and marketed and shiny and soul-less! To me they are the Walmart of the running world. Well, the more expensive Walmart.

This series is such a juggernaut that they can get away with charging outrageous prices, and people pay them these outrageous sums of money. If these races come to your city, just like Walmart, there is no competing with them. Smaller races anywhere near this race on the calendar get eaten alive, reduced to whimpering piles of nothing, forcing them to move dates that they have held for years.

This race series does a little bit of good for the community but when you dig around its not a whole heck of a lot. Its mostly a commercial, for-profit entity. What bothers me the most about this race is that it has the potential to do such a tremendous amount of good and it misses the mark. Does running always have to be about raising money? No, but when you have the power to raise that much money and you don't, well, to me that is wrong.

But I guess the 30,000 or so people that run each and every one of them across the country isn't bothered too much. I guess the people that shop at Walmart don't seem to mind supporting their business practices either.

So, how do I create a juggernaut of a race like this, and have it be a truly charitable event, raising so much money for cancer that cancer is obliterated off the face of the planet? I don't know, but I sure as heck am going to study this race series to learn all their tricks!

What a Concept!

This past weekend I got paid to volunteer at a race. That is right, an actual paid gig. What a concept! It makes sense, it was a for-profit race, no bones about it, just a straight up race, make the check out to a company, no promises of a donation to anyone. So, why would I volunteer for such a race? Unless I was being completely altruistic (which, come on, how many of us really are) and wanted to help put on a great race for the sheer pleasure of putting on a great event, I wouldn't.

I was cruising around on the gigs section of Craigslist (we all know that race directors won't get wealthy on racing alone) and came across a call for people to help with a scavenger hunt style urban race. The little listing on the bottom said: Pay: $80. $80 for helping out a race? Yes please!

As I am sitting there, in the rain, waiting for teams to show up to the checkpoint, I am realizing that so many other races ask for volunteers, when really they should be hiring people. A race I volunteered for a few weeks ago was the same. I volunteered, and then later realized that none of the proceeds benefit any organization, except the for-profit company that puts on the race.

No other industry would ask for volunteers like this. Do you see Microsoft asking for volunteers to staff their events? How about any trade-show? Those people sitting there are not volunteers and the companies would be laughed at if they were to ask for volunteers.

One could argue that unpaid interns are essentially volunteers but they at least are getting something more valuable out of the experience. They are not, for the most part, being asked to get up at some ungodly hour to shlep water out to some trail, or cut up bananas for the entire morning.

It is a blatant misuse of people hours and should be stopped. If you are putting on a race to benefit something in the community, then by all means, get as many volunteers as you need. If you are a for-profit race, and nothing more, hire some damn people!

The Other Shoe

At races that I have helped put together there is always something that goes wrong. It could be small or it could be major but something always goes wrong. Most race directors know this going into an event and are prepared for the eventual apology or running around with the fix. Part of our jobs is to try and think of every eventuality that could happen that could make the event go awry and plan backups and then backups for those backups. It is actually sort of a fun game, trying to guess what was the one major thing you forgot! I am always waiting for the other shoe to drop.

When this does not happen it is an eerie feeling.

At Good Karma 5K I kept on waiting and waiting and waiting. The timing system guy's truck is going to break down on the highway, OK, nope, he is here, my key volunteers have forgotten to set their alarms, no, they are all here, the Porto-potties are going to tip over when being delivered, not quite, they are right there, snug in their spot, we are going to run out of safety pins, nope, there are 16 boxes full of them on the tables, someone is going to get lost on the course, but here comes the first place guy, right on time, someone is going to trip at the finish line and get hurt, yet here are all my participants, happy and smiling, we are going to run out of food, not this time, there are still piles of food on those tables.....Really? Nothing at all!?

We are packing up, everyone is gone, truck has been unloaded, ok, for sure I am going to get into an accident with this UHaul, for sure my credit card will be declined, ok, I am positive my car has been stolen at the parking lot and my house has caught fire!

Nothing at all!? Really!? I had to be sure, I needed some outside verification, so I sent out a survey to our participants and sure, there could have been better water placement at the finish, or there could have been more people cheering at the finish line. But, hey, I will take that as a huge success!

My race director heart sings when I still have two shoes on my feet. Nothing dropped here!

Ah, Race Week!

This is race week, the week of no sleep, running around, worrying, stressing, constantly checking the weather forecast, obsessively checking registration numbers, race nightmares taking over sleep, scrambling and busy work. Sounds like fun!? Your ideal of a job!? It's mine!

Ah, race week!

Race Directing has some fun challenges and decisions that most people probably do not think about. I have been obsessing about porto-potties. Yes, portable bathrooms have been haunting me this week. Good Karma is sort of on that fine line, not quite enough people to warrant porto-potties (they are really expensive!) but if I get as many people as I am hoping I will need them. Do I just go ahead and order them? When there are nonprofits involved you have to consider them as well. If I do not get porto-potties its more money for them. But, you want participants to have the best experience possible and also not get in trouble from the Parks Department. When is the last possible moment I can order them? Really, this is my life!

Ah, race week!

My small apartment has officially been taken over by race stuff. You can barely get through the hallway without running into boxes of shirts, bananas, prizes and big signs. Good thing I have a storage unit so I don't have to dodge traffic cones and water jugs with my bad knee.

Ah, race week!

I am also completely high on fumes from the plastic bags I have been stuffing with hundreds of pieces of printed materials. Oh no, how many bags should I make? Should I include that sample and that flyer?

Ah, race week!

Now the worry of what big thing I am missing, what have I forgotten. I am hoping nothing and that every participant and volunteer walks away with a smile, a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction of knowing they have helped with some great causes.

Ah, race week!

Demand is High, Supplies are Low

One of Good Karma 5K's beneficiaries is Northwest Harvest. Participants can sign up in support of them or they can also bring food donations on race day. I went to their Cherry St. location yesterday to pick up some fliers and a food drive collection box for race day and was blown away. I just so happened to be there during a food bank pickup time.

We have all been told the need for food to stock the food banks, we have heard on the news that supplies are low and demand is high these days. Sure, some of us might put out a can of almost expired beans when the post office does their annual food drive. But, you can't really know what that all means until you go to a food bank and see for yourself.

When I arrived there was literally a line up the hill and around the corner. I went inside to the warehouse distribution center I saw piles and piles of food and volunteers buzzing about. I thought to myself, ok, this looks like enough food for these hungry people, its not so bad. But, as I stood there, waiting for the employee I was getting the stuff from, maybe 5 minutes, that pile of oatmeal had dwindled down from an overflowing pile to just a few bags. Was it enough food? I had the sudden urge to run out and start collecting food from any passer by.

It makes me feel good, personally, that I am trying to get something done about it. I feel like I am helping in some small tiny way to help the situation. This is why I started this company in the first place. I am glad I happened to be there at that time, gave me a renewed sense of purpose, as cliched as that sounds.

Like the news says, the demand is high and the supplies are low. It really is true. If you doubt it just go observe a food bank in action, or better yet, volunteer your time and donate food! Or better yet, sign up for Good Karma and bring some food along with you. I will have the bin waiting to be filled.

Sweat the details

Finally got off the couch and back to the real world yesterday and went crazy, and am paying for it today, I feel like a ran a marathon yesterday! I was feeling a lot better in terms of my calf and leg so I decided to venture out and take care of a few things that had to happen for race day. It made me remember how much detail goes into races.

Most runners, or event attendees in general for that matter, do not realize how much planning goes into an event. And there is only so much of that planning that happens online. Here is a taste of what I did yesterday, just to give you an example of a day in the life of a race director.

I dropped off fliers for Good Karma to Redeeming Soles (the organization that is accepting shoe donations at the race) and got fliers from them to put into runner's bags. I distributed fliers to a bunch of coffee shops, community boards, shoes stores and gyms. I went to an office supply store and bought sharpies for the gear check, pens for the registration area and tried to figure out how to attach the laminated signs (which I have still to laminate) to the fronts of the tents. I dropped off fliers at Cascade Land Conservancy and picked up their fliers to distribute at the donation station. I picked up fliers from The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society on my way to going into a book store to ask for a donation for a prize.

At home, I checked registrations, checked the Facebook page, ordered bulk thank you cards online, checked in with a volunteer, looked at best prices for bananas, arranged a time to go to Restaurant Depot with a friend who has a membership to buy cups and responded to a few random emails and phone calls (one about a team discount, one about race bibs).

Phew, and that was only one day! Today I order balloons, make all the signs I will need, laminate those signs and hopefully cross 20 more things off my list.

Amazing this is all for an event that will be over in the matter of about an hour or so! But, I have to keep on remembering that hopefully it will make an impact on the community, the nonprofits and the participants themselves.

Sign up today and test out all these details, and when you are out there running, look at the mile markers and realize that was someone's care and time that made that happen, they didn't just appear magically. Or maybe they did!

It's all about perspective

What I need is a little Good Karma to come my way!

What I wouldn't give to just have an ACL tear these days, sounds like heaven to me! Since writing last I have had these nasty calf cramps, which I was told was normal. They felt like I had hopped a full marathon, on one leg without any Gatorade or salt. To make a long story short, I ended up in the ER. They found I had a blood clot in my leg and waited too long and a couple of pieces broke off and traveled up to my lung.

It's amazing how a life threatening event can change perspective. I thought the knee was serious business. Now I am on blood thinners, daily blood tests, bed rest and my ACL surgery has been delayed for 3-7 more months. The goal of returning to running hasn't really entered my mind, now I just want 10 minutes of no pain! Perspective.

Needless to say, I have gotten creative on how to pull together the upcoming Good Karma race. It is frustrating not be able to run around and do what needs to be done. It is coming together with the help of friends and family and lots of emailing! It begs the question, when is a good time for a race director to start to think about hiring a staff? At what point are you in a position to hire an assistant? I think I have to pull off this first race first!

Send some Good Karma my way, get some good karma for yourself, get a great workout, a fun t-shirt, a possibility of some prizes, free food, a timed event, free photos and help local nonprofits. What do you have to do to do all that you ask? Just sign up for Good Karma 5K run or 4K walk!

Amazing what a minute can do

I keep on singing those lyrics in the title over and over these days (Dave Matthews song). I come to you from the couch today, not a place sought after by most runners and active people, especially as the season turns nice, sunny and warm. I want to be outside, running, frolicking and making merry. Instead I am confined to my home base, my couch and my one or two blocks of flat terrain outside my house.

That is right, I am officially on the injured list. Shortly after coming back from Paris I went skiing, had an unfortunate accident where I fell but my knee fell the opposite direction thus resulting in a torn ACL and a damaged meniscus. In a flash my life has been altered. It's amazing how fast life comes and sometimes smacks you upside the head. In fact, as I was falling, in that split second of searing pain, I thought "well, there goes running for a while. At least I just did Paris!" When you make running and being active your entire life, it defines you. What happens when you can't do it anymore? Are you even the same person that you were 1 minute ago?

Since the accident I have only left my couch a handful of times. Once to see the orthopedic doc, once to get my MRI and a couple of times when I have felt adventurous and needed fresh air.

It is amazing, also, how your definition of luck changes when these sorts of things happen. I am lucky that there were amazing ski patrol right up the hill from me. I am lucky I didn't do something really bad like shatter my knee cap. I am lucky I had a good friend with me. I am lucky I had just done a marathon and a big trip to Europe. I am lucky I can schedule my upcoming ACL reconstruction surgery around my schedule (after Good Karma 5K). I am lucky that for the most part when I am stationary it's not so painful. I am lucky I work from home and do not have to commute. I am lucky that the majority of my work can be done on the computer and phone. I am lucky I am strong and in shape going into this. I am lucky I have one of the best ACL surgeons in this area. I am lucky I have insurance. I am lucky that if everything goes according to plan I will be back to absolute normal in about a year. I am lucky I have a great support system around me. Who needs the lottery, right!?

So, for the time being I will be volunteering at races, rather than running them. This just gives me an opportunity to slow down and observe the running world from a different perspective. Its probably exactly what I needed in my life. Maybe I will write a book, or make some art or actually read all those books I have been meaning to read.

So if you see a volunteer at your next race in a leg brace, well, stop by and say hi!

What a difference 6 months makes

Last week I ran the Paris Marathon, 6 months ago I ran the Winthrop Marathon. Paris had 57,000 participants, Winthrop had 98.

The Winthrop Marathon was a study in how to get a great race off the ground. Race Director James Varner always does a great job making it look easy. It's nice to know your Race Director by name and get some personal attention at a marathon.

On the other hand, the Paris Marathon was a study in crowd control and differing cultures.

Every American should do a race abroad, it shows you a side of the culture you would never have otherwise seen; Men, and women, taking potty breaks right on the side of the road, no need for modesty, the look of disgust from onlookers if you should dare to take a walk break, the different words of encouragement in a foreign language (at least you hope its encouragement!), the lack of porto-potties, the national pride almost everyone shows, the running outfits and the food and water options that the country of your choice chooses to hand out. I have to admit, running the streets of Paris was a treat, even if I had to share the roads with 56,999 other people.

From a Race Director's prospective it was a sight to see. The amount of work put in to make a race of that size work is mind boggling. Even one little aspect of it is enormous. An example - each participant got a bag, filled with coupons, flyers and product samples. Can you imagine the hours it must have taken to stuff 57,000 bags, and those race packets!?


Most everything about the race organization was well handled, efficient and easy for the participant. From all the helpful (although sometimes awkwardly translated emails) to the packet pickup to the logistics of the race start and the finish line and all the cheering volunteers, it was a well run race.

One would imagine that with 57,000 nervous and well-hydrated runners that one would provide many, many, many porto-potties. It was interesting to note that they had not done that. The day before the race I was sight-seeing, which took me to the Arc de Triomphe, the site of the start and finish lines. I had seen about 8 toilets, really, 8 toilets? I thought for sure there would be more delivered in the middle of the quiet Paris night. Nope, there was just a lot of very unpleasant, overused bathrooms, lets just leave it at that!

The other curious thing was the way they handled the waterstops. They chose to hand out not cups of water, but bottles, at each water station, to each person. If you can imagine the bottle caps and bottles that must have left behind. And, on top of that they handed up banana halves and oranges. At each station you really had to watch your step and not find yourself the subject of that all too classic banana peel prank. It felt like a cruel joke! My biggest gripe at marathons is the lack of salty snacks along the way, especially on a hot, sweaty day. Give us a pretzel! Please!

I did appreciate the wine I downed at Mile 25, that was a nice treat!

The finish area was complete chaos, to be expected I suppose. Smart of the street vendors to show up and provide me with a huge heaping portion of pomme frites, so salty and good!

An amazing site was to see later that evening, beneath the shimmering lights of the Eiffel Tower, where there once had been a waterstop, there now was a gleaming clean street. How they managed the cleanup so fast and so thoroughly I will never know.

Kudos to the Paris Marathon organizers, and thank you for letting me run through your gorgeous city, allowing me to indulge in your pastries without any of the guilt.

Here is a bonus pic: a GIANT cone in Paris, right outside of the Grand Palais, others might take a picture of the beautiful architecture, not me, I like to take a pic of the foreign cones!

Funny Mail

It's funny what happens to your mail when you open up a business. I used to get the usual host of catalogs; Eddie Bauer; Title Nine; Road Runner.... Now I have seen a subtle shift, a shift that is making me question what I have gotten into. Not only do I get the normal business junk mail like offers for credit cards, catalogs for business checks or medical insurance solicitations, but now I seem to have attracted some pretty strange stuff.

The other day I got a Uline catalog. Do you know Uline!? You should! It was a thrilling 300 pages filled with mailing supplies, tapes, scales, special UV wrap, protective suits, pallets and all manner of strange looking metal supplies.

Yesterday I received a catalog for medals and awards. Now, as a race director this is some really riveting reading. It opened up my eyes to the costs of cheesy crystal awards and cheap metals and pins. I envisioned the race logos on all the items. What more could a race director ask for!?

It makes opening the mail everyday a thrill rather than a dread bore of more and more bills. So, the upshot? If you want interesting mail become a race director!

Race Director's Obsessions...cones and sponsors

Race Directors, at least this one, are an obsessive bunch. We sort of have to be, keeping track of all sorts of details, contacts, dates, processes......

Two of my latest obsessions: cones and sponsors!

Sponsors for obvious reasons! Still looking for good sponsors for Good Karma 5K! Anyone?

Cones you ask? What sorts of cones? Traffic cones of course! At Run Scared last year we had a volunteer not get to a critical turning point in time for the fast runners, a huge mistake, one that I still feel sick whenever I think about. Since that moment I have been obsessed with traffic cones. If only I would have had traffic cones I could have prevented the whole mess. So, when I started this business one of the first things I did was start my search to buy cones.

I don't know if you realize this, but cones are expensive, I mean, really expensive. Prohibitively so, especially considering to mark a course fully you would need a good number of cones and delineators (which I found out quickly is the technical term for those long tall skinny orange sticks). So I did what all good modern people do, turned to Craigslist. Almost every day I do a search for cones. I managed to find someone selling a whole car load for only $40. But, still its not enough, I need more cones!!!!

If you pay attention you will see them everywhere, they sort of follow you around, taunting you, "take me, I am abandoned!" Useless traffic cones can be seen every day, on your drive to work, on your run around the lake, walking to the grocery store, in line at the airport.....they are everywhere! They are always so tempting to pick up, nobody would notice, right?

My biggest question regarding cones: when do they actually transform from someone's property to abandoned junk, of which picking them up would be considered a good act, an environmental cleanup of sorts?


I realize it's sort of a weird obsession, one that is probably unique to construction workers and race directors. Which is why, I get made fun of for pointing out cones all the time, which is why someone gave me this handy toy, so I can stare at it and fantasize about cones all day!

Anyone have good cones they would like me to keep warm and dry in a nice storage unit!?

Am I Crazy!?

This past weekend a friend of mine and I participated in not one, but two events, on the same day, the Mercer Island Half Marathon and the Big Climb up Columbia Tower. Are we crazy!? Apparently we are. I did something very 'type A' runner like and compared the two results lists and cross referenced participant's names to see how many people did both. I was expecting about 20 or 30, nope, 4 of us in total! We are crazy!

The Mercer Island Half was amazing, the weather was perfect for the first day of Spring. One thing that really stands out for that race (from a race director's perspective) is the volunteer base. When I arrived at the expo the day before the race I was greeted with volunteers directing traffic, for an expo!? How great. As I was lucky enough to find a spot in the community center parking lot I was greeted by yet another volunteer at my car telling me where to go. When I arrived at the door I was then ushered down the stairs where I saw literally a wall of volunteers at the packet pickup tables. It was efficient, friendly and most of all it was the right number, plenty of supportive volunteers.

Then at the race itself there was practically a volunteer for every thinkable position. There was someone with a megaphone telling people where the start line was and how much time they had left to use the facilities, there was someone directing traffic, there was someone handing out water. On the course there was practically a volunteer at every intersection and at every wealthy driveway (which is quite a number on Mercer Island).

Kudos to Mercer Island's volunteers. Next time you see a volunteer at a race, tell them thank you, they are there early on a Sunday just to support you and your efforts. And, if you are injured or just taking it easy for the season, sign up to be a volunteer at a race, you will see all the efforts that go into planning these things. If you need a volunteer opportunity, we are still looking for volunteers for Good Karma 5K! Email us and let us know!

As for the Big Climb, well, what a challenge or organization, thousands of people, all racing at different times, in two different stairwells. Add in massages, donations, food, timing, gear check, volunteers, two separate recovery floors, waterstops, emotionally charged posters on every floor, and parking and you have a logistics nightmare on your hands! But the team at The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society always pulls it off with grace. Everyone around me was having a great time, despite the pain for the 15-20 minutes of the climb itself.

Most importantly for both these events, they each raised a TON of money for their respective charities. That is what I like to see the most.

Crazy or not, we both had a fantastic day, went home and ate all we could eat and then fell over, exhausted! What's next!?

Next I get to experience the biggest event I have ever participated in, the 40,000 runner Paris Marathon! Stay tuned for a full report, just have to get through my long run this weekend first!

To Charity or Not

That is the question.

A social entrepreneur is someone who "recognizes a social problem and uses entrepreneurial principles to organize, create and manage a venture to achieve social change (a social venture). While a business entrepreneur typically measures performance in profit and return, a social entrepreneur focuses on creating social capital. Thus, the main aim of social entrepreneurship is to further social and environmental goals." (Wikipedia).

When I started this company one of my goals was to be as transparent as possible when it came to where the money raised was going, how much was going to where and what all of my costs were. I did not want to be one of those races that generically states "a portion of the proceeds goes to X" and in reality 1% goes to charity. Some local races have gotten in trouble for that and I wanted no part of it, even if it meant losing a few participants who didn't think the percentage was high enough.

For the upcoming Good Karma 5K I decided to put in the advertising how much was going to the charities. After much number crunching I figured out that 50% was a good percentage. Run for Good was recently bashed in the comments section of an online local newspaper piece for having 50%, not 100% of the proceeds go to the causes for Good Karma 5K. It raises a good point about these kinds of events. If you advertise as benefiting a charity, must 100% of the proceeds go to that cause? My answer is no, this is found money for these organizations who now will get these funds, and needed publicity without the drain on staff or the usual donor base, all the while making a small profit for the company. After all, we are still in the growing stages of this company and we have to be careful about sustaining the business to bring more great events to help more people in the future. We would have loved to have donated more, perhaps next year.

Is that not the definition of social entrepreneurship?

Welcome to Run for Good

Welcome to Run for Good's new blog! Run for Good Racing Company is a Seattle based running company dedicated to putting on fun, unique running events that benefit the community. Run for Good was founded by Ilana Balint (the author) after having being laid off from a PR job, finding myself with a lot of time on my hands and not wanting to be idle. I decided to put on a 5K fundraiser for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and threw together Run Scared in a matter of a few months. We got about 150 participants, not bad for a first year, no budget production!

The next year, I was still unemployed so I decided to organize Run Scared for a second time. This time around we got over 800 participants! I thought to myself, "OK, could I do this for a living?" and the answer was yes! The next month my unemployment ran out and I started Run for Good.

The concept behind it is to be a business whose sole purpose is not to make money, but whose purpose is to help local nonprofits with much needed fund-raising support, to get the community healthy, to provide a great outlet for those wanting to do some good with not a lot of time on their hands and to have fun and perhaps make a living at the same time.

So, here we are, months later, painstaking bookkeeping, licensing, insurance issues and tedious business stuff out of the way, with a race coming up, Good Karma 5K on May 29th. It will be Seattle's only choose your own charity race, check out the website for all the fun details.