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!
Monday, June 27, 2011
Sunday, June 19, 2011
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!
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!
Thursday, June 2, 2011
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!
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!
Thursday, May 26, 2011
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!
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!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
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.
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.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
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!
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!
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