8. Transport before and after event At important marathons and races wheelchair users are very often accompanied by their families. Their pushers usually travel in group as a team. Consequently, event organizers should contact companies responsible for transfer from accommodations to and from the event venue. As is logical, this means of transport must be 100% wheelchair friendly: ie access and exit ramps, sufficient and secure designated space for wheelchairs etc. Preferably the organizers should allocate a large enough area where the wheelchair pushers can set up the wheelchairs before the race and dismantle after the race.
9. Marathon start It is not easy to coordinate a marathon start, involving pushers and other athletes taking part in the event. The pushers must have maximum visibility without causing problems to the other competitors. Since the primary aim of the pushers is not to beat a record, we recommend that: 1. The pushers start 5 minutes before the official departure time and before all the other competitors. This gives more focused attention on the initiative and all the other competitors will be present at the starting event. 2. After the early start the pushers should pull over to one side to give way to the other competitors. Racing, while pushing a wheelchair at the same time, can cause problems, such as bumping into the ankles of another runner.
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