Chicago Athlete Special Race Director Edition

Special

Race DiRectoR eDition

chicago athlete EndurancE SportS and fitnESS

magazine

Safety

tipS

Stay on

tRack

Safe RaceS make foR

a Race DiRectoR’s check liSt

SucceSSful

Races pg. 4

pg. 14

StanDing

on the

Race

carey pinkowski Bank of America Chicago Marathon Race Director

+Sportswear

DiRectoR

loCal organizers exPose seCrets for first-tiMers

+

StaRt line:

Through the Years:

pg. 10

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february 2018

evolving with a Changing raCing industry Pg. 8

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Safety firSt

By Holly PetrovicH | PHotos By Ali engin

Putting on a race can definitely be overwhelming with all of the things to consider; you want it to be fun, worthwhile and challenging, but also safe. in fact, four local race directors Put race safety at the toP of their list for Planning, and have shared the must-do’s to avoid Problems on race day.

the Perfect courSe While it may seem obvious, in order to have a safe race, the course itself needs to be safe. Carey Pinkowski, race director for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, says the first step to putting on any race is securing the course from traffic.

Whether it’s a road race or in a secluded park, closing any popular road or trail is necessary to keep the participant’s path clear.

According to Greg Hipp, executive director of the Chicago Area Runner’s Association, the start is the most dangerous part of the race.

“It’s essentially a stampede,” Hipp says. “The more race directors can do to maintain control and order at the start, the less chance there is for an accident.”

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He suggests directors keep the first 200 meters of their race a straightaway to let runners spread out easier. When there are turns, runners tend to go to the inside path, often cutting off those behind them. With a crowded start, and so many runners all guiding for the same line, someone is bound to trip and get hurt. Also, keep kids off the front line, as they tend to go out fast but slow down quickly, potentially creating collision.

Hipp also stresses the importance of pace signs before the start line to keep like-runners together.

“The pack moves safest when the fastest runners start up front, and slower runners and walkers start behind progressively by pace,” Hipp adds.

For trail runs, Joel Feinberg from Universal Sole Running Events works closely with the forest preserves’ land managers to get to know their re-

strictions, such as participant caps, to make sure the trails don’t get crowded or unsafe.

“I want the trails challenging and fun but not to where people feel unsafe,” Feinberg says. “We also want to leave the forest preserves how we found it, which is why our numbers are lower so we don’t destroy the land.”

Triathlons present an entirely new set of complications due to the two additional disciplines, especially if open water swimming is involved.

Leon Wolek from Leon’s Triathlon says he always make sure to have divers scope out the bottom of the swim area and report back on water depth variation, debris and currents forming.

“We work with groups that have been in water and rescue safety, and they tell us what’s going on

down there,” Wolek explains. “They also tell us exactly where to put carpets and pads to make the entering and exiting of the water safer.”

Regardless of the type of race, having enough people on course is imperative; from course marshals, to volunteers to medical staff, having dozens of eyes on the athletes and course itself keeps it safe, and if a problem does arise, help is available more quickly.

“Because of the flood of races in Chicagoland, it has been more and more difficult to recruit volunteers.

With that I see a lot of races moving to systems of simply placing signage or cones to keep runners on course, without having a course marshal,” Hipp reflects. “While this generally works for keeping runners on course, it poses a safety concern.”

He says that if possible, it’s ideal to have a course marshal at every major turn or intersection.

“There’s aLWays GoinG

To be deveLopMenTs and adjusTMenTs, so ThaT’s Why The coMMunicaTion process

is so iMperaTive.”

— Carey Pinkowski With most of Feinberg’s races taking place in wooded areas, he makes sure he has volunteers scattered throughout the key points. Also, he leads every race with his bike, so he can be ahead of the pack and know what to expect in the course, and also can get to another area quickly if a problem arises.

“It is a bit more challenging to get a medic out on course of a trail race, but I do make sure the runners aren’t going deep enough where they can’t be located,” Feinberg says. “I also make sure all points of the race are within a certain distance to the start and finish so it’s easy to access the entire route.”

Worry Less, TaLk More

Having people helping out on race day is great, but the constant communication before, during and after the event is what will truly make it

run smoothly. Informing your volunteers where they’re supposed to be and when on race day, and what they’re supposed to do ahead of time, will make your job much easier.

On race day, Feinberg gives his volunteers radios or cell phones so they can communicate at all times throughout the day. He also is sure to make all participants aware of the trail conditions.

“A lot of people are unsure about trails, because the footing can be uncertain, can be slick or muddy and have rocks and roots,” Feinberg explains.

“There’s a hefty amount of preparing people and letting them know what to expect.”

Pinkowski says it’s just as crucial to communicate with the community surrounding the event as well; talk with the local police and fire departments, along with residents and surrounding businesses beforehand to give them a heads up in case something goes wrong.

“In 2018, everyone has a cell phone and is gathering information, so if there’s a delay in weather or something on the road way, everyone is aware,” Pinkowski says. “There’s always going to be developments and adjustments, so that’s why the communication process is so imperative.”

Wolek utilizes message boards in Hammond, Indiana to communicate with the community about road closures. He also has a mobile command center, which is connected with national weather services to provide live-updates on the radar and other safety information.

Communication post-race is another way to ensure safety for following years. If you’re lucky to have organizations and volunteers come back year after year, Wolek strongly encourages getting their feedback on improvements.

“You need to listen to the volunteers, because you can’t be everywhere on race day,” he says.

“They are so critical to the success of any event.”

Go The exTra MiLe

Once you’ve mastered the logistics of your race, there are some extra things you can do or invest in to guarantee everyone’s safety. One product that Wolek swears by is the myFloat, which is an inflatable dry bag that participants can use during their swim.

“We have a separate myFloat Wave for first-time open-water swimmers,” Wolek says. “There’s a lot of anxiety about open-water swimming, so we want to be sensitive about the challenges a lot of people have about getting in the water.”

Feinberg suggests race directors pack their own personal medical kit, in a backpack or small bag, to carry around throughout race day. Whether you get hurt yourself, or are near someone else who gets injured, you will have minimum supplies on hand at all times.

He also strongly discourages allowing music or headphones on course, especially for trail races.

“There’s a lot of change in terrain, and runners may not be fully paying attention,” Feinberg says.

“Just enjoy the trails and being off the roads.”

Running with pets and strollers is often a controversial topic, as it can bring more registration numbers, but can also present hazards. Hipp says that if a course has a narrow path, strollers should be prohibited. If strollers are allowed, require them to line up in the back.

“On pets, with the exception of service animals, races should not allow participants to run with them,” Hipp adds. “Aside from the trip hazard, pets can get spooked, lose and hard to control in a mass crowd.”

For race directors looking for more tips or safety information, Pinkowski says the Bank of America Chicago Marathon hosts a Race Director Program every year.

“We spend time with race directors who get a tour of the start and finish line, get to meet the security and medical people involved, and get a base line of what we do,” he says.

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Joe Piko with sister Mary Kate in the Marathon Sportswear warehouse.

Joe Piko

Co-owner oF Marathon SportSwear, InC.

Q We know Marathon Sportswear is a family business, but how did it get started?

A My dad, Jim Sr. opened it in 1979. He ran his first marathon in 1978 and after that, he realized he could do anything, including starting his own company. So, he named the company after that. At the time, he was a high school football coach on the south side of Chicago, and realized there was a lot of schools competing, so he saw an opportunity as they all needed shirts for gym and sports. He started printing shirts in our garage, and going from school to school promoting. Once he got a little bit of footing, he got his own store, in the basement of a funeral home, and worked there for 10 years.

Q How did Marathon Sportswear

get involved in the racing industry?

A The first big account my dad got was a race in Davenport, Iowa, the Bix 7. He met the race director and they are still good friends.

It was a good-sized race in the early 80s, and was his first big break in the running industry.

He always was a runner and realized the need.

It was cheap and practical. We’ve printed for them for 35 years. He is also a longtime friend of Carey Pinkowski, the race director of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.

Q When did you come on board?

A Well, I have five siblings, and we’ve all had

a role in Marathon Sportswear at one point or another. I did a lot for him during high school, and came back more full time as a partner in 2011. It’s been great for me; I’ve really embraced running pretty hardcore since I got back in the business. I’ve ran the Chicago Marathon six 8

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years in a row, and even qualified for Boston last October. My brother Jim Jr. has worked here for maybe 12 years, and my sister Mary Kate for 10.

My dad laid some great foundations for us.

you need, know your budget. Obviously we can help you otherwise, but having a direction is really helpful. We have a great sales staff to help, and we’ll get to know you and your event.

Q The endurance industry is an ever-changing one, how do you keep up?

A We go with the flow of business, and we don’t care if a race has 50 or 15,000 people. We talk with the customer and find out what their needs are, their budget is, and figure out what’s best. With the influx of events, there’s so many more offerings. One big change was the craze of technical shirts in the early 2000’s. In the 80’s, everything was so cotton and boxy, and tech was hard to get as it was expensive material, so the smaller races couldn’t afford it. Now, all of our manufacturers produce it, and the price is down so much, that basically every race offers it.

Another thing is, we don’t just sell t-shirts, we have everything! The big thing you see now in running is the swag bags; Hot Chocolate has the hoodies, and All Community Events has the quarter zips, and all races fight to have the best piece of swag. It’s not just about a t-shirt anymore, because people who race regularly have dozens, so we do it all. We make water bottles, hats, gloves, scarves, and basically anything that can enhance your event, we can accommodate.

It also was a male-dominated sport for a long time, and in the 90’s, women added to the overall numbers. That’s when our manufacturers saw this need, so we added gender specific shirts. Now, every shirt we sell comes in men’s, women’s and youth sizes. We are doing more women’s shirts than unisex now, which is a great compliment to women in the community.

Q What advice do you give to race directors when ordering swag?

A No order is too big or too small; if you only have 30 or 40 people, still come in. We want to grow with you, don’t be intimidated by the process! One thing we have on our website is a quick quote tool to give you a ballpark and choose options. Once you get the feel for what

Q Any secrets to share?

A In recent years, there’s been a big trend of race

directors purchasing swag from overseas, as they think they’ll get a better deal. Truthfully, unless you have a huge sponsored event and you’re ordering tens of thousands of items, going overseas can bite you. You might get a great initial price, but you need to have your numbers at least three months in advance, and if you need to add more numbers or make changes, you’re in trouble.

What I always tell race directors is the way we do things gives you a lot of wiggle room to make sure numbers are right. We can get shirts ready a week or even the day before the event, we actually like the challenge. There’s a benefit of using a local company that’s invested in the running community; we have been here for almost 40 years, and a lot of our staff is active and knows the industry, so we want to be a part of it.

By: Holly Petrovich

Standing at the

Race DiRectoR StaRt Line

By Holly PetrovicH | PHotos By Ali engin

in 2016, 16,957,100 runners crossed a finish line in the United states, according to running UsA, and there were 100 more organized races than the previous year. Despite fluctuation over the years, the sport of running isn’t going anywhere, and runners are still looking for new races to compete in every season. the chicagoland area is flooded with races, with up to 25 during any given summer weekend. While getting a group of people in one area on a particular day to run a set distance sounds simple enough, there’s actually a lot of time and planning that goes into making it successful. if you’re hoping to host next year’s most-talked-about race, there are some key components that three industry experts have shared with us to share with you.

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Build a support team

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City or SuburbS?

The first thing that you need to decide is the location of your race, which all depends on your budget. MaryAgnes Zellmer from Chicago Race Management says a lot of race directors are surprised at how much certain places might cost.

“I get phone calls all the time from people saying they want to have a race at Soldier Field or on the lake, but they don’t realize that Soldier Field costs $11,000, and the Lakefront Path is about $4,000 before insurance,” Zellmer says. “You need a lot of runners to make that happen, so first-time races may struggle with that.”

If you want to host a non-for-profit or charity race, Zellmer says having 200 runners for the first year is typical, which would make the cost-per-runner extremely high in those locations. Instead, she advises looking at the Cook County Forest Preserve website, as they have a list of certified courses in all areas for organizers to choose for cheaper options.

Bob Richards, race director of the 4 on the 4th race in Elmhurst, says he is extremely thankful to have a successful race in the suburbs; with about 1,000 runners each year, he knows he wouldn’t do as well in the city.

For organizations expecting about 5,000 runners or more, downtown Chicago is much more manageable. Alex Bennett with the Rock ‘n Roll Half Marathon says they know they can expect about 20,000 people, and hopes they contribute to the city’s overall economic impact.

“With our Chicago race in July, realistically we’re just a fly on the wall,” Bennett says. “Lollapalooza is always the weekend after us, also in Grant Park, so the city is always preparing the area for big events.”

While there may be more boxes to check to have a city race, Zellmer says it actually is much easier to host a race in Chicago because the Cook County Office of Special Events has a set system in place.

Regardless of the event, obtaining permits in the county is simple and quick.

“Cook has the staff to do it. Counties like Kane, DuPage, Lake and others work out of their city hall, and have one person working on permits only part of the day,” she explains. “It’s just a longer process, a little more stringent.”

Create a timeline

Regardless of where your race will be held, it is imperative to have a strong relationship with the city, and from early on. Even though Richards’ race is in the suburbs, he also relies on the city and their communication to make sure everything is set.

“There was one year the city was repaving the last 600 yards of our course, and they finished it the day before our race,” Richards says. “Our relationship with the city is hugely important, even on a small scale.”

With any location, communicating with those in charge early will only make things easier. Zellmer says that a year to nine months

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A YEAR TO nInE MOnTHS BEFORE THE DESIRED RACE DATE, DIRECTORS SHOuLD obtain permits, check

road construction get insurance AnD get waivers signed SO IT’S SET In PLACE. — SAYS MARYAGnES ZELLMER

before the desired race date, directors should obtain permits, check road construction, and get insurance and waivers signed so it’s set in place.

Bennett says they start promoting the next year’s race at the expo of race weekend. Getting the word out there as soon as possible, and incorporating marketing strategies such as early registration discounts, will give you a good indication of participation numbers to expect. They meet with the city in January, and work with other organizations including the Chicago Area Runners Association to get everything finalized.

For the next two or three months, Zellmer encourages directors focus on their vendors, registration, insurances, equipment and sponsorships, all while maintaining media campaigns.

“If all of the footwork is done upfront, the month leading up to the event is super easy,” Zellmer says. “Then, you just have to focus on packet pickup and the last minute details.”

build a Community

Once you’ve planned out your duties, you need to build a team to help you get everything done. Richards says he has a solid group of about 15 people who focus on specific concepts of the race, and Bennett has nine people who concentrate solely on the logistics of the Chicago race.

“It doesn’t really matter the size of the event you’re putting on, because you still need the same people and components to make it successful,” Bennett says.

At Chicago Race Management, Zellmer says she strongly suggests directors designate committee chairs to create a community; having certain people focus on registration, media, food, shirts, aid stations and the other components will keep it organized.

location is key As for race day, make sure the entire course is covered with volunteers. Having more experienced adults who know the course is crucial especially if something goes wrong, Zellmer says.

community. In fact, Zellmer admits that a lot of race directors forget about tailoring to the runners’ needs, as they are too focused on the charity or other aspects of the event.

“Have more volunteers than you’ll think you’ll ever need,” Zellmer says. “They are the lifeline of the event, and you can’t put it on without them.”

“They are the reason we are here, and we need to take care of them,” Zellmer says.

She also advises to have constant communication with them; if they have all the details and know how to contact you, they will be a lot less likely to bail on their duties last minute.

The big things that runners want when they are looking for a race are certified and well-marked courses, age group awards and chip timing, she shares. They also like water and bananas post-race, and coffee in the morning. All of these are basic pieces to a race, and anything else is an added bonus in a runner’s mind.

Richards says his biggest challenge is finding new ways to appeal to runners to make your event stand out.

“Racing is a changing culture, and especially getting younger runners to sign up for races is difficult,” he says. “It’s not an easy job, but there are a lot of rewards. You need to think about it every day.”

take caRe of youR RunneRs RemembeR the RunneRs

As race day creeps closer, it’s important to always remember the initial motivation for your event was to contribute to the running

Participants can differentiate an event that is made for runners, and one that is created for success; Bennett says that if you’re putting on a race to make money, you’re not doing it for the right reasons, and it probably won’t be successful.

“You can’t teach care; if you care about the sport and what you’re doing, then it’s going to work out,” Bennett says. “If you’re passionate, you’ll find teams and cities who are passionate too.”

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R o t c e R i D e Rac Check List Race Date

• Check for conflicting dates

Race Distance

• 5k? 10K? 1 Mile? Combinat • Certified

• Permits • Insurance

timing company Budget Race committees • Volunteers

• Print Advertising • Social Media • Email Blasts

ion?

Race Site

Marketing/advertising

Sponsorships

Supplies

• Cash Box/Cash • Pens • Credit Card Processing

S.W.a.G.

• T Shirts - Participants - Volunteers • Goody Bags

awards

• Age Group • Finisher Medals

Music/announcer

• Partners

Registration

• Sound System

• Fee • On Line Site • Registration Forms

Water

Rental equipment

contingency Plan

• Tents • Tables/Chairs • Stage • Porta-Johns

Logistics/communication • Staging Area • Course Management • Water Station(s) • Walkie Talkies/Phones

Food

• Weather

Post-Race Follow-Up • Sponsors • Volunteers/Staff • Participants

Whether you’re a first timer or have been putting on races for years, it’s always helpful to have a physical checklist to make sure you have everything for a successful race day. Julie Pearson, from Race Time, compiled a list of must-haves to ensure your race runs smoothly.

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