Well, that was fun, right? And exhausting.
And we ran out of volunteer shirts. How did that happen? Because come race day, volunteers poured out from the community. More than we’ve ever had.
Paine to Pain was a huge success because of you. You. You did it. Time and again the runners told me how wonderful our volunteers were. Helpful. Smiling. Making sure stuff happened.
I say this every year and I say it again: This race doesn’t happen without volunteers.
You guys are it.
The race has lots of moving parts, no pun intended. But when things needed to get done, you just did them. I only found out later.
I did my best to meet and greet so that runners would have a great time, and you guys did all the hard work while I once again stood up there and got the credit as if it were possible for one person to do it all. It isn’t, and I didn’t. We all did it together.
Anyone can come up with plans. But it’s the execution of those plans that takes work. And you executed.
Here’s my annual review of the various “jobs” that we had to take care of. While my recap of the race has the look and feel of the runner’s perspective, this is what “backstage” of Paine to Pain looks like:
Updating web site
Designing shirt
Distributing shirts
Designing medal
Distributing medals
Planting/removing signs
Online registration
Creating covid policy
Vaccination checks
Bike marshals for Broadview
Setting up start/finish line banners
Ordering tents, tables and chairs (start and finish)
Placing tents and tables
Shopping for start/finish line goods
Manning intersections
Organizing close to 200 volunteers
Data analysis to determine in August how many will show in October
Wave assignments
Bib distribution
Creating income statement
Writing checks / tracking invoices/payments
Finding restaurants to donate food
Getting that food to the finish
Ordering water/additional food/utensils/cups/plates for finish
Feeding people / staffing food stations
Manning three aid stations (and arranging water for them)
Medical coverage for three aid stations and finish line
Finding and coordinating sponsors
Firing muskets and establishing colonial theme
Music – start line and finish
Establishing massage stations
Securing and transporting baggage
Maintaining email list and sending out mass emails
Laying out, and then sweeping ~500 flags
Supervising cheerleaders
Announcing arriving runners to the finish
Obtaining permits
Obtaining insurance for every municipality and sponsor
Coordinating four police departments
Coordinating parking
Race day communications via ham radio
Finalizing results and fixing scoring errors
Clean-up and pack-up at the end.
That’s a lot! It’s pretty remarkable for an all-volunteer running club!
All of your effort shows. Year after year the glowing reviews come in that you guys nailed the execution of the race, and each year we exceed the stellar reviews of prior ones. I’m not sure how you top A+, but you managed. it. Again. It’s the volunteers that turn a mere footrace into a piece of performance art.
It. Doesn’t. Happen. Without. You.
There. I said it again.
–Eric