Finish Line excitement

[DawnGeers]

We have 900+ 5k participants. Summer event, with an apple theme. Looking for creative ways to have a great finish line area. We do have music and great food. Need ideas on what runners really appreciate or suggestions on what you're already doing. I've managed to find a sponsor to donate $500 toward this.

(Loved the idea posted about having guys in tuxedo's passing out roses at a Mother's Day event...very cool).

Thanks, Dawn

[JimG]

A live band is good - sometimes you can get pretty decent local groups to play cheaply.

I'm becoming less and less enamored of radio station DJs - they tend to play too loud, and not the best selection. Besides, most runners have their own music on iPods now (see related post).

[CUCB RD]

Seems like the apple theme offers some good potential - everything from caramel apples, to bobbing for apples, to guessing how many apples are in a large container, to giving apple cider at the aid stations.

[DawnGeers]

Thanks for the input.

Well, at least I'm heading in the right direction. Race packets include a caramel apple, apple juice box, apple sauce cup and we send them home with 1/2 gallon apple cider, and of course offer apple juice, apples, apple cookies and other stuff at the post race. Thanks for the idea about tying in some type of apple game in there. While waiting for results, we have an apple pie eating contest. Big hoot to watch!

We have hired a local DJ (not from a radio station) in the past but I'm thinking a live band might be a pretty cool thing.

Anyway, if there are any ideas of what to offer to finishers immediately after they finish or cooling down time, or basic finish line excitement...please email me dawn@applerun.org

Thanks! Dawn

[JamesM]

I prefer not to have too much extra noise at or arround the finish. People are exausted after running and don't need forced hipe. If you have to have music make it mellow. I think with that sort of number, the chears of family and congratulations of peers is all the natural exubance you need.

While the race is going on the prize table is gotten ready for action. Have the awards well orgnized and ready to give out. This is inportant, be ready to do the results as soon as they are finished.

We have two kids races, a short one for the munchkins and a mile for the 5 to 13 range. They happen on time, even if the last person has not yet finished the 5K race. Race start at 7.00 kids race at around 7:50 and we start prize giving at 8:00, more or less on the dot.

Runners appricate prompt results and prize givings. GET ON WITH IT !! The number one complaint is waiting around for results and waiting around for prize giving.

Post pliminarly results as soon as possible and then do prize giving as soon as you can.

The best excitement you can have is a well oiled and fast moving event. You only need hype if you have big time gaps to fill.

Cut to the chase, have a good MC read the results as soon as posible. The MC should prefrably be some one from the local running community because they may know how to pronouce the names of your top local runners.

We read them quickly, and each age group comes up at once. So if prizes are 5 deep, all 5, 5th through 1st are read out, they all come up at once.

We have a system where we have 5 people giving out prizes, each has a large star hung around their neck. Each star is marked 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. The winner walks up to the person giving out the 1st place, the place person waks up to the person wearing star 2dn. It sounds complicated but works fine. This way you have 5 people giving out prizes at a time. Parrellel processing.

If you are good, you can start the race at 7:00, start prize giving at 8:00 and by 9:00 have the people gone home happy and be in the last stages of cleenup mode. By 9:30 the stuff is all taken down and packed away and by 10:00 am you can head out to your local diner for breakfast. Our club feeds the volinteers who were their to setup and worked through the end. After race breakfast is our time for post race analysis and review of the humorous parts.

[JamesM]

OH, for finish line exciement. Have some one who knows the local runners by sight anounce them as they approch the finish.

Or work with the timing company to have an anouncement mat placed some 300' down the course. It records the runners chip, looks them up in the data base and displays their bib number and name to the finish line anouncer. This option may cost more, and may not be worth it from a cost point of vew, but if you can afford it then it enhances the finish line experance for both the runner and the spectators.