October 2007

President’s Column – October 2007 The most challenging, nerve racking task for race directors is recruiting volunteers Volunteers are essential to have any race… often required by police to have marshals at intersections… required for safety of runners… required to give runners a chance to do their best required to keep races affordable, races entry would cost many times more than current fees were it not for volunteers… registration, road marshals, aid stations, post race massages and so on. Unsung heroes of running… first line of emergency response at races… depend on them to identify runners in difficulty, make the call for emergency medical technicians, when necessary, apply CPR or other first aid Yet, how many of us have volunteered at a race this year?  Volunteer at your favorite race whenever your training or injuries won’t permit you to run.  Volunteer at races for your favorite charity when you don’t care to run yet another 5K.  Want to see a particular type of race be successful and continue year after year… volunteer at the race. There’s little recognition for volunteers… the rewards are mostly intangible… sure the volunteer may get another t-shirt… purpose of the t-shirt is mostly to make it possible for runners to identify volunteers at the race… mostly the reward is a heartfelt thank you from the race director and appreciation and cooperation from the runners. The GRTC is bringing back an Annual Volunteer of the Year Award.  One or more volunteers will be recognized for their contributions to the Rochester Running Community.  The award will be presented at the Annual Banquet in January.  Details of the selection procedure will be announced on the GRTC web site and in the November issue of Keep Track. Nominations for Volunteer of the Year may be sent to any board member.  Please include a brief description of the volunteer service, whether it is a single incident or a long term contribution.   Tom Perry October 2007