Of course the Glass City Marathon wouldn’t be anything without it’s runners, but what about all of the people it takes to get those runners out on the course? I’m talking about the volunteers! The Glass City Marathon is a big event, and it needs lots of people to make it the well oiled machine it is. In fact, it takes over 1,000 volunteers to orchestrate and support the Glass City Marathon events!! Remember, there is the 5K, half marathon, full marathon, relay AND the kid’s race. Glass City has it all! Not to mention the awesome party at the finish line.
What, you aren’t running? For those of you who might be able to help on race day, there are MANY positions available. Here are a couple:
Race day packet pickup – There will be some runners that just can’t make it to the pick up at the expo on Saturday, so there is a need for people to man the tables handing out bibs pre-race on Sunday morning.
Start Line Corral Assignments – They need experienced runners who are not running, to help with the start line corral assignments. Make sure people are where they need to be. There’s nothing worse than having to weave around runners who aren’t in the right corral based on their pace!
Course marshals – Be the person to help the runners along the course. You will be right in the thick of the race as a marshal, making sure no turns are missed, and everyone is heading the right direction.
Your commitment to the race could be as big as the whole race day, or a block of time that fits in with your schedule. Trust me, if you have time, they can use your help!!
Go to this signup page to get details on all of the opportunities available.
If you are at the expo on Saturday morning, stop by and visit me and the other Glass City Race Ambassadors. We are always a helpful crew at the Information Table!
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Q: Have you ever volunteered at a race?
Yes! I’ve worked bib pickup, water stop, and course marshal (not at the same race!!). I think it’s just as fun as racing!
Q: Dream volunteer job – starting the runners, cheering them on, or putting a medal on at the finish line?
My running club is in charge of the second aid station at the Chicago Marathon every year. Enormous undertaking that requires 300 volunteers for just our aid station. We start planning for it in August and race day morning is always nerve wracking worrying about the weather and logistics. It always amazes me how we go from a busy 4-lane street through the heart of Chicago at 4:00am to 3 blocks of tables with cups stacked 4 high full of Gatorade and water poured by 7:00am. I have volunteered at the Boston Marathon 3 times and going back again this year. I would love to be one of the volunteers that drops the rope for the First Wave of the Boston Marathon but that job goes to volunteers who have been there forever!
Helping out at a huge race like Chicago, and Boston, would be really cool!! Seeing all of those elites would be a really awesome opportunity too if you were able to drop the rope at Boston. I didn’t really think about that one!
Omg I would love to place medals around runners’ necks!
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I think that would be a very emotional job for sure!! I remember one race I felt like I was going to puke so I just grabbed my medal before they put it around my neck. So rude of me!! I did see that those were one of the first volunteer positions to be filled up for GCM already!
Oh….. I think volunteering would be so much fun….. I’d like to man a water station!!! Or work the expo!!! 😄
This looks like such a great race! If I could fit it in, I would hop a plane to Ohio!!!!
It was a lot of run working at the expo – got to see my friends, and make new friends!! A lot of excitement from both seasoned runners, but especially those running their first race.
I would DEFINITELY volunteer if I lived in Ohio! I think I’ll feel the euphoria of the race just like if was running it:)
If you haven’t volunteered a race before, you should! It really makes you want to hop in there and run too!!
I always thought it would be fun to hand out medals at the end of a race, but then I remember how sweaty, stinky, and gross I am after a marathon. So yeah….fluid stop!
haha! What about those people who get really excited at the end and give you a big hug? 😉