Welcome to a 4-part series brought to you by Montrail and written by Dr. David Horton, the king of race directors.  Every Wednesday for the next month, Horton will deliver information and valuable know-how on what it takes to be a successful race director.   We’ll start with the preparations, and then go on to talk about the specific things to address leading up to race day.  Week 3 will be all about race day, and week 4 will cover some specific stories and unique happenings that Horton has witnessed.  We welcome your feedback and comments.

RACE  DIRECTING:    FUN—TONS of WORK—REWARDING—STRESSFUL—TIRING—FUN

By David Horton

Have you ever thought about directing a race?   It may look easy on race day to the average runner, but it is NOT.   If you ever direct a race, you will either direct MANY more, or you will never direct another one.   It will either destroy you, or you will get addicted.   It is sort of like running an ultra.  After you do one, you immediately say, “I’ll never do that again.”  And then sometime later, you’ll start planning on when you’ll do your next one.

Directing races is just like that, but more so.   Completing my first ultra (JFK in 1979) was so rewarding.   But directing my first few races was probably more rewarding.   Completing an ultra is difficult, regardless of the length . . . Directing a race is even more difficult.

I have directed 60 ultras.   After each one is over, I think to myself that I don’t want to direct another one.   A few days later, I begin thinking of what I will do different next time.   I make mistakes EVERY race, just different ones each race.

I want to share with you what I think it takes to be a good race director.   I will share with you some of the mistakes I have made and some of the things I think are vital to doing a good job.   I KNOW I will forget some things and, I know you’ll think of things that I should have said or addressed.   I would appreciate any feedback or suggestions you think a race director should or should not do.

1. Race Course: Every person has some special runs in their areas they normally train on.  Is it worthy of developing a race or ultra in that area?  Is it unique, pretty, challenging, flat, rocky, etc.?   Is it private or public?  Stay away from private land and Park Service land if you can.   Use Forest Service land when possible.  The Forest Service believes in multi-use, the Park Service does not.
2. Naming the Race: Picking a good name is very important.  Names like Hardrock, the Death Race, Badwater, Hellgate, and the Masochist, conjure up images of pain and agony and suffering . . . what every runner likes.  When we started the Masochist, we had difficulty thinking of the appropriate name.  My wife said I should call it the “Masochist” because you all are just a bunch of masochists anyway.  She was and is right.  Folks that know that I teach at Liberty University, a Christian university, often ask me why I named one on my races, Hellgate.  Simple . . . Hellgate starts at the Big Hellgate Parking lot next to Big Hellgate Creek.  Names can have an effect on the success of the race.
3. Type of Course: Do you have a loop course, out and back, or a point-to-point course?   Runners prefer a point-to-point course in most cases.  Of the four events that I started in the Lynchburg area, the Holiday Lake is a double-loop course, the Promise Land is a loop course, and the Masochist and Hellgate are point-to-point courses.  I think each one is appropriate for the terrain in those areas.
4. Race Distance: The most popular distance now is a 50K.  In the past it was 50 miles.  You can usually have more runners with a 50K than 50 miles.  The same thing is true in road races.  The most popular distance now is a 5K where it used to be a 10K.  Runners as a whole are softer and more are sissies now than they use to be.
5. Measuring the Course: How important is it to make sure the course is accurately measured to a 50K or 50 miles?   Not very, just make sure it is not short.  If a trail length is 32 or 33 miles and it takes you from the point you want to start at and the point you want to finish, let it be and call it a 50K.  Of the four events I started here in Lynchburg, all of them are relatively close to the advertised distance, maybe a little more . . . HORTON MILES?  But everyone runs the same course.
6. Picking the Date: This can be an extremely difficult challenge.   You have to consider other ultras and big road races held in or close to your area.  It is a major error to schedule an ultra on the same day that another ultra is held in your immediate area.  If there is a big 5K or 10K going on your town, you should not hold an ultra that day.  Many runners might be helpers or participants in your event if the dates do not conflict.
7. Weather: Typically, what is the weather for that time of the year?  Would it prevent you from holding the event?   Having an ultra in December is almost impossible in Colorado.  Having an event in mid December in Florida is very realistic.  Having an event in mid December in Virginia is questionable, except for Hellgate?   Weather helped it to live up to its name in past years.
8. Number of Entrants: How many runners do you want?   In most places, the Forest Service will limit the number of runners you can have, at the most, it is usually 300 to 400 runners.  You may want to limit it to even less than that because of your pre- and post-race locations, parking at the start/finish, accessibility for aid station workers, and safety.  When I first started the Masochist, my goal was for it to someday be as big as the JFK 50.  However, once it got to around 300 runners, I saw that the work involved in directing the event was increasing substantially.  You also lose the intimacy of the event.  I like the atmosphere of the Hardrock 100 much better than the Western States 100.  HR has 140 runners and WS has around 400 runners.
9. Make the Race an EVENT:  I believe in making the race an event.  How do you do that?  I believe in having a pre-race meal and a post-race meal.  What do you like best about an ultra?  Talking with the runners before and after the race is so special.  Ultras that do not do this, are like road races where you come in on the morning of the event, run the race, and go home.  I personally love the fellowship of ultras.  If runners have a good experience, they are more apt to come back year after year.  I hate the course for JFK, but I have completed it 18 times.  I have a good time before and after the race with friends.
10. Race Director: Who should be the race director?  Should you have a board or committee?   Should you have an assistant race director?  I think that every race director should be an ultra runner.  Who best to know what ultra runners like and want in a run, and they can understand runners much better than someone who has never run an ultra.  I guess it would be okay to have an assistant race director and a committee.   However if the committee is big, it may be difficult to make decisions.  I have never had an assistant race director or a committee.   I bounce ideas off my wife and running friends, then I MAKE the decision that I think is best.  I probably don’t delegate enough.

To be continued…check in next week for the rest of Horton’s list of what it takes to successfully direct an ultramarathon.

Tagged as: david horton, ultrarunning