Runner's World Heartbreak Hill Festival - My first race volunteer experience

An epic weekend offering a 5k, 10k, and half marathon and a beastly challenge of finishing all three in the weekend i.e. the “Hat Trick”.

I had been looking forward to this event since I heard about it last fall.  It is so hard to believe that it has come and gone.  What an amazing weekend!

Can’t run?  Volunteer!

The main focus of the weekend, the Hat Trick challenge – 5k, 10k on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday – would have been right up my alley if I was fully back to running.  Currently, I’m only running a few minutes at a time for 1-1.5 miles so signing up for any races is out of the question.  My running buddy Liza, however, being in top shape, rose to the challenge and signed up right away.  And...after a brief moment of feeling sorry for myself...I decided to volunteer.   

It made the most sense.  1. I wanted to be a part of the weekend and 2. I couldn't run.  It was like eureka!  Volunteer!  

I started emailing earnestly about volunteer opportunities even before anything about volunteers was posted.  Wanted to make sure I was in :)  When it came time to choose shifts, that excitement was still there and I signed up for a 5:30-9am shift on Saturday!

  

I am not a morning person at all -- in fact I like to classify myself as a middle of the day person (I thrive between 10-7)-- but the time flew with the energetic, encouraging atmosphere.  I was assigned the task of "race ambassador" to welcome runners, answer their questions, and point them in the right directions.  It was a blast!  The Runners World staff and race volunteer staff were so helpful and a joy to work with.

Making connections! 

In addition to helping out and making friends with volunteers, I was able to meet up with some Twitter folks who were in town for the event.  @AlanaBonner and @joebarca are two fun-loving followers who are passionate about running and connecting with the running community.  It was a great pleasure to meet up with them and cheer them on at the race.  Runners really are the nicest people!  See some of the photo evidence below and be sure to follow them on Twitter!

Joe and I

Me, Alana, and Liza

Liza finishing strong!

As part of the festival weekend, there were a variety of seminars and movie screenings free to runners and the public.  Liza and I were able to attend a women’s running seminar featuring Shalane Flanagan and some of the editors from Runner’s World.  Here are some of the takeaways from that event which also summed up the spirit of the weekend as a whole:  

     If running is a priority for you, make appropriate time and go for it!

     Getting stronger/better takes work.  Nutrition and balance matter.

     Mantras help.  “Get your head in the game!” 

Runner’s World did a spectacular job with this event! A big shout out to Nicole, the race volunteer coordinator.  She was as busy as a bee that day but still managed to keep a smile on her face.  There was no shortage of encouraging words from her to runners and volunteers alike.  

 It was blessing to meet you, Nicole.  If I’m still on the sidelines next year, you can count me in as part of your 2015 volunteer staff!
 

 

Being injured and away from running stinks.  Volunteering, I find, is a great way to stay near the sport, give back, and feed off the running energy.

This was my first experience volunteering but it will definitely not be my last!

thumbs up from Bart Yasso!

What about you?

Have you ever volunteered for a race?

Was the experience good? Bad? Indifferent?

Have you felt encouraged or helped by other runners?