Operations 

The 2022 Running USA Global Survey found that 16% of respondents consider the medal or finisher award when choosing a race. Sure, the main concern is the distance and course, race location, and if their friends are doing it, but runners are also all about the bling.

A “set and forget” attitude about course certification is understandable. But even the largest and most important races can make mistakes in this important area.

Even as your runners celebrate finishing their big day, your work as a race director isn’t over yet. A start line can be as simple or as complicated as the size of your race dictates, but the finish is usually a lot more elaborate.

For Marcel Altenburg, a leading crowd scientist at Manchester Metropolitan University, who’s worked with all the biggest sporting events in the world, the start of a race is the most important time of the whole day.