HOW TO PLAN A

MARATHON
20 STEPS FOR 26.2 RACE DIRECTORS
HOW TO PLAN A MARATHON

ENDURANCE

Always had a passion for running? Want to help hundreds (if not thousands) of people
get fit? Or maybe you just like the feel of simultaneously wielding a bullhorn and an
airhorn? Whatever your reasons for deciding to plan a marathon, you have chosen a
noble but challenging task. To help you get started, here are 20 steps you need to
take to plan your 26.2.

1. Pick a date
2. Select a location & course
3. Plan a budget
4. Obtain permits
5. Get insurance
6. Start marketing
7. Open online registration
8. Find sponsors
9. Recruit volunteers
10. Partner with a charity
11. Hire an event timing company
12. Order bibs
13. Choose finishers’ medals and awards
14. Run the course yourself
15. Organize the expo
16. Set up on race day
17. Clean up
18. Post results
19. Collect feedback
20. Start planning for next year

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1. Pick a Date
We recommend choosing a date at least one year in advance. There are a million
tiny details and you’ll need the time to make sure your inaugural event is flawlessly
executed. Also, make sure to check event directories like ACTIVE.com for other local
events on the weekend you are planning to hold your marathon. Whether there’s a big
conference in town that will crowd hotel rooms or another race happening, you don’t
want to compete with rival events for your first marathon.
Don’t forget to consider the season as well. Avoid hot summer months—cool, mild
weather is optimal for marathons.

2. Select a Location & Course

Most first-time event organizers choose to host the race in their hometown because it
is familiar. Wherever you choose to host your event, make sure you know the city like
the back of your hand—it will be easier for you to select a course and work with city
officials.
Plotting a course over 26 miles of perfect running ground isn’t easy. Look for roads
that are picturesque, lightly trafficked and, unless you are targeting hard-core athletes,
flat. A beautiful, fast course is easier to promote to participants. Also, make sure
there are parking lots and public transportation options so people can easily access
your event.
Once you have a route sketched out, you’ll need to have the course certified by
USA Track and Field (USATF), the national governing body of track and field sports.
Having a certified course isn’t mandatory, but it is very important to serious runners
and something we recommend. Also, USATF provides you with participant insurance,
which is critical (see #5).
Still not sure where to start? Do some research and find a route that has been used by
a similar race. You can take pieces of it or perhaps just use the same course, saving
you the effort of starting from scratch and marking off distances.
Suggestion: Offer a half marathon, 10K or 5K version of your course to attract more
participants. This may not be something you want to do your first year, but it will
dramatically expand your participant base.

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3. Plan a Budget
Event organizers don’t get into the business to become millionaires. Planning a
marathon is a labor of love and most organizers are just looking to break even
or perhaps fundraise for a charity. The bottom line is that you can’t afford to lose
money, so you need to budget everything you can think of from the outset. Here are
examples of a few of the items you’ll need to include in your budget:

+ Administrative costs + Start & finish line announcers

+ Marketing (online & print ads, + Course digital clocks & mile markers
flyers, radio, etc) + Bib numbers
+ T-shirts + Age group awards
+ Medals + Trash cans & porto-potties
+ Start & finish line banners + Event permits
+ Water & refreshments + Police, fire, EMTs

Once you outline all of your costs, set a goal for the number of participants you’d like
to register in your first year. It’s important to be realistic here—it will be disappointing
and expensive if you expect 1,000 runners and you get 100, so be thoughtful with
your goals and make sure that they tie into how much you’ve budgeted. Dave Camire,
senior editor at CoolRunning.com, puts it in perspective by saying, “All you really need
is two people to compete. Two people and it’s a race. You’re up and running.”
Once you’ve set your budget and your registration goals, you’ll be able to back into a
price for your marathon. If you really want to do your homework, take a look at other
successful marathons to get an idea of what you should be budgeting for and the
average price for an entry.

Suggestion: Results from Running USA’s 2013 National Runner Survey suggest that, for
serious runners, distance and chip timing are the most important factors in establishing
the value of an event. Also, cost is #5 on the list of reasons people decide to participate in
an event (behind date, location, distance, and fun). What we can extrapolate is that price
sensitivity varies and there are ways you can boost your revenue without charging more for
your event. You can learn more in this article: “Event Pricing Strategies that Make a Big
Impact on Revenue.”

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4. Obtain Permits
Getting permits is a time consuming process and one of the reasons we recommend
giving yourself one year to plan your marathon. Once you have your date, location and
budget sorted out, contact city officials to ask about what approvals you need. Most
likely, you’ll need approval for everything from road closures to noise permits. You’ll
need support and approvals from law enforcement and the fire department as well.
It’s crucial to start applying for permits as early in the process as possible because
a delay in approval could affect the intended date of your race. The city may also
pose objections for a variety of reasons, so if you start this process early you can
collaborate and finalize the course and event details before you begin marketing
your event.
Also, many cities and event insurance companies (see #5) require you to have a
medical emergency plan to receive approvals and permits. It’s a smart move regardless
and essential for all race directors to put in place.
Learn more about emergency preparedness by watching our “Medical Support
Planning for Events” webinar.

5. Get Insurance
Just like your house, car and person, your event needs insurance to protect you from
the worst-case scenarios. USATF will provide you with participant liability insurance, but
you need a high risk insurer to protect your company as well. High risk event insurers
work with marathons as well as other special events like circuses and concerts.

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6. Start Marketing
Your course is set, your permits and insurance are secured…now it’s time to get the
word out about your event. The internet will be your number one promotional tool
because it offers you the most affordable and viral promotional options. Here are a
few marketing channels you can start with:
+ Race website – Having a race website makes it easy for people to find you online
and provides one easily accessed place for all of your info.
+ Social media – Creating a Facebook page and Twitter handle for your event will
exponentially increase your reach and exposure.
+ ACTIVE.com free listing – Posting your event on ACTIVE.com gives you free expo-
sure to the millions of monthly visitors who search the site for races and events.
+ Emails – Sending tailored emails to your network of friends and coworkers will help
spread the word. You can also try some trade advertising with other local events and
ask them to send an email to their past participants promoting your marathon.
+ Instant Ads – Advertising on a tight budget is possible. Instant Ads is pay-per-click
advertising that gives you premium placement in ACTIVE.com search results and
e-newsletters at a price you set.
+ Flyers – Distributing flyers at local gyms, recreation centers, and events is an offline
marketing tactic that will be sure to give your registration numbers a little boost—
especially if you add a QR code that will instantly link someone to your registration
page from a smartphone.
Suggestion: Ask your race management software provider if they offer a QR code
generator. Some systems, such as ACTIVE Works, make it easy on you by includ-
ing this tool as part of their functionality.
+ Newspaper & magazine ads – Buying advertisements (if you can afford it) or nego-
tiating trade deals (e.g. a free race entry for a free ad) in these two types of periodi-
cals may not be as targeted as some of the other channels, but will help you reach a
wider variety of people. And same with the previous point, don’t forget to add a QR
code that will link readers directly to your online registration form.
In all of your marketing, be sure to include your marathon’s name, date, location, and
website URL.

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7. Open Online Registration

A paper registration method isn’t bad, but it’s a web-based world and it’s essential to
offer online registration as well. Online registration will save you hours and hours
of data entry work and is the most convenient and secure way for your participants
to register. Not to mention you’ll also speed up and streamline communication to
participants and enable quicker social sharing of your event

Your online registration provider should be able to offer you three main things. First,
people should be able to access registration directly from your event’s website with
the click of a button. Secondly, you should be able to customize the registration form
to collect exactly the information you need. Finally, the information and payments
should be automatically and securely processed, and you should expect nothing less
than PCI Level 1 compliance.
+ Race Day Registration – The number of runners who are able to simply show up
and run a marathon aren’t many, but you will get a few. At the very least, you will be
checking in some registrants who didn’t pick up their bibs prior to race morning, so
be sure to have a system in place for this. You can set up a laptop station, or for a
faster, mobile version, use ACTIVE.com On-Site to lower your race day stress levels
and offer secure credit card payment!

8. Find Sponsors

Hunting down sponsors is a step that you can really take at any point in your marathon
planning process, but you should definitely be on the lookout once registration for
your event is open. Local groups and businesses are the best place to start for
sponsorships and it’s standard to ask either for straight cash or for giveaways.
As a first-time marathon organizer, it might be unrealistic to go after huge sponsors
and ask for a large amount of money, but you can start by asking sponsors to chip
in for race supplies. For example, a local business could fund the race t-shirts in
exchange for logo placement on the shirts. Or, a grocery store could donate finish line
refreshments like sports drinks and power bars and get their banners hung along the
fencing. Here are some tips for finding sponsors:
+ If you see teams signing up, ask if they work for a company that would like to
sponsor the event
+ Post a sponsorship page on your website with details for companies
+ Attend networking events to make connections
+ Send out emails to your contact list
+ Visit local businesses

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9. Recruit Volunteers

With a start line, finish line, and 26+ miles of course to manage, you’re going to need
help. For your first marathon, overprepare and recruit as many volunteers as possible—
to be safe, we recommend recruiting 1 volunteer per every 10 participants you
expect on race day. That may be more than you need, but you can always adjust for
the following year’s event.
Every place participants “check in” will need volunteers—this includes packet pickup,
registration, water & aid stations, finish line chutes, refreshment areas, and more. For
easy identification, volunteers should all wear the same t-shirt or uniform to easily
identify them. Assign volunteer captains for each area and provide them with walkie-
talkies so they can communicate with you and each other.
Where do you find all of these helpful souls? Check with local schools, churches,
businesses, and volunteer groups. Many people regularly volunteer time and others
need to submit a certain number of volunteer hours to their schools or organizations.
Also, be sure to post a link on your website to sign up to volunteer and you can also
do social media posts requesting help.
View the “Recruit, Manage & Appreciate Your Volunteers” webinar.

10. Partner with a Charity

Do you have a cause that’s close to your heart? Or is there a local organization that
could use your support? A charity partnership can be structured in a variety of ways,
but we do recommend getting a charity involved in your event because it has proven
to help increase registration numbers.
Cause-related participation in endurance sports has risen dramatically over the
past decade. People are drawn to events that allow them to act charitably, whether it’s
the entire focus of an event—like the Susan G. Komen 3-Day—or a participant is simply
given an option to donate to a charity partner during their registration process.
If you’re not sure where to start, check out this article on charity partnerships, which
includes a webinar and customizable charity partnership template.

11. Hire an Event Timing Company

It’s important for your participants to have accurate split and finish times. There are
lots of timing companies who provide chip timing, ChampionChip and Winning Time
USA being the most popular systems. Google marathon timing companies and ask
other race directors for their advice—they are the ones who can give you the best
insight into the most reputable businesses.
Suggestion: Look for a timing company that also provides mobile real-time splits
and results to capitalize on the smartphone obsession! If you’re not sure where to
start looking, check out our list of trusted preferred providers.

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12. Order Bibs

Order your race numbers early and order more than you think you need. At packet
pickup and on race day, make sure you have plenty of safety pins handy for
participants.

13. Choose Finishers’ Medals & Awards

Finishers’ medals are extremely important! Runners see them as a source of pride and
collect them, which can be a great way to spread word of mouth for your marathon.
Choose a medal design that reflects your event’s brand and is unique—the more
unique, the better. Participants will often sign up for an event simply to get a cool
medal.
Also, marathons have awards for age group and overall winners. These can range
from cash prizes to schwag like sports apparel. Your budget may limit you, but this
is where you can work with sponsors to put together some awards that will attract
serious runners to your event.

14. Run the Course Yourself

No one is going to have as much eye for detail and personal investment in the
marathon as you do. Well before race day, run, bike, or even walk the course yourself
to get a first-hand look at what your participants will be experiencing. There may be
small details you hadn’t thought of that need to be handled.

15. Organize the Expo

Marathon expos are usually held for one to two days immediately prior to race day.
The primary function of the expo is to provide a place for participants to pick up their
bibs, timing chips and goodie bags, but it is also a revenue channel for events. Selling
expo booth space can generate additional money for your marathon. We recommend
including expo vendors that are a good fit for your event (e.g. health and fitness
related) to ensure the best experience for both participants and vendors.
For more info, read 5 Tips for a Better Expo.

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16. Set Up on Race Day

There are a million little details to remember and manage on race day, but here are
the basics:
+ Start/Finish Line
– Build a huge arch of balloons or some type of grandiose display at both the start
and finish lines, creating excitement for participants and great marketing photos
for you
– Hang sponsor banners along start and finish line chutes
– Check to make sure all electrical appliances are working
– Get the DJ/MC in place and start warming up the crowd
– Set up refreshment stations
+ Course
– Put out mile markers, course clocks, directional arrows, and timing mats (at the
split distances)
– Set up water and aid stations at the predetermined locations and make sure all
volunteers are in place
– Set up porto-potties along the course
– Make sure all areas with metered or rerouted traffic are operating correctly and
manned by official personnel

17. Clean Up

This may seem obvious, but all areas of the marathon should be cleaned and left in
pristine condition after the event. Utilize your volunteers to pack up equipment, take
down fencing, pick up trash, etc. It’s very important to do a good job with clean up
so the business- and homeowners along your course don’t complain to city officials,
which can create permitting problems for you in successive years.

18. Post Results

Your runners will be anxiously waiting for them, so get your results posted online
as soon as they are available from the timer. A “Results” section should be part of
your website navigation and you may want to add a prominent link on the homepage
immediately post-event as well. On your Results webpage, post a clear statement
of when the results will be ready. Once they’re live, send an email to all registered
participants (and be sure your website server is prepared for the extra traffic!).
Some events also provide mobile access to split times and results. This is typically an
app that automatically sends notifications of a runner’s time at each split and the finish
line. This feature is extremely popular due to the prolific use of smartphones, so ask
your timer or registration provider if they offer it.

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19. Collect Feedback

While it’s still fresh in their minds, it’s important to collect feedback from volunteers and
participants. They will have insight into details that you may not and it will only help
you improve on next year’s event. There are several free online options you can use
to send surveys and collect feedback.

20. Start Planning for Next Year

Don’t put your feet up yet…at a minimum, book your date and location for next
year to secure it with city officials. Send thank you notes to runners, sponsors and
volunteers and make sure you keep in contact with them over the next year. You can
also consider opening registration for next year’s event at the post-race party of
your event that just finished—use a mobile app like ACTIVE On-Site to quickly collect
registrations and payments, getting a jump start on the upcoming year!

EXTRA CREDIT
If you think you have the basics down, explore these resources for ideas on
how to take your event to the next level:
+ Check out this 3-minute video on the Electric Run for inspiration on how
you can incorporate innovative ideas to create a truly memorable event
experience for participants.
+ Read about 7 trends in endurance participation for ideas on how to make
your event more successful.
+ Watch this webinar on “The Fundraising Formula” and learn from an
industry veteran how to get the most out of charity partnerships.
+ Read “Event Pricing Strategies that Make a Big Impact on Revenue”
to learn how to increase your cash flow without impacting participants’
pocketbooks.
+ Get more exposure and more bang for your marketing buck by working
with ACTIVE’s Marketing Services to target active people with high rates of
event participation.

LEARN MORE
Talk to a real person at ACTIVE who can help you put all these suggestions on
marathon management, registration, marketing & more into practice:
ACTIVE Endurance

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888.543.7223
ACTIVEendurance@ACTIVEnetwork.com
ACTIVEendurance.com