I just finished volunteering at the inaugural Phoenix Marathon. It was very inspirational and a great experience, I am really glad I decided to participate. I have run in several events, but only have volunteered in a couple. I anticipate volunteering much more, my goal is to volunteer at least as much as I race. I would like to take on more of a leadership role, I am not ready for the captain, but I could do more to help coordinate certain areas to help them run more smoothly. I would also like to spend more time talking with the other volunteers and getting to know them.
Volunteering at the finish line is a great way to see the emotions, the crying, the hugging, the high fives. Sometimes, I wish I was more passionate, where I could be the excited hype man for these people. But I definitely got emotional. I teared up a few times, and I wasn’t even doing it, and I don’t know these people. I really like the way running brings people together. Everybody is happy for everybody, regardless of the time or distance run.
My first experience volunteering at a race was the final Ironman Arizona. Last month was the final time Ironman Arizona will be run, a couple years earlier, they discontinued the Ironman Arizona 70.3. I am not sure why, but it looks like I may be travelling when I get to complete an Ironman event. I had to take this opportunity to see one first as it could be my last easy chance to get involved.
I chose the Phoenix Marathon in a similar light, it’s the inaugural event, I thouroughly enjoyed running in the Mesa (Half) Marathon so I wanted to participate and support Phoenix as well, though I am targeting another race so wasn’t ready to run it and not in shape to meet the cutoff.
I volunteered at the finish line to help however is needed. The races (10k, Half Marathon and Marathon) started around 7:00 AM, so I chose the later 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM slot so I could see the end of the each event, the real people, which is important to me. I do like the way they lined up the races because we stayed steady with the 10K runners and the half marathoners before even the fastest marathoners finished.
I specifically was stationed to help with the hydration, something I focused on at Ironman as well. We had stock tanks full of bottles of water, containers of chocolate milk and of course ice. The chocolate milk was an interesting addition, I’ve heard it works similar to protein drinks, though after a long hot run, I wasn’t sure it was the best idea. Interestingly enough, about half the people I offered thought it was the best idea ever, the other half, the worst.
I met some good volunteers and saw some good runners that I wish I would have talked to a little more. The finish line is a really inspirational place to be, you don’t miss any of the action and there’s plenty to do including medals, towels, refreshments, snacks and directing traffic. I got emotional several times.
I do think it should be my goal that for every event I run, I volunteer in one. I do it to support the events but if I can use it for credit towards a registration, that’s even better. The coordinator made a comment about a discount next year for volunteering, which I think is cool. It takes a lot of help to put on these events. It seems to be about one volunteer for every one or two participants, and I think that’s a great way to give back a little bit.
One of my concerns, and the reason I waited so long to volunteer, was the shirts not fitting. Are they a little snug for me? Yes. But can I wear them and not look like Chris Farley in a little coat? Yes. I was able to get a 3X here. I got a 2X at Ironman and they both fit me okay, for comparison sake, I typically wear 4X shirts and I’m on the cusp of 3X.
I definitely like volunteering at the finish line. I was able to find different things to keep me busy, some handing out refreshments, especially towards the end but mostly supported the team by keeping the water and chocolate milk stocked and taking care of boxes. Nobody was taking care of boxes, the first shift was practically tripping on them. So I made myself work on that, got it all cleaned up. After that, they kept it running, and I think it worked pretty well. It was much easier to clean up.
If you’re thinking about it or even on the fence, I highly recommend you give volunteering a try. In a large city like Phoenix, there are events happening all over, all the time, throughout the year. In smaller cities or places with weather, it may be a bit more limited, but I’m certain you can find something. It’s a great chance to see the best of these events and give back a bit to the community. It’s also a great way to be there so you know what to expect when you run that event or a similar one and if it helps you with a future registration fee, that’s even better.