Race Directors – Stewards of the sport

I’m a new race director in the sport of ultrarunning.   I never envisioned that I would be a race director and never really sought after doing it, but as I wanted to share the experience of ultrarunning with others, I eventually took the plunge and started to direct a race.  However, I did not just jump into it, I did it after serving several years in an “internship” helping and watching a race director who I think is one of the best in our sport.  Still, I feel like a rookie race director and I’m still learning.  

The sport of ultrarunning is unique in that it has no governing body looking over it.  Some may believe the USA Track and Field organization (USATF) does, but in reality this body doesn’t even understand the sport and in recent years seems to get in the way more than help.  They try to anoint national championships that are largely just ignored by the mainstream competitors of the sport.

So without a true governing body, race directors can have an enormous impact on the sport.  In recent years, there has been an explosive growth in the number of ultramarathons and thus an explosion of the number of race directors who are impacting the sport.  Thankfully, the vast majority of these race directors are ultrarunners or have experienced ultrarunners on their committees and are being careful to provide what is expected and maintain a level of uniformity.

However, I have been noticing exceptions.  Biases of individual race directors can easily creep in.  New rules or bans can be introduced, and at times if they aren’t careful, race directors can start making themselves “bigger” than the sport.   Race directors can also try to make their own race bigger than the sport.  Without a governing body, extreme care must be taken and the sport as a whole needs to speak up and not be afraid to confront issues.

Here’s a simple example outside of ultrarunning, but related to race directing.  Recently there has been an explosion of road races across the country, especially 5Ks and 10Ks.  People have discovered that these events can be easy ways to race funds for various causes.  Locally, I have noticed that the race directors are not being careful to maintain the integrity of the sport.  They are more interested in having lots of people sign up and hand over money.  We have had several cases recently in big races where the courses were not even close to the distance being advertized, usually much shorter than the required distance.  At one huge 10K last year, that was really a 9K, the RD brushed aside the complaints with a statement of, “Everyone should be happy today because they get a PR.”  A simple example how without care, an RD can have a negative impact on the sport.

The vast majority of race directors work tirelessly, doing a true labor of love, and people have no idea what pains they have to go through to pull off a race.  And then they still have to put up with grief.  One example.  In my race, I tried to implement a rule that is pretty standard across ultras.   If you enter a race with one distance (100 miles) but do not complete that distance, it is a DNF.  You cannot get credit or an award for a shorter distance (50 miles).  Despite trying to make that rule perfectly clear, one runner who quit after 50 miles, sent me several angry emails after that race, demanding that I list him as a 50-mile finisher even though he DNFed the 100-mile race.  He explained that he didn’t want to have a DNF on his ultrarunning resume and to this day I know he blames me for that.  Race Directors need to have very thick skins and must understand that they have a role to protect the integrity of the sport.

One polarizing issue that race directors have recently been faced with is the use of headphones and music during races.  Ultramarathons are very long running events and many, many runners enjoy passing some of the time listening to music.  However, many runners have a clear bias against running with music, citing reasons such as: runners not yielding, runners not appreciating nature, runners not being alert, etc.  I run both with and without headphones.  In this article, I won’t try to breakdown this endless debate.   I do observe that certain runners seem to bring their “road rage” tendencies to the trail.  Similar to seeing a driver going a little slow in the fast lane, a runner can get into a rage if they come upon a runner going slower than them who can’t hear them coming and doesn’t immediately pull to the side.  Trail rage builds up.   I see very little of this, but apparently it happens because reports are given to race directors.   The Across the Years race directors solve this very simply.  Each runner is trying their best to achieve a goal and each have that right to the inside lane (fast lane) if they want.  Respect is given to all runners, fast and slow.  No trail rage occurs, in fact the opposite happens, kind, helpful remarks are given from those who pass, even to those with headphones on.

But, in some isolated cases, race directors are listening to the complaints and instead of preaching trail etiquette and kindness, they are overstepping their bounds and instituting rules and bans to change the sport.  Ban headphones, any music.  One RD goes so far to explain that headphones are the cause for so many runners to go off course during races.  I’ve gone off course so many times I can’t count, but almost every time it has been because of fatigue, chatting with another runner, or a poorly marked course.   I’ve never seen a study that shows people who listen to music as they run go off course more than others.  Should we also ban talking to other runners because that is a distraction?   Nevertheless, an RD can impose a ban if they choose.

Race Directors should give careful consideration as they implement non-standard rules within the sport.  They must carefully examine within themselves if they are allowing their own bias to influence such decisions.  Are they making their race bigger than the sport?  In another case, a well-known one, a race director moved to a different state.  He actually took the name of his race with him!   His race was named after the local park the race was run in.   Now we have two races by the same name, one still in the park, one by the same name, nowhere near the park.   To me, it certainly looks like a case where a race director is trying to become bigger than the sport.  Perhaps not, but in this case there seems to be more attention put on the race director than the race.  Sadly, I and surely others, avoid this race because of the controversy and nonsensically name.

Back to the headphone ban.  Whether or not you are in favor of it, such bans are currently way out of line with the majority of the ultrarunning sport.  Some try to claim that for a race to be USATF sanctioned, they must be banned.  This is totally misinformation, false to the core.  What are the impacts of such a ban?  They need to be carefully considered. It seems clear to me that the races that may impose such a ban, especially 100-mile races, will be heavily impacted.   Certain runners, both elite and otherwise, will find other races to run.  For race directors who have a bias against runners who enjoy running with music, this may be totally fine.  But, they must also understand that they are alienating a huge percentage of the sport and implementing a non-standard rule for their individual race.  They will live with the consequences.  Other, more mainstream races are bound to attract a wider cross-section of runners from the sport, both elite and otherwise.

My plea to other ultrarunning race directors is to be especially careful about imposing non-standard bans and rules for their individual races.   It doesn’t only affect your race, it affects the sport.   This might sound silly, but I could see a minimalist-biased RD impose a ban on Hokas.  I could see an RD impose a ban on anyone taking Ibuprofen.  I could see an RD ban the use of Garmins,  etc.  

Race Directors of successful races are bound to receive praise and accolades.  Seek to work in the background, not on the pedestal.  Seek to support the sport as a whole, not just your race.  But also, RDs, thank you for your wonderful work and service.  It is thankless, tiresome work, but much appreciated.