note to RDs - try being tri friendly - Triathlon Week

05-03-2005, 06:30 AM

It would be real good if race directors were to change two things I
find are NOT the norm now.

1 - Post the price of the race right on the web site on the home page.
Don't make me have to click through several links to find it out.

2 - Eliminate any requirement to pick up packets the night before. And
- don't charge some exhorbitant price to mail out a registration.
If the tri is naybe 1 hour away I am not usually going to go and stay
overnight the night before the tri. I'll just drive in the next AM. If
I have to pick up packet the night before that means I have to spend
time on a RT to get it. That means if a Sat tri I have to get out of
work early, or go after work, drive all the way there and back. Give us
a break on this. Think about it. Does it seem like something people
would really want to do. What a waste of time, and now, gas. Try being
user and environmentally friendly.
In these tris, I usually do not do that race. Maybe you have enough
participants and you don't care.

05-03-2005, 07:01 AM

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ] wrote:
<<SNIP>>
> 2 - Eliminate any requirement to pick up packets the night before.
And
> - don't charge some exhorbitant price to mail out a registration.
> If the tri is naybe 1 hour away I am not usually going to go and stay
> overnight the night before the tri. I'll just drive in the next AM.
If
> I have to pick up packet the night before that means I have to spend
> time on a RT to get it. That means if a Sat tri I have to get out of
> work early, or go after work, drive all the way there and back. Give
us
> a break on this. Think about it. Does it seem like something people
> would really want to do. What a waste of time, and now, gas. Try
being
> user and environmentally friendly.
<<SNIP>>

Some observations on why this might be so:

1) You can expect a certain number check-in of exceptions to occur
(i.e. "We never got your check"). You would have to bring quite a few
resources to bear in order to sort out the exceptions/con-men/hard-luck
cases, then get everyone to the shore on time.

2) Larger races are in cohoots (sp?) with the hotel that is hosting the
expo and transition area(s).

Postage: Many moons ago, when I did my first few tris, you enclosed a
self-addressed & stamped envelope with your registration.

rsquared

05-03-2005, 11:38 AM

> Eliminate any requirement to pick up packets the night before

Race directors know what they are doing. Imagine the following
conversation:

Race Director - Hello City Council. We would like to bring in about
5000 people to participate in a triathlon. We will need you to let them
all swim in the city water supply, and you will have to close 25 miles
of roadway from 7 am - Noon, and an additional 6 miles until 2 in the
afternoon. We'll need 200 Porta-potties on the shores of said water
supply and parking for 3000 cars on lawn. We will bring in food to feed
the racers after they finish. The racers will spend an average of $12
each on gas and food while in town.

City Council: Go away. Now.

Now imagine the same conversation, except the RD finishes by saying,
"Racers will start arriving at noon the day before the race, will stay
overnight in hotels in town and will consume 3 meals at a minimum. The
racers will spend an average of $120 each while in town."

What does the city council say then?

05-08-2005, 09:57 AM

As a former race director for a triathlon and a few other types of sporting
events, I'd like to describe the hell that is Race Day Registration, along
with Race Day Packet Pick-Up.

The morning of the event is a logistical operation right up there with
planning a military offensive. You are dealing with people coming in late,
trying to find parking, setting up transition, getting to a Porta-Potty, and
in a general state of panic. Your volunteers - the best people you could
ask for - are in short supply. Unforeseen situations are cropping up every
minute: changes in the weather, in equipment breaking down, in officials
suddenly unavailable, in participants not having read the schedule properly,
etc. You must manage the expectation from participants that a) they can
arrive at the last minute, b) they won't wait in line, and c) the race will
start on time. In order to achieve all of this between sunrise and the
start of the event (normally about two hours), the single most effective
thing you can do is eliminate race day packet pick-up. Besides, since these
packets normally contain detailed course and rule information, why would an
athlete NOT want to pick this up and read this the day before?

It's all about give-and-take. The participant gives a little on the
pre-race day packet pick up, and in return gets a much smoother, calmer race
day.

Helen

<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:1115127056.673389.191760@o13g2000cwo.googlegr oups.com...
> It would be real good if race directors were to change two things I
> find are NOT the norm now.
>
> 1 - Post the price of the race right on the web site on the home page.
> Don't make me have to click through several links to find it out.
>
> 2 - Eliminate any requirement to pick up packets the night before. And
> - don't charge some exhorbitant price to mail out a registration.
> If the tri is naybe 1 hour away I am not usually going to go and stay
> overnight the night before the tri. I'll just drive in the next AM. If
> I have to pick up packet the night before that means I have to spend
> time on a RT to get it. That means if a Sat tri I have to get out of
> work early, or go after work, drive all the way there and back. Give us
> a break on this. Think about it. Does it seem like something people
> would really want to do. What a waste of time, and now, gas. Try being
> user and environmentally friendly.
> In these tris, I usually do not do that race. Maybe you have enough
> participants and you don't care.
>

05-08-2005, 10:05 AM

In article <0yrfe.9631$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].ca>,
<[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>
> It's all about give-and-take. The participant gives a little on the
> pre-race day packet pick up, and in return gets a much smoother, calmer race
> day.
>

I'd say it's the biggest hassle for the athlete when the race is close
enough to drive to on the day of the race, but far enough that it would
take too long to drive there and home the night before to pick up the
packet. For example, if the race is 1.5 hours away, I wouldn't plan to
stay overnight the night before the race, but then again I don't want to
drive 3 hours round trip on a Friday night just to pick up the packet.

But, you're right, life is full of little trade-offs. And if I don't
like it, I can just skip the races where I have to drive a long way to
pick up my packet.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

05-09-2005, 02:51 AM

I guess in a slightly different direction. What exactly is in this
packet that means it has to be physically collected by the competitor
from the race organiser anyway?

Isn't the real problem here the USAT or in my case, BTA, race license
checking and issuing of day licenses that holds everything up?

While postage appears expensive, given the hassles described by Helen,
and I have to say our club race last year had all sorts of problems and
delayed start becuase of day registration. Wouldn't most of these be
solved by mailing out packets, or allowing most information to be
downloaded?

What would that actually leave for race morning itself? Numbers written
on? Race license check(no day licenses), no day entry, bikes safety
checked before going in transition(but then how many races do this
anyway?)

05-09-2005, 06:39 AM

>>>>>>>>What exactly is in this
packet that means it has to be physically collected by the competitor
from the race organiser anyway?
Isn't the real problem here the USAT or in my case, BTA, race license
checking and issuing of day licenses that holds everything up?
While postage appears expensive, given the hassles described by Helen,
and I have to say our club race last year had all sorts of problems and

delayed start becuase of day registration. Wouldn't most of these be
solved by mailing out packets, or allowing most information to be
downloaded?
What would that actually leave for race morning itself? Numbers written

on? Race license check(no day licenses), no day entry, bikes safety
checked before going in transition(but then how many races do this
anyway? >>>>>

I think you hit the nail on the head on this one.
Races are quick to take your money for registration, but slow to
respond in a positive way regarding the concerns cited about packet
pickup. Obviously the ONLY thing needed physically by the participant
is the actual race number. Seems like this could be mailed out and the
whole thing is a done deal.
One number in a small envelope.
Looks like a way to side step all the previously noted concerns of race
morning problems as noted earlier by an RD.
Last year the Loveland tri in Colorado did have a packet mailout
available as an alternative - FOR $10!
This is an exhorbitant fee.

Most packets are nothing but flyers for products and other "junk" that
I have absolutely no need for anyway. But,that an RD might want/have to
give racers due to sponsorship.

I must say that there still are races that do allow race day pick up of
packets. And if they are organized correctly it is not that big a deal.
The biggest holdup on raceday regarding this are raceday registrations.
Hey - just do not allow any race day registration.

05-09-2005, 06:47 AM

trimark wrote:
> I guess in a slightly different direction. What exactly is in this
> packet that means it has to be physically collected by the competitor
> from the race organiser anyway?
>
> Isn't the real problem here the USAT or in my case, BTA, race license
> checking and issuing of day licenses that holds everything up?
>
> While postage appears expensive, given the hassles described by
Helen,
> and I have to say our club race last year had all sorts of problems
and
> delayed start becuase of day registration. Wouldn't most of these be
> solved by mailing out packets, or allowing most information to be
> downloaded?
>
> What would that actually leave for race morning itself? Numbers
written
> on? Race license check(no day licenses), no day entry, bikes safety
> checked before going in transition(but then how many races do this
> anyway?)

In the old days... : )

Most triathlons actually required bicycle inspections. Given some of
the contraptions that actually showed-up, it may have been a good
thing!

Those inspections occured prior to race day, usually at the shops that
helped sponsor the race. In addition to getting your bike inspected,
you could also check in at the shop.

The shops were usually geographically distributed to give athletes
sensible options. You could also procrastinate and have the bike
inspected on the race site in the morning.

If the race started and you did not have an inspection sticker, a
volunteer would remove your front wheel; you were DQ'd while swimming.
Don't think THAT didn't cause some excitement!

I think this approach/practice went away for a few reasons:

* Over time, there was a greatly reduced incidence of unsafe bikes.

* A side benefit was for the LBS to increase awareness of location and
services to local newbies. However, from my observations, inspections
seemed more likely to disrupt the (paying) operation of the LBS.

In some cases, there were also differences of opinion (conflicts)
between the inspector and the athlete regarding the overall safety
assesment. The shop would sometimes be accused of having a
conflict-of-interest in recommending safety related repairs.

In the end, it was "another task" with questionable value-add to any of
the players. Inspections and offsite check-in seem to have just faded
away.

rsquared