A checklist before you print the shirts.

Start with a real plan

A new race can raise an organization’s profile, bring in sponsors, and take several years to build a following. It is also a lot of work, and entry fees alone often do not cover shirts, awards, timing, food, insurance, and police. Plan on more than the registration check if fundraising is the goal.

Enlist help early and split the jobs. You have to care about the event — or the charity it benefits — to put up with race directing.

Distance, name, and cause

One distance is easier to run than a 5K, 10K, and half on the same morning. There are a lot of 5Ks. A less common distance can stand out, and standard distances are what many runners want on the calendar. A 1 mile or 1K fun run works for kids and walkers. You can still charge for a shirt, or discount it without one. Timing that short event is optional, and awards usually are not part of it. Ribbons go over well with young kids.

Give the race a theme and a name people can remember. A local charity, a school cross country team, or a cause runners already care about makes volunteering and signing up easier.

Money and sponsors

Many people start a race to raise money. For a shorter race, the entry fee has to stay in line with other local events, and the expenses add up. Longer races can charge more and are harder to organize. Some groups use the event to open the door for sponsors and other gifts, not as the only fundraiser.

If the budget depends on sponsors, ask early. Write down what each level receives.

• Name or logo on the shirt
• Name or logo on the flyer and race page
• Naming rights
• A place to hand out samples
• Banners or other signs on site
• Logo on the website
• A coupon or item in the race bag
• Access to the runner list after the race, if you choose to share it

Insurance

Decide what insurance the event needs. A waiver is not a substitute. Insurance protects you, the organization, and sponsors if someone is hurt or something else goes wrong. Local agents often write event policies, and insurance is also available through the Road Runners Club of America.

The course

Some runners want a flat or rolling course and a shot at a personal record. Others want a course they will talk about later. Trails are a real option. Scenery helps. Avoid heavy traffic, busy crossings, and the busiest time of day. Expect to ask the city about street use — often about 30 days out — and to show a certificate of insurance. Parks may want their own permit.

A course near town draws more people. A special course out of town can work too. Pick a route you can repeat, especially if you want it certified.

Measure carefully even if you are not certifying. A car cannot take the tangents a runner will, so add about 2 percent if you measure from a car: about 3.15 miles for a 5K and 6.3 miles for a 10K. A bike that rides the tangents does not need that pad. Do not make the course short. Write down the start, finish, and markers against landmarks you can find next year.

Paint arrows the day before if the city and the neighbors will tolerate it, and back them up with signs and cones. Station a volunteer at each turn.

If you wish to have your course certified, contact Ben Sigle at events@reddirtrunning.com.

Date, time, and price

Weekends fill up. Early spring and late fall are kinder than deep cold or high heat. Do not land on top of an established race. Saturday is the usual day. An 8:00 a.m. start is the common choice. Earlier can be necessary in the heat. Later starts compete with the rest of the weekend.

Price the race against what similar events in your area charge, and against what you are handing out. The dollar ranges in the old version of this guide are out of date, so check current local races before you publish a fee. Cash prizes cost a lot and usually pull in only a few extra runners.

Registration and timing

Runners still mail forms and sign up at a store or on race morning. Most would rather register online. Red Dirt can set that up, take day-of entries with dynamic bib assignment, and time the race.

Pick a timing company you trust. For a very small field you can try to time it yourself. It is harder than it looks once the finish gets busy.

For registration, email Ben Sigle at events@reddirtrunning.com.

The facility, the flyer, the volunteers

If the weather can turn, have an indoor place for before and after: a church, school, or civic center, with restrooms, toilet paper, and somewhere to sit. Music and a microphone help. If the building is short on toilets, rent them. A working rule of thumb is about two toilets for every 100 runners, and longer events may need them on course. Some parks and campuses charge a permit fee. Make sure people can park.

Keep the flyer to one sheet, front and back: name, charity, place, time, awards, age groups, shirts, door prizes, and the waiver. Get it to the running store, the club newsletter, local calendars, and gyms at least a month out. Charity races can use public-service spots and a news release. Keep the participant list and invite people back next year.

Volunteers make or break the morning. You need them for early registration, race-day registration, aid stations, and cleanup. Many will not be runners, so tell them exactly what to do. A free shirt helps. Get a real yes, not a maybe.

Shirts

Most runners expect a shirt. A towel or a hat can stand in. Spend time on the art. Short sleeves cost less than long sleeves, and many runners prefer them. Technical fabric costs more than cotton. Order art and printing weeks ahead. One approach is to print the preregistered order about two weeks out and place a second order for late entries to pick up at the running store the week after. Guessing the count is how you end up with a box of leftovers or a line of people without a shirt.

Contact Luke Sigle at luke.sigle@vernoncompany.com for help with any printing needs or pricing.

Awards and medals

Runners usually expect overall male and female, masters, and age groups three deep. A veterans category or a Clydesdale and Athena category is worth considering. Ten-year age groups are enough for a smaller race. Five-year groups make more sense once the field is larger. Trophies get expensive. A specific award people remember beats another gold runner on a plastic base. Skip the cheapest ribbon if you can.

Half marathons and marathons are where finishers expect a medal. A custom medal costs more than a generic one and has to be ordered early enough to arrive.

Photos

Have someone shoot before, during, and after the race, including awards. Those photos are what you will use on the website, in a news release, and to promote next year.

Contact Tim Sigle at timsigle@siglephoto.com for information on pricing and services.

Race morning

Write the race-day checklist early. Get volunteers there before the runners. Race-day registration is the chaotic hour, so staff it. Leave people for cleanup. Music helps if it fits the event. Keep enough cash for change, and keep an eye on it.

Put mile markers on signs, not only paint. Arrow signs or cones at every turn. A person at every major turn. Volunteers can slow cars at quiet crossings. Busy crossings need police, and police often bill for it.

Use a bullhorn or a small sound system. Warn people about turns, crossings, and bad pavement. Thank them and thank the sponsors. Start on time. A cyclist riding ahead of the field can show the way.

Stock the toilets before and after. Aid-station volunteers need a toilet too.

Have food after the race. Fruit and bagels are enough for a 5K or 10K. Longer races may want a real meal, paid for in the entry fee or by a vendor. Water before and after. On course, plan an aid station about every two miles, and closer in the heat. Water is the minimum. Longer races need a sports drink, and halves and marathons can use fruit or gels. Keep cups in runners’ hands. Pick up the cups, including the ones thrown down the road. A trash can 50 to 100 yards past the station helps.

Results, awards, door prizes

Results need to be ready before awards. For a 5K, aim for about an hour after the start. For a 10K, about an hour and a half. Agree on that with the timer. Post results online the same day.

Start awards as soon as you honestly can. A lively presenter helps. Keep it moving, and have people ready to hand hardware out.

Door prizes can hold the crowd between the finish and awards. Keep the drawing random. A silent auction works if a business donates something valuable.

USATF certification

A flat course with few turns, on a good day, can attract runners chasing an age-group record. Records require a USATF-certified course. Anyone can learn the process. It takes time, or you can hire someone. Ben Sigle certifies courses. The old guide quoted a certification fee and a hire-out range that may no longer be current, so check USATF before you budget it. Certification lasts for years if the course does not change. A very hilly course, a course with constant turns, or a midsummer race may not be worth certifying unless you want the course to be official anyway.