10 Tips to Make Your Race a Success

by Pam Udall

Start The Details Early
Unless you have an established race course, give yourself plenty of time to find a course, getting it approved by the officials, and contacting your local county and city officials for permits. We were lucky because the city of Walburg, nor Williamson county required any special permits. However, I spent a lot of time on the phone with Walburg's city officials getting their approval.

You will also need to fill out the required USCF paperwork and insurance forms. At first glance the paperwork appears intimidating but once you sit down and force yourself to read all of the small print it makes sense. I did it the easy way and called Greg Hall, he's a master on USCF race permits. (I haven't seen the new USCF paperwork, but I hear it's a bear, so you may want to give yourself even more time).

Just Ask
It's amazing how easy it is to get money and merchandise from local businesses if you just ask. We found that many of the local bike shops and business were more than willing to hand over a check, gift certificates or merchandise. Gift certificates and merchandise are the first things they will offer. However, if it's cash that you need, let them know. For instance, for the Trofeo De Walburg I needed money to offset the cost of trophies. When we solicited several bike shops we asked them if they would be willing to cover it. We not only got a check from them, but a couple of gift certificates too. I also asked one bike shop if I could use their awnings and they responded with, "No problem."

Solicit Potential Sponsors ASAP
You need your sponsors before you print your flyer. Actually you can go to print anytime, but it's much harder to solicit funds once your flyer is printed. John found that asking for money was a breeze when you could offer them a place to advertise their business. Anyone who donated $100 or more would get a space on the flyer for their logo, those who donated less would get their business mentioned in type.

As an enticement for teams to attend the Trofeo de Walburg, VC club president Richard Whittington sent this challenge letter to other culbs in the state:

Dear Gregory,
The rumor is that your over-rated club is made up of big weenies, shameless sandbaggers, and washed-up wheel suckers. In order to dispel or substantiate this rumor, Violet Crown is issuing a challenge: The Trofeo de Walburg on June 13, 1998 in Walburg, Texas. We dare your club to try and take the Trofeo de Walburg. Our challenge is based on the ROY points of your club results in each category at the Trofeo de Walburg. ROY points are calculated by dividing the field total by the finish placing (for top ten only). The Prize: a trophy cup made of handhammered brass and silver-plated in an antique matte finish standing 14" high and 11.5" wide. Come and take it--if you can. I hope that you receive this letter in time for your monthly club meeting so you can read it to your members. Enclosed is a registration form. Let's see what your club is made of.
Sincerely,
Richard Whittington
Violet Crown President

Keep Parking and Registration Near the Start Line
When scouting locations, think about your start and finish lines, parking site and registration. Your race will run much smoother if they are in close proximity. As you know from experience, no matter how early you arrive to a race, you always run out of time.

Registration
Have you ever wondered why registering for races took so darn long? It's because you have to stand there, and watch the person registering you to race, slowly fill out all the same information that you just did on your release form. We tried a new and improved registration system. It consisted of the following steps:

1 Have the racers fill out their release form

2 Take their race fee and write the amount you collected on their release form

3 Check their license

4 Give them their race number, then write the number on their release form. Then send the rider on their way.

The lines moved quickly, providing riders with the time they needed to get ready. We then quickly entered all the pertinent data on each release form (name, club, race number, amount paid and license) to the appropriate start list for the officials. While the races were in progress we transferred this data into our laptop so we could quickly calculate ROY points at the end of each race.

Location, Location, Location
Have you ever noticed that it's the small things in life that make a difference (running water, porcelain toilet seats, air conditioning). Instead of having the typical registration outside under an awning and porta-potty setup we opted for the great indoors. Look for schools and churches, they can always use the extra money and have all the above necessities.

Make Sure Riders Can Find your Race
I've been late for several races when the directions on the flyer led me to everywhere except a race course and I couldn't find a sign along the course to save my life. Bob made sure the directions were correct and John spent many an evening painting bright, colorful signs so everyone could find the race. These went up way before the sun came up so even early birds could find the site. We also made sure their was plenty of signs along the course to alert drivers about the race.

Award Prizes Immediately
Everyone's pet peeve is waiting hours for their prize, especially when it's hot. We posted results immediately after each race, waited fifteen minutes for any protests, then awarded prizes to those who wanted them right away. I already had the prize money, merchandise and trophies divided up for each category so they were ready to go. However, some out-of-town racers were not very excited with a local gift certificate. I suggest that you get merchandise or money from your sponsors, and if you have to give out gift certificates ensure it goes to a local rider who can easily redeem them.

Award Ceremonies
Some riders (type A) want to race, collect their prize immediately, then go home; while others (type B) like to make a day of it. We appeased both personalities by awarding prizes after each race, and for those who wanted a little extra we provided a German style celebration. We took advantage of the great beer garden and German restaurant located in Walburg to provide a unique setting for our festivities. Riders were able to follow Ullrich's carbo-loading techniques by consuming mass quantities of German potato salad, sausage, pretzels and variety of Bavarian beers. Champaign was also given to first place finishers so they could christen the rest of us.

Gimmicks Help
Most cyclists don't need an excuse to show up for a race. However, sometimes it doesn't hurt to give them additional incentive. Richard came up with a great idea for the Walburg race, award a team trophy. We challenged all the cycling clubs in the State to come to Austin and try to win our Tropheo De Walburg trophy. Each team accumulated points base on the ROY points system, where points are calculated by dividing the field total by the finish placing. We even went so far as to write each club a letter reiterating our challenge.