Help: organising my first crit

Quoted message said:

What else do I need to organise?

Time off work to recover from the preparations.

Simon Brooke said:

So:
I've got to organise marshals, publicity, barrier moving crew, road
signage, leafleting residents, prizes (including primes), changing
rooms, first aid...

What else do I need to organise?

Sounds like you have most of the bases covered.

A few other things you may want to add to your list:
- local press - get them involved
- any chance of getting some sponsors ?
- photographer - a few pictures of the event would be good
- timing - or will that be organised by the officials ?
- water - for afterwards and the volunteers
- momentos ?
- organise someone to write a race report
- put the results up on the web
- post race beer + party :-)

Good Luck
Doug

Quoted message said:

What else do I need to organise?

Does anyone with experience of organising crits have a check-list? Would
anyone in the UK with experience of running crits give me some by-email
advice?

--

Simon,

This won't help cut down on the many, many jobs, but consider getting a good
commentator (and pa) if at all possible and
if the budget can bear it - it makes a huge difference to the atmosphere in
my experience.

Good luck.

Graham

Simon Brooke said:

We (my club) has been negotiating with our local council and our local
police to get permission to run a criterium in Kirkcudbright (a local
town) for several months.

[snippage]

Quoted message said:

So:
I've got to organise marshals, publicity, barrier moving crew, road
signage, leafleting residents, prizes (including primes), changing
rooms, first aid...

What else do I need to organise?

Lots of good advice already posted, especially about the announcer/PA sytem.

In the US, we'd need portable toilets; don't know about the facilities
over there, but here I'd get them regardless. Too many times I've seen
the regular facilities overwhelmed at races.

Mark

Simon Brooke said:

The council have agreed to close the streets. The police will clear
parked cars (I think - I have another meeting with them this afternoon).

Leaflet cars on the street a week or so before the event and again
a day or two before so people have warning to move them.

Quoted message said:

So:
I've got to organise marshals, publicity, barrier moving crew, road
signage, leafleting residents, prizes (including primes), changing
rooms, first aid...

What else do I need to organise?

Does anyone with experience of organising crits have a check-list? Would
anyone in the UK with experience of running crits give me some by-email
advice?

Registration table (if that's how it's done in the UK).
Safety pins for numbers, etc. Photocopy some flyers to be
passed out at the event with race schedule, organizing club
info, sponsors' names and logos (if you have them), for handing
out to racers and onlookers who pass by and want to know
what the heck is going on - give some to the marshals.
Have some drinks and snacks that you can take around to
the marshals if they are going to be standing on a corner all day.
An announcer is a good idea, especially if it's in conjunction
with other festivities. Somebody who's good at telling stories
and doesn't shut up ...

On 6-Jul-2006, smacked up and reeling, Mark
<[email hidden]> blindly formulated
the following incoherence:

Quoted message said:

In the US, we'd need portable toilets;

And make sure you put them in the afternoon sun so they attain maximum
internal temperature. We call them the "portable ovens".

Quoted message said:

Lots of good advice already posted, especially about the announcer/PA
sytem.

A great suggestion. Keeps the crowd interested and every racer loves to
hear his name. Some guys will shred off the front just for that reason.

steve
--
"The accused will now make a bogus statement."
James Joyce

in message <[email hidden]>, Slark

(') said:

Quoted message said:

What else do I need to organise?

Does anyone with experience of organising crits have a check-list?
Would anyone in the UK with experience of running crits give me some
by-email advice?

This won't help cut down on the many, many jobs, but consider getting a
good commentator (and pa) if at all possible and
if the budget can bear it - it makes a huge difference to the
atmosphere in my experience.

Thanks, I shall try. I was talking to the chair of the festivities
committee today. They will have their own PA set up just 250 metres
away, but it isn't going to be practical to shift it for the event so
I'll need to sort something else out.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
;; Generally Not Used
;; Except by Middle Aged Computer Scientists

Douglas Steel said:

A few other things you may want to add to your list:

Quoted message said:

- momentos ?

That's a nice suggestion, but I don't think having lots and lots of
those silly European candies will really make a difference to the
success of his race. It might, however, increase the likelihood of a
potentially difficult conflict turning into a disgustingly cute and
corny encounter.

-RJ

Simon Brooke said:

We (my club) has been negotiating with our local council and our local
police to get permission to run a criterium in Kirkcudbright (a local
town) for several months. Now, at last, all the official permission
seems to be in place and we've got to go for it. The date is 27th
August - to coincide with local festivities and two days before the Tour
of Britain comes through the town - so we've very little time.

<snip>

Quoted message said:

What else do I need to organise?

Does anyone with experience of organising crits have a check-list? Would
anyone in the UK with experience of running crits give me some by-email
advice?

I haven't direct experience, but if you go to this website
<http://www.crawleycyclingclub.co.uk/> and follow the link to 2006
promotions, you'll see Alan Denman's email address. He organised the
Crawley Crit. Which was great fun.

Tim

"ronaldo_jeremiah" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

A few other things you may want to add to your list:

Quoted message said:

- momentos ?

That's a nice suggestion, but I don't think having lots and lots of
those silly European candies will really make a difference to the
success of his race. It might, however, increase the likelihood of a
potentially difficult conflict turning into a disgustingly cute and
corny encounter.

Peruvian candies are highly recommended.

Simon Brooke said:

So:
I've got to organise marshals, publicity, barrier moving crew, road
signage, leafleting residents, prizes (including primes), changing
rooms, first aid...

What else do I need to organise?

Does anyone with experience of organising crits have a check-list? Would
anyone in the UK with experience of running crits give me some by-email
advice?

dumbass,

congratulations on hosting your own event!

most people have covered the usual topics. one thing i can add to that
is to look for a good paramedic, if possible one knows about bike
races. a good medic will save you a lot of stress when there is a
mishap.

but i think you also need to consider a few less obvious but very
critical items.

unless this is going to be a one-off event you need to pave the way for
future events. most races only benefit the riders. you have to give the
town some incentive to tolerate the inconvenience your event creates.

-you can raise money or awareness for some cause
-community involvement: you can have a fun ride and kids races, this is
very easy to do.
-perhaps the race itself is an attraction (an ideal scenario), and it
may be part of a larger event. in that case you will need a PA and
stage to properly present the riders and work the crowd.

if your race delivers something to the town, you will foster goodwill
and the town will have a reason to have you back or host another bike
race in the future.

Simon Brooke <[email hidden]> wrote in news:8nbvn3-fa4.ln1
@gododdin.internal.jasmine.org.uk:

<snip>

This one is so obvious I am shocked nobody here has suggested it. Podium
babes. You need to line them up ahead of time, preferably holding the
interviews in a motel room right off a major highway. You don't want to
be caught with your pants down, so to speak, on race day and have to
settle for women you pull at random out of the crowd.

--
Bill Asher

in message <[email hidden]>,

(') said:

most people have covered the usual topics. one thing i can add to that
is to look for a good paramedic, if possible one knows about bike
races. a good medic will save you a lot of stress when there is a
mishap.

Trouble is, he crashed out of my last event with a broken arm...
http://www.stewartry-wheelers.org/wheelers/story/article_83.html
but I'll ask him!

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.

in message <[email hidden]>,

(') said:

unless this is going to be a one-off event you need to pave the way for
future events. most races only benefit the riders. you have to give the
town some incentive to tolerate the inconvenience your event creates.

Kind of isn't a problem in this case. The Tour of Britain is coming
through the town two days after, and the initiative for getting this
happening is that the tourism people in the council, and the local
festivities committee, came to us and said 'how do we extend the stay in
the town of visitors who've come to see the Tour?'. So, although we
wanted to run a crit and had asked for permission unsuccessfully before,
this time we've been invited. But I hope to make it an annual event, so
I shall work on making the town feel that they got a spectacle that was
worth the disruption!

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/
Das Internet is nicht fuer gefingerclicken und giffengrabben... Ist
nicht fuer gewerken bei das dumpkopfen. Das mausklicken sichtseeren
keepen das bandwit-spewin hans in das pockets muss; relaxen und
watchen das cursorblinken. -- quoted from the jargon file

in message <[email hidden]>, Simon

Brooke (') said:

We (my club) has been negotiating with our local council and our local
police to get permission to run a criterium in Kirkcudbright (a local
town) for several months. Now, at last, all the official permission
seems to be in place and we've got to go for it. The date is 27th
August - to coincide with local festivities and two days before the
Tour of Britain comes through the town - so we've very little time.

[snip]

Many thanks to everyone who responded to this thread, both on the group
and by email. Most useful and helpful. I'll let you know how I get on.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

Anagram: I'm soon broke.