By Ashley Perham
For HDMedia
Looking for an outdoor volunteer opportunity? Hundreds of helpers will be needed to direct the runners and riders coming to Charleston for two competitions in the next few months.
University of Charleston Marathon
The University of Charleston Marathon and Half Marathon are on April 12 with a 5K on April 11. Race directors Hallie Chillag and Kara Fisher will use 300 volunteers to aid the runners coming from 37 states and three foreign countries.
“ We’ve met and exceeded our goals and every runner [brings] more excitement, more enthusiasm, more folks to cheer for out on the course,” Chillag said. “[We] love our Charleston community and that they’re out there really supporting us.”
So far, more than 100 UC student athletes and coaches are volunteering, but there is still room for community members to participate.
Here’s what they need:
- At least 50 more course marshals to direct runners and manage traffic flow on April 12
- At least 36 more volunteers to staff the 10 water stations along the marathon and half marathon course
- At least 32 more general volunteers to help with packet pickup, event set-up, takedown or other tasks, primarily on April 11
You can sign up to volunteer at RunSignup.com. For more information, email Marathon@UCWV.edu.
USA Cycling
Once the runners have cleared the course, the cyclists will follow soon after.
The USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships are June 16-21 this year. Tim Brady, president and CEO of the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau, is looking for 300 volunteers to act as course marshals throughout the week. So far, he has about 100 signed up.
The course marshals direct the riders, assist police with road closures and keep vehicles and spectators off the course when riders are passing by. Volunteers receive a whistle, shirt, meal and water.
“This is our third year of hosting this race and — knock on wood — we’ve not had any safety incidents, and the volunteers are a big part of that,” Brady said.
This year, volunteers can select both their shift and their location. Shifts range from two to six hours, depending on the race. It is recommended to bring a lawn chair, water and sun protection.
In addition to local volunteers, Brady also expects volunteers from out-of-state and from the families and friends of the competitors.
“It’s really been interesting to see in the first couple of years [that] we’ve had volunteers come in from out-of-town strictly to volunteer and watch the race,” he said. “The cycling community is very supportive of the sport.”
To sign up, visit CharlestonWV.com/USA-Cycling.
Read more from HDMedia, here.
