Race day contingencies
Race directors often have to deal with unexpected problems. The North Shore Half-Marathon, in Highland Park IL, was harassed by an aggressive motorist who repeatedly sped up behind runners, finally hitting one.
The Park Forest Scenic 10-miler, in Park Forest IL, required course marshals to warn runners about swarms of bees hovering over a portion of the course.
The Disneyworld Marathon, in Orlando FL, once discovered, after the race had begun, that the course was not long enough. Race officials frantically measured and certified a course extension before the lead runners reached the finish.
Weather problems are the worst for race directors. Lightning, flooded courses, and windblown mile markers can wreak havoc on an event. In most cases, weather-related contingencies can be implemented before race day. Sometimes, though, problems are not apparent until after the race begins.
Yesterday, The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, an excellent race with a reputation for outstanding management, was forced to cancel the event while many of the 35,000+ runners were still on the course.
Temperatures had soared into the high 80s, water and fluid supplies appeared to be dwindling, and numerous ambulances raced to local hospitals carrying a record number of dehydrated competitors.
Organizers shut down the course three and a half hours into the race and instructed runners to board shuttle buses or walk to the finish. The heat and humidity in a race accustomed to cool weather overcame the event's ability to protect the health and safety of registrants.
Small races and short-distance events do not have to deal with problems of this magnitude. Still, it's always a good idea to be prepared for the unexpected. You don't have to publicly announce emergency plans (and you really shouldn't), just be ready to implement them decisively and effectively.