IT'S NOT OVER UNTIL IT IS OVER

It’s tempting during the days and weeks immediately following a race to do as little as possible given the sense of exhaustion most of us feel. Our instinct may be to curl up in the fetal position and turn off the cell phones and incoming email. It’s important to realize, however, that these days can be just as important and critical as the days leading up to the race.

As we all know, there is a lot to do immediately following our race – returning of equipment and supplies, press release and results distribution, adjudication of results, thank you letters, bills to be paid, etc. As difficult as it is to continue withstanding a barrage of inquiries and requests, this communication is critical. Programming a “gone fishing” auto-reply is not fair to the runners, staff, sponsors, volunteers and others who invested time, money, and effort in the event as well. Be sure to give them the courtesy of a prompt reply.

Another critical post-race activity is gathering feedback. Post-event participant surveys should be sent out within 48 hours if not the day of the event in order to maximize the response rate. Separate event recap meetings with the operations committee, public safety committee and others should ideally be held within days not weeks of the event while everything is still fresh in people’s minds. All of this feedback will provide a valuable foundation for producing an even better event next year.

None of this meant to suggest that you haven’t earned some well deserved rest. Plan your time off, however, at least A WEEK OR TWO after your race. This will allow you to finish up all the important tasks at hand and be available to participants, staff, sponsors and others seeking an immediate response to a concern. Like a marathon, you want to finish the event from beginning to end and not drop out with the finish line in sight. This will pay off in dividends down the road and will make your well deserved time off much more enjoyable!