Without them where would we be? Well the answer to that question, in my case, is anybody’s guess! I have all the sense of direction of a water-shrew and with no-one to indicate the right path and point out the hazards, one place I wouldn’t be is en route to the finishing line. The marshals and other race volunteers are the unsung heroes of the running scene. They stand patiently at their allotted stations from before the first athlete sprints from the start till after the last straggler hobbles by (I know, because sometimes that’s me) and do they shout ‘get a move on, we can’t go home till you’ve finished!’? They do not. They clap, call out ‘you’re doing well’ or ‘it’s all downhill from here’ and other, not necessarily truthful, but heartening phrases.
And then there are the volunteers who man the registration desk, or look after our possessions, the ones - sometimes quite small children who stand at the route-side holding out opened bottles of water, so we can snatch them without breaking our stride and take a welcome gulp, feeling like pampered Olympic athletes. There are the radio hams who cycle about mopping up the fallen, sending for paramedics and transport, and the first-aiders administering blister-plasters and aspirin. There are those who stand at the finish with congratulations and medals, goody-bags, t-shirts, bananas, yet more water and all the things that help to make us feel that, indeed, everyone is a winner. Where do they all come from? Everywhere. Employees of the sponsoring companies, members of the club organising the run, colleagues and children, retired runners, injured runners who have to sit this one out, locals who answered an appeal, scouts, paras and members of affiliated groups. There seem to be no boundaries; both genders, all ages and occupations are represented
Alistair Curry of Jogscotland tells me that for a 5k with about 1500 runners, 30-40 volunteers are needed, and as for a biggy like the Women’s 10k with road closures and Police presence, a whopping 350 (200 marshals and 150 other volunteers) are asked to turn out . All this in the same weather we are all complaining about – blisteringly hot or raining needles, and often getting no more thanks than a goody bag and a snack. Few of us have the breath to say ‘Thank you’ ourselves, which is why I’d like to say it now. There could be no races without the marshals and other volunteers. When it’s time for me to take my trainers to the charity shop, I’ll volunteer to be a marshal and give to the next generation of fun-runners some of what has been given to me and others like me by all those dedicated people who gave up their leisure time to make the day so enjoyable for us all.