LENDING A HAND

            Picture this: you're running a marathon. Let's say it's the 1987 San Diego Marathon for that's one in which the Track Club was deeply involved. You've been gliding along for nine miles through a major metropolitan area. The course is well marked by orange traffic cones placed one about every 20 yards. Now, stop a moment and think. How did those traffic cones get there? And what happens to them after you and the others pass by?

            Well, my friend, those cones were placed there for your benefit by "cone crew 1," five people equipped with a ten-ton stake-bed truck who gathered at 4 a.m., headed out in the morning darkness heavily loaded with cones and marked the first half of the course for the 7 a.m. start. "Cone crew 2" marked the second half of the course.

            Each cone was placed approximately equidistant, in line and upright. Have you ever lifted a traffic cone? Heavier than they look, aren't they? Can you imagine how many cones are required to lay out a marathon course through the heart of a city? And all work must be done within a very limited time period to keep traffic disruption at a minimum.

            Cone crew 1 barely finished marking the first 13 miles, then rushed back to witness the marathon start. Immediately thereafter, the crew reversed procedure and reloaded every cone back onto that truck as it trailed the last runners. This enormous job was only one of many such tasks required to stage an event of this type.

            The Track Club is an all volunteer organization. When you run a Track Club race and see workers at the starting area, timers on the course, guides at critical places, people handing out cups of water at aid stations, a crew at the finish line and others dispensing refreshments, almost all are Track Club members. Fortunately, there always seems to be enough helpers to have a quality race and those volunteers plus many others behind the scenes should be deeply thanked for we couldn't have races without them.

            Although volunteers never receive adequate recognition, they do benefit in several ways. First, working with races, particularly when you've served at a number of different tasks in a variety of races, gives a different perspective and appreciation of our sport and it's participants. It imparts a feeling of satisfaction in being able to assist others as they have assisted you. If you can't run the race but enjoy participating, helping out is the next best thing. If you enjoy yourself, do a good job and catch the eye of the right people, you can even work up to directing your own race.

            A second benefit to volunteering is meeting interesting people. Recently, I went through the Track Club membership list. Of over 900 members, I knew about 100. Perhaps I might know by sight another 100 or so, but I have no idea who the vast majority of members are. The problem is we all get to know celebrities, division leaders, those who run in our part of the race and an assortment of regulars we see at event after event. If a member doesn't fall into these categories, the chances of knowing him or her is rather slight.

            Volunteering enables you to mix with other members in a relaxed (usually), noncompetitive setting. I could site many examples, but one comes to mind. I was to be a timer for the Balboa Park 8-Mile Race several years ago. After the gun sounded we were whisked away, the vehicle stopped near the western end of Cabrillo Bridge and a pleasant, fine-looking young woman and I got out. I was to go to the three-mile mark and she to the six. Both marks were on the out-and-back dirt trail part of the course, about a quarter mile apart. We chatted pleasantly as we jogged to our assigned spots.

            After all my runners rushed by on their way out, I wondered if my new friend could use some help, so I jogged to her spot. Well, wouldn't you know it, her chronograph had failed to start and there I was, to the rescue at just the right time with a working timepiece. We teamed up with me calling out the mile mark and her the time as the runners returned heading for the finish.

            Afterwards we laughed about the situation as we walked back to the start area talking about running and life in general. I was amazed to discover she was a San Diego law enforcement officer. Now, if you're going to have an encounter with the police, that's one of the better ways to do it.

September 1991

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