# Volunteering at the Hull Marathon.



## Chris Hobson (Sep 23, 2018)

A couple of weeks ago Some one's group dropped out of their offer to man a water station on the Hull Marathon. The organisers obviously then contacted the West Hull Ladies running club, the best people to help them out of a hole. Being married to a West Hull Lady meant that I was volunteered to help as well. As a matter of fact, I was happy to help because I do lots of runs and triathlons and feel that I don't really keep my end up when it comes to helping out at events. These events wouldn't be possible to put on without the work put in by volunteers to organise and marshal and I really appreciate the work that these people do.

Our alarm went off at 05:30.

Our spot was underneath the Humber Bridge on the south side near Barton at mile 18. First job of the day involved setting up tables and unloading hundreds of water bottles and two 25 litre cans of energy drink from a van. there was also a generator for a live rock band that was going to be playing nearby. There were various signs to be set up along with a West Hull Ladies flag. There was a minor panic because we had to unlock a gate that was blocking the course and the organisers had supplied us with the wrong key. Much chatting on a walkie talkie by one of the organisers eventually got the problem resolved. Meanwhile a van and trailer bearing a portaloo arrived. I took part in the last two Hull marathons and, in both years, the weather was unseasonably hot. This year it was cloudy and chilly, perfect conditions for the runners but volunteers needed to wrap up well.

The next job was cutting open the shrink wrapped bottles and putting hundreds of them onto the table with the tops removed and the little nozzles pulled open. Hundreds of paper cups needed to be deployed on a second table, each one half filled with energy drink. Because we had been keen to make sure that we were set up in good time, there then followed a long wait for the fastest runners to come through.

Meanwhile the band arrived, got themselves set up, tuned up and launched into their set. It consisted mainly of Oasis covers with some Blur and other stuff thrown in. Seven Nation Army and Should I Stay or Should I Go, I seem to recall. They didn't do Under the Bridge though. 

The first runners were very spread out so keeping them supplied with drinks was a doddle. The real work started when the mid range runners started to come through as they arrived thick and fast. This is particularly the case when the pacers come through. These are quick and experienced runners that do the run wearing a flag with e.g. 3 Hours written on it. Runners with a three hour target time do their best to stay with the three hour pacer in order to achieve their goal. When the pacer passes, so do a mass of runners hoping to achieve that particular pace. I started out handing out bottles and, at busy times this involves lining them up on the table and passing them hand to hand to make sure that you are always holding one out for the next runner. I was then moved to unpacking and uncorking bottles and then to setting up half full cups of energy drinks. During the busy period, which was most of it, I was struggling to keep up. As a result I missed seeing the vast majority of runners going through because I was just so busy.

Finally the stream of runners slowed down to a trickle. The stragglers usually being amazing rather cuddly girls and really amazing old people who are still doing marathons while their contempories are sitting in nursing homes. Long before the last runners have come through we had started packing our stuff back into the van. Lots of black bin bags full of rubbish and empties, stacks of unopened bottles, the genny and various other bits and bobs. We left one table out until the last minute with a handful of water bottles and energy drinks on it. I feel slightly for the really slow marathoners who must arrive at every single drinks station to see people who have more or less packed up and are just waiting for you to pass by so that they can finally go home. Being sixty years old, I suppose that if I keep up the distance running for another twenty years or so I might experience that feeling for myself.

Once all the packing away was done we drove home and put on the kettle for tea. Everyone being too tired to cook, I was then sent out to the chippy to get the evening meal in. In the end, a long, tiring but fulfilling day. Always after doing one of these events I think that maybe I should do it more often. My problem is that, while I'm still competing, I have to work so hard in order to not be utterly rubbish that I simply don't have the time. Still, if I eventually become too infirm to compete, it is a good way to stay involved.


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## Northerner (Sep 24, 2018)

Well done Chris  Our dear, departed, friend @Copepod gave a lot of her time to marshalling at various events, particularly parkruns and mountain running/orienteering events and was very much appreciated and well-known, she would have been very appreciative of you taking the time to give something back


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## Chris Hobson (May 9, 2019)

Note our professionalism with regard to the tailenders compared with certain other people.


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## HOBIE (May 9, 2019)

I walked the Humber bridge twice in two weeks for Duk. Well done Chris


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