It pays to bring company to the Mill Race Marathon, which is offering incentives for a second consecutive year to groups willing to volunteer during the Sept. 21-22 festivities.
The value of volunteering at the marathon, however, is not strictly financial.
The Mill Race Marathon attracts about 5,000 runners each year to Columbus, and the turnout means that a large number of volunteers are needed to stuff packets, set up race sites and direct courses.
In the early years of the event, which launched in 2013, organizers tried to secure as many as 1,000 volunteers. But more recently, their target has been 600, said Brad Klosinski, who directs the volunteer effort.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
For this year, the marathon has about 400 volunteers already lined up — which leaves about 200 more positions to fill by fall, he said.
First-time volunteers will work alongside marathon veterans such as Judy Tews, who has been involved with the marathon since the event’s first year, when her children competed in the race.
Although she is not a runner, Tews said she enjoys witnessing the discipline of the runners on race day and is glad to help with encouraging people to have a healthy lifestyle.
“I think that’s the neatest part,” Tews said.
As a volunteer, Tews typically works at water stations, making sure the runners stay hydrated.
But handing out refreshments is far from the only task available for volunteers.
There are many other volunteer jobs available, which vary in terms of people’s ability and time commitment, Klosinski said.
While the marathon, half marathon and 5K races will all be held on Saturday morning of race weekend, volunteers are needed for the Kids Fun Run the prior day.
“If you want a job where you just sit down, you can. If you want something where you’re out in the sun, you can do that,” he said. “(You can be) inside, outside. We have something for everyone.”
Among the volunteer jobs still to be filled for this year’s race, course marshals are the most needed, he said.
The job entails being out on the course directing, watching and cheering on runners. Course marshals make sure runners are going the right directions and keep an eye on them to alert medical teams if someone needs help.
Why they volunteer
Volunteers typically show up at their posts 45 minutes before their shift starts to receive a shirt and snack pack, Klosinski said. They then go about their duties during the assigned work hours.
For volunteer Mary Lou Slattery, this means arriving at 5 a.m. on Saturday to prepare packets that are handed out to runners before the race.
Slattery has served as head of packet pickup for the first five years of the event.
The social aspect of volunteering, Slattery said, is the most rewarding part of the experience. She said she especially enjoys seeing returning volunteers donating their time to the marathon each fall.
“A lot of them say ‘I can’t wait until next year to come back,’” she said. “There’s a lot of friendly people that do it and they have a lot of fun volunteering and meeting the people. And some of them I see I outside of the race and they say hello.”
Apart from gaining new acquaintances, volunteers can use involvement in the marathon to directly benefit the community.
For groups of 10 volunteers, a minimum of $100 will be awarded to an organization or club of the volunteers’ choice. Every group member beyond that is worth an additional $10 to the chosen recipient organization.
Klosinski encourages volunteers to look at the event not just as a way to earn a check for their favorite organization, but as an investment in the community.
In its first five years, the marathon has donated $375,000 to the Columbus Park Foundation and the Healthy Communities initiative of Columbus Regional Health. The marathon goal is to donate another $80,000 this year to improve the community from a healthy living perspective, he said.
By volunteering, participants are supporting these efforts to encourage healthy lifestyles and contributing to the beautification of the city, he said.
Apart from supporting community development, past volunteers say that the event is an easy and enjoyable way to get involved.
“I just like the community involvement,” said Roxanne Stillabower, who has volunteered the past two years. “It brings everyone together for a good reason.”
And with so many runners coming from outside of Columbus, the marathon is also an opportunity to represent the city in a positive way, Tews said.
“It’s a great way to showcase your community,” she said. “It’s a great time to meet people and encourage people.”
Age is a factor in some volunteer posts. Course marshals, directionals and packet distributors must be at least 15, but younger volunteers are acceptable if accompanied by a parent or other adult, Klosinski said.
Volunteer group training planning is planned for Aug. 25.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”How to volunteer” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Go to millracemarathon.com/volunteer to register or view full descriptions of volunteering positions.
[sc:pullout-text-end]
