AID STATION GUIDE - Tarawera Ultra · You will have extra white corflute signs and marker pens. This is for you to create signs on the day if you need to. Here is a quick reference

NZ Trail Runs Ltd. 2016 Version 2016-2 11 January 2016.

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2016 Tarawera Ultramarathon

AID STATION GUIDE BRIEFING All volunteers should attend the volunteers briefing.

• Volunteer Briefing – Kawerau Wednesday 27 January 5.30-6.30 pm (aid station volunteers); 6.30pm-7.30pm (marshals, cycle patrol, other volunteers) Kawerau South School, 175-187 Onslow Street. School Hall

• Volunteer Briefing – Rotorua Thursday 28 January 5.30-6.30pm (aid station volunteers); 6.30-7.30pm (marshals, cycle patrol, other volunteers) Holiday Inn Rotorua, 10 Tryon Street, Rotorua. Totara Room.

All of the public information about this event is in the Official Race Programme on the website: www.taraweraultra.co.nz

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GETTING STUFF & SETTING UP Your aid station captain will tell you when and where to pick up food, drinks, tables, chairs, medical supplies and other items. Please either dress up in a theme (we had gourmet chefs, Santa Claus’

bumble bees, Hawaiian, pink party palace and hunting mob last year) or wear your volunteer t-shirts. If you need supplies/costumes, the race can provide $200 cash towards helping your aid station get decked out in a theme.

Set up five or six tables in a row for your aid station. No gaps between tables. Use masking tape to tape the banner to the front of your table. Place the banners in order: >Sponsors > Race >Sponsors > Race. Please make sure the banners are not saggy.

Put tablecloths on your tables – make sure they cover the entire surface. Tape them down if it’s a windy day.

Put food in paper party plates and paper bowls provided. Do NOT use ice cream containers to place food in and DO NOT place chip

packets, lolly packets, food boxes etc. on the table. All food should be neatly laid out on the party plates and bowls provided.

Set up your rubbish bins – make up boxes (fold the bottom and tape the top). Place a leaf litter bag inside and fold over the top. Replace when two-thirds full. Rubbish bins should be around the aid station, 50 metres past the aid station and 100+ metres past the aid station.

Spraying the aid station stuff down with fly spray before you put any food and drink out should help deter wasps etc.

http://www.taraweraultra.co.nz/


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Set up the signs (bang them in the ground with a mallet) o [ AID STATION 200 METRES ] 200 metres before your aid station. o [ WELCOME TO .. AID STATION ] 20 metres before your aid station. o [ DISTANCE TO .. AID STATION ] 100 metres after your aid station.

- Note about drinks containers. - Please do not write on the containers with a marker pen. - Please make the Hammer Sports drink into the red containers (1). Make it

twice as weak as the instructions on the container (otherwise it is too sweet and expensive).

- Use the clear plastic containers (2) for water only. o Some of the water containers will have the taps facing the back (i.e.

the volunteers), so you can fill the cups. It might even be easier to have these water containers on a table behind you. This will be the first table the runners come to.

o Some of the water containers will have the tap facing the runners – so they can fill their own water bottles. This will be near the final table (before the medical supplies).

Note – the lubricant this year is called Gurney Goo. We will not have Vaseline. If someone asks for Vaseline or a lubricant – please make sure they get the Gurney Goo. If someone asks for “electrolyte” that means either the Hammer sports drink in the red drum or the

endurolyte capsules in the small white containers.


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If at item says “use first” please use that stuff first. It is probably product leftover from the 2015 Ultra. We need to use it up. Note: We will have a refrigerated truck that acts as a mobile aid station on race day. It will have cold drinks, fruit, chips and lollies etc. ___________________

CLEANING UP • Please clean up your aid station area when you pack up and remove

everything from the location. • Please ask if the next aid station down the line needs left-over food and/or

drink, cups etc. and take the supplies to them. • Remove all rubbish – check for 300 to 400 metres around your site. • Collect all aid station supplies and course marking and rubbish. • Please do not dump course markings or unused supplies – these are

expensive. Return everything to Paul’s place at 2 Pukehangi Road, Rotorua. • Lost Gear and Drop Bags go to the Finish Line at Firmin Field, Kawerau

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ROLES At least eight people are required per aid station. There are many roles to make sure an aid station works well. - Aid Station Captain. Responsible for knowing what goes where, aid station

layout, aid station set-up, receiving the radio, assigning other roles, assigning t-shirts, packing down.

- Visual identity. Makes sure signage and banners are up, correct, with food and drink laid out correctly on aid station tables

- Record keeper. Keeps a written record of everyone who has dropped (pulled out of the race) at the aid station. May note incidents and emergencies – together with the medical team.

- Radio contact person. - First aid – provides minor first aid (bandages, strapping, etc.) NOTE medical and

outdoor safety professionals will be at each aid station – this is a backup role for minor fix-its.

- Drink supplier. Makes sure the drinks are constantly supplied on the table and are cool/cold. Makes sure soft drinks are iced.

- Fruitmonger. Makes sure fruit is chilled on ice, cut up and always in supply and fresh for runners.

- Food and drinks - The majority of volunteers will be handing out food and drink to runners and keeping supplies well stocked at aid station. Making sandwiches.

- Drop bag coordinator. Relevant aid stations only. Make sure the runners swap their drop bag from the un-used pile to the used pile.

- Injured runner transport – Carry injured runners back to their vehicle/crew or start/finish-line (usually at aid station pack down).

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EXTRA THINGS TO BRING There are a number of things you could bring that will help make life a LOT easier. A toolbox with everything in it. Hammer, nails, screwdriver, pliers, masking tape,

scissors, Stanley knife, mallet (for banging signs into the ground)… You never know what may need to be fixed in the bush (including cutting open a runners shoe if their feet have swollen).

Large Chilly bins or large insulated fish boxes would be fantastic – we have lots of drinks to keep cold.

A thermos with tea / coffee for yourselves. Your volunteers race shirt or the costume for your aid station theme. Extra clothing (including jackets) for yourself to keep warm. Extra outdoor chairs. A gazebo would be a great optional extra – this can keep your team and your

food/drinks out of the sun (or rain!). You will have extra white corflute signs and marker pens. This is for you to

create signs on the day if you need to.

Here is a quick reference on your location relative to the other aid stations.

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SET UP – 60-90 MINUTES AHEAD OF TIME Arrive at your aid station at least 60-90 minutes (depending on your particular aid station; your aid station captain will confirm this) before the first runner is due. It will take you at least 1 hour to set everything up, including: unloading your cars, setting up tables, chairs, drop bag zones, laying out drop bags, signs, banners, tablecloths, plates, cups, food and drinks, chilly bins, getting into your aid station theme costumes, parking cars away from the aid station and for a final briefing from your aid station captain.


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HOW You will need 5 or 6 aid station tables laid out in the following order…


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WHAT YOU WILL HAVE Tables Chairs Tablecloths and table banners Food and drinks + containers to transport them. Paper plates and bowls Drink containers and paper cups Cutlery A first aid box with scissors Forms and clipboards + pens A forestry radio A folder with instructions. ___________________

LOOK AND FEEL An undesirable aid station layout. NOTE chips, jellybeans and pretzels left in packets, radio left on table, drink containers on opposite ends of the table, barricade tape creating trip hazard, gels not presented on a bowl or plate.

The four photos below show excellent Aid Stations. Well presented food and drinks in the correct order, tablecloths and room for runners to access stuff. Nice work!!


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A well laid out aid stations. NOTE: Drink containers all at one end, fruit nicely cut and presented on paper plates and bowls, cutting board etc. hidden behind drink containers. Stuff stored away from public view under the tables. Note how busy these places can get. You may have 20-50 people at your aid station at any one time – it will be all go! ___________________

USING THE FORESTRY RADIOS The radios are fun to use – but are a deadly serious tool. In case of emergency a life may depend on being able to communicate on the radio immediately. Using the radios – one of your crew will be trained to use the radios before race day Speak clearly – hold the radio upright at all times.

• Use the radio for… o Emergencies – like an injured or lost runner/walker, and injury or medical

condition. If you do not have a member of the medical/safety team with you – they will respond immediately. You may wish to warn the next aid station that a runner or walker appears to be in trouble – and they should keep an eye on them.

o Tell us when the first runner reaches you. o Tell us when the last walker has reached you and you are starting to pack

down. o Let us know if you are running low on supplies (like coke) and we will help. o Any other issue that you need help with.

• DO NOT use the radio for… o Staying in touch to see how everyone else is getting along. o Reporting that runners and walkers have dropped. o The position of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th runner etc. Minor incidents.

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TIPS - INTERACTING WITH RUNNERS The runners will be mostly really friendly and super excited to see you. They will often want to stop and talk and thank you. A very few will be having the most miserable days of their lives – they will be grumpy. The fast runners are REALLY fast – they may just water handed to them in a cup or will fill up their bottles really quickly from the water dispenser. Many will want to fill their own water bottle and hydration packs from the drink containers. Make sure water flows quickly. Loosen the tops of drink containers (with a screwdriver or something similar) to help the water flow freely. Label the water containers to distinguish them from sports drink. Many runners will love to stop and chat. Most likely, they will want to know:

- What distance am I at? - How long to the next aid station? - What is the terrain like to the next aid station? - Do you have lubricant / sunblock? - Do you have electrolytes? - Do you have something for a blister? - Who was the in the lead of the race? - Can I have a hug?

Make sure runners do not sit down in the chair too long – it will be difficult to get them moving again. Most of all they will want encouragement – tell them they look amazing – they look strong, they look beautiful … anything to make them feel special – because many are taking on one of the biggest challenges of their lives. Be proud of yourself, your club, the region and New Zealand. Many runners have travelled half way around the world – they want to interact with real kiwis. Have fun – this is a fun day out.

WHERE WE ARE ON RACE DAY Paul Charteris – The event founder. Paul will be just ahead of the first runners for most of the day. Start – Blue Lake – Okareka Reserve – Okataina – Tarawera Falls – Titoki – Awaroa – Fishermans Bridge – River Road – Kawerau Finish. He can be reached on radio or 027 600 0397


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Tim Day – The Race Director for the event. Tim is in charge of the race and has the best overview on how everything works together. Start – Blue Lake – Okareka Reserve – Okataina – Humphries Bay – The Outlet – Tarawera Falls (for all finishers). Then Titoki, Awaroa, Fishermans Bridge – River Road – Kawerau Finish. Responsible for the operations planning, logistics, resourcing. 027 255 2994 Nic Muggeridge - The volunteer and registration coordinator for the event. She is responsible for coordinating volunteers and marshals around the race and registration. Nic is also responsible for helping close down the course on the day, ensuring that all aid stations are packed down and resources allocated down the line. [email protected] 027 444 6325. Edwina O’Brien – the Tarawera Forest coordinator – responsible for the overall organization of the aid stations and marshals for the last 45km of the race (after the Tarawera Outlet onwards). 021 083 13757 Nick Reader – Operations Manager. Nick is the person overseeing the entire race operation from. He has an overview of position of runners, packed up and packed down locations, traffic management and positions of safety staff. His role is overall supervision of the race on the day. 021 632 721. Andrew Roigard – Traffic management coordinator. Andrew is responsible for ensuring compliance to traffic safety plans and ensuring traffic on the day runs in the smoothest and safest way for both motorists and athletes. Su Cammell – responsible for coordinating the finish line at Kawerau. 027 438 3681 Zach Herewini - responsible for overall management of the Tarawera Falls aid station and 60km finish line – simultaneously one of the trickiest and busiest places on the Tarawera Ultra course. Aid Station Captains – are each responsible for the establishment, staffing and pack-down of their aid stations. Tim, Nick, Nic and Paul will all have extra supplies of signs, barricade tape, course markings and tools with them. Please let us know if you need anything.

mailto:[email protected]

Documents

AID STATION GUIDE - Tarawera Ultra · You will have extra white corflute signs and marker pens. This is for you to create signs on the day if you need to. Here is a quick reference