Zumbro Volunteer Communication 2 2022

Date: 3/25/22
Subject: Zumbro Volunteer Communication 2 2022

Hello Friends!

You are receiving this email because you signed up to volunteer for the Zumbro Endurance Run, which is two weeks from today – Friday April 8 and Saturday April 9, 2022. This is a long email but it is important that you review it.

Thank you all so much for volunteering for this year’s race. We have a really impressive group of over 125 volunteers helping this year. We could not put on such a great event without your help. Race registration is still open for another week but we currently have the following number of registered runners: 100MI=46, 50MI=102, 34MI=93, 17MI=348, TOTAL= 589

A list of volunteer assignments can be found HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/volunteer-assignments/ As always, I do my best to review and implement the information you provide in the ‘notes’ section of the volunteer signup form – that said I have been known to make a couple of mistakes and take a few liberties along the way! If you see anything that does not work for you, please let me know and we can easily adjust. Please keep in mind that you may have been assigned more than one job or shift, so please search both by name and job (you can type your name into the search box or you can sort the table by clicking any of the column headers.) There could be a few minor tweaks between now and race day, so please be sure to check the list again the week of the race. Info on each specific volunteer job can be found HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/volunteer-jobs/ HAM Radio volunteers please note that your specific assignments / times will be handled by Brendan Johnson via direct communication with him, once those are set in stone I will update the Volunteer Assignments as well. A note about staffing and durations… the aid stations are really well staffed and the shifts are long – the intention here is that this allows you to take breaks as needed, please coordinate with your aid station captain and fellow volunteers.

Please be sure to review the website and specifically the volunteer section in its entirety so you are 100% up to speed on what is going on (saving, screenshotting or printing out what anything you feel you need on race weekend), where you are going, how to get there, what you are doing, what is provided and what you need to bring. Doing this homework in advance allows you to be prepared come race weekend and be the best resource possible for the runners and your fellow volunteers.

Other things to note:

• If you are assigned to work the start / finish area, finish line, aid station 3, runner check-in, post race food, parking etc. this is all at the West Assembly Area / race headquarters. Directions to this location can be found on our website HERE https://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/getting-to-zumbro/ There is plenty of parking, plenty of room to camp and toilets. There is no cell or internet service.

• If you are assigned to work Aid Station 2 / Central Assembly, there is also plenty of parking, plenty of space to camp and toilets. You may be able to get one bar on your phone, enough to get a call or text out. Note that volunteers only are allowed at this location, no crew or spectators are allowed. A Google Maps link is HERE https://goo.gl/maps/k49JaHGMTrJ8Q1Hs7 – and following are directions from Theilman: From Theilman head .7 miles southeast on Wabasha County RD 4 (you will cross over the Zumbro River). Turn left / head east onto 624th ST / T-113 and go 1.7 miles to 235th Ave / T-70, the Central Assembly will be 1.9 miles on your left. Drive very slowly once on 235th Ave / T-70, this is a minimum maintenance road and it passes (goes pretty much right through) one farm / homestead. The current condition of the road is fair and by race day we expect that it will be passable in any car.

• Feel free to put your own personal touches on the aid station and please work with your aid station captain to plan an extra more substantial food item (burgers, pizza, vegetarian or vegan items – whatever sounds good and you know you can pull off)! Aid station captain email addresses are listed below. We will provide soup mixes and primarily pre-packaged snack foods for the runners.

• Name badges on lanyards. In the aid station bins will be lanyards with name badge holders and magic markers to write down your name on the card and insert into the holder. I know not everyone loves name tags but just as we have found with the runners (having their names printed on their bibs) we have found 1.) It helps runners be able to identify who the volunteers are 2.) We meet so many people on race weekend that it is hard to remember everyone’s name and 3.) Knowing people’s names and truly getting to know people builds community.

• Aid station captains, please coordinate with the HAM Radio Operators, they may need a couple of helpers to record bib numbers of runners (runner tracking). Aid stations are staffed really well so it should not be an issue rotating volunteers into that position.

• In the event of a medical emergency you will want to do the following; a.) locate the medical person at your aid station and / or b.) notify the HAM Radio operators of the situation so they can call for emergency services if needed. Keep in mind there is little to no cell coverage at Zumbro except up on top of the bluffs.

• If a runner DNF’s make sure it gets written down somewhere and then reported to the HAM Radio operators so they can call it into Net Control.

• Covid considerations: If you are feeling under the weather, stay home. We will have plenty of hand sanitizer, please use it. We are still doing more pre-packaged snacks than in years past, but we are also asking aid stations captains to plan / coordinate some hot food items. We will run aid stations more or less like we did pre-Covid, with an eye towards the best hygiene practices possible while being respectful of others boundaries… an example; rather than just rushing into a runners personal space and helping them without asking, ask them if they would like help with anything and how they would prefer that you help them.

• Even when we have warm days at Zumbro it usually gets pretty cold overnight, so please be sure to bring warm clothes; think down-jacket and other winter gear especially for those late night shifts. Rain gear is advisable as well. There is always the potential for mud at Zumbro so bring appropriate footwear.

• For those working really long shifts (many of you) please work with your aid station captain and those in your group to rotate out and get some rest, feel free to bring a tent, sleeping bag etc so you can catch some Z’s – we do not want, need or expect anyone to try to stay awake for two days straight!

• You are welcome to all the aid station food you can eat but you may get tired of it… you may want to pack a lunch so you have something you like. We are hoping to make some pizza at West Assembly and will plan to make that available to everyone a couple of times during the race.

• Your HATS https://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/2022-race-hat/ (taking a year off of t-shirts this year) will be sent out to Aid Station 2 / Central Assembly for those that are working there, the aid station captain or someone they assign will help get those out to everyone (if it is busy and nobody has offered, feel free to ask for it!). For those working at Aid Station 3 and all other positions you can pick yours up at the merchandise booth / check-in area at the start / finish.

• Need to know what we are providing at the aid stations? A list can be found HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/aid-station-supplies/

• Never worked an aid station and want to learn more? You can do that HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/aid-stations-101/

• Confused about the area or how the race course lays out? You can learn more HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/maps-and-data

Below is a list of aid station captains and event leads:

Aid Station 1 Rescue Point E
Unstaffed Water Stop

Aid Station 2 Central (Friday – Saturday)
Kurt Decker / TCRC

Aid Station 3 Start & Finish Area (Friday Day and Saturday Day)
Amy Wasson

Aid Station 3 Start & Finish Area (Overnight)
Brian Woods

HAM Radio Coordinator
Brendan Johnson

Medical Lead
Chalayne Palmgren – Mostly at the Start / Finish / Aid Station 3 but can be dispatched to Aid Station 2

Finish Line
Alex Bartley or Joel Button

Parking
Travis Harvieux or Scott Radke

Check-In and Post Race Food
Cheri Storkamp

Sweeping
Todd Rowe & Paul Hasse

That is all for now, this email was the big one prior to the race, you may hear from me again, you may not… if you have any questions please reach out

Thank You,

John Storkamp
Race Director
[email protected]