How to Organise a Local Marathon

For many people, organising a marathon might seem like an impossible task. These are large-scale events often featuring hundreds of people, with many more spectators. There are enough logistical issues and potential snags to leave your head spinning.

However, organising a marathon can be easier than you might think. With enough careful planning and forethought, it is certainly possible, and doing so can offer you and the community a number of amazing benefits. Want to know what’s involved in organising a marathon? Keep reading to find out.

Choose the Right Partner

One of the very best first steps you can take as you begin to plan your marathon is to partner with an established and reputable company. Massive specialise in mass participation sports events, like marathons, and can offer you a dedicated team of trained professionals to assist you in the planning and execution of your local marathon.

Plan Your Route

The route your runners will take is the most important part of your marathon and could make or break your event. You’ll need to carefully study the local area and decide on the very best course. Remember, it will need to be an interesting route with the right balance of easy and difficult sections while avoiding main roads and areas of high traffic.

Why not use existing trails and routes to form the basis of your marathon? You can then make your own adjustments and customise the course.

Pick a Date

Picking a date for your marathon might seem easy, but in reality, it is a decision that you’re going to need to consider very carefully. You’re going to have to pick a date that’s far enough in advance to give people time to adequately prepare but not so far in the future that they lose interest.

You’ll need to think about weekends and holidays too. Holding your marathon on one of these dates will mean more people are free and available to participate, but it will also mean that there could be more traffic on the roads, especially in rural or suburban areas.

Get Insurance

Much like football or rugby, a marathon is an intensive physical activity, and it comes with the risk of participants getting injured. As the organiser, you could be held legally responsible for such an incident, and you could face legal action if you are not properly prepared.

You’ll need public liability insurance to protect yourself if anyone was to get injured during the marathon. You will also need medical professionals present during the race, so you’ll need to speak with the relevant organisations to arrange this.

Open Your Marathon For Entries

Once you’ve got everything organised, and in place, it’s time to open your marathon for entries. If you feel like progress is slow, think about how you are marketing your marathon. Make use of social media to spread the word and get people talking about the race.