FLM runners and supporters

1235

Comments


  • BB . . yes I know it was and it was fab!!! But don't tell everyone or there'll be more supporters than runners next year!!


    KK . . robust and large sounds good . . but what do we do about storage and stuff?


    Claire . . glad to hear from you . . Team 6 were worried coz we didn't see you at all. Afraid that we were before Number 9, as LL has suggested. We'd got Mars Bars specially for you . .

    since FLM I've had Mars Bars sandwiches, Mars Bars curry and I think it's Mars Bars bubble and squeak tonight!!!

    don't worry . . the supplies at Mudchute were only there IN CASE you needed them . .

    how did your race go? that's the important bit . .
  • Gavo sourced the helium last year, and we didn't have anyone to bring it this year. I'll mail Sean about balloons.
    KK - many thanks for that offer. When Leggy and I have had a recce, we'll report back.

    Ideas for next year:
    - team signs on poles
    - Leggy's signs a big hit so repeat next year, and we can let all the runners know early on

    One thing I don't want to do is overload supporters: this year some teams had nearly 30 runners, and I think that's about the max number. So maybe we need more support teams??
  • Maybe not have such specific requests for supporters???????????
  • Haven't read the whole thread but I did see the 800m etc. signs even though I knew where you were...in any case, I didn't know I had a team number...my fault for not spending more time on this forum....great to get the jelly babies tho' and a hug..from jj...

  • Could you get your support effort sponsored ?
  • Rich and Meerkat.

    The only major problem I see with a large robust banner is displaying it well and safely!

    Ideal is stretched lampost to lampost across the road, but going back to the ballloon scenario fraught with problems!

  • sponsorships--what a great idea, welsh alex.
  • HelegantHelegant ✭✭✭
    Anything strung across the road has to be above a certain height, and stable and safe (may even need permission...). Have a look at the photographs of the mile markers to get an idea of the required height, and the solidity of the construction.

    Sponsorship is a good idea to help with costs, but we also need to keep things simple, practical (easily managed by a gorup of volunteers in less than one hour without training)and able to be carried on the train.
  • can we put the banner across the road, so we decapitate jimmy Saville as he rides on the back of the lead vehicle??????????
  • Yes Helegant is correct about permission.

    The "Flora Balloon" banners do in fact have 'minders' with them in case of a problem. My sister and her husband were due to look after one at Cutty Sark two years ago. In the event it had to be taken down because it obscured the BBC's cameras.
  • Thats why I think we should use the mile marker ballons as our markers. Then the runners will know exactly where we are.

    We had a bit of a prob woth the balloons this year as some of them got loose and got under the runners feet. At least in previous years if they got loose they floated away.
  • Fine thank you KK :-)

    Been a bit busy with work probs and ill sprogs but things are on the up again.

    Waiting to hear if I'm in NYCM at the minute.
  • The 'Big Apple" huh?

    This is what John Bingham said to me a few weeks ago:-

    " As for running in the US, I am biased but I think that the Chicago marathon is THE one to run. New York is – well, New York, not America. Come run Chicago and I can all but guarantee that you can be a pacer!".

    So I'd better get prepared!
  • Thats why I think we should use the mile marker ballons as our markers. Then the runners will know exactly where we are.

    We had a bit of a prob woth the balloons this year as some of them got loose and got under the runners feet. At least in previous years if they got loose they floated away.
  • Don't know where the above came from ?????

    I have friends in NY so have to that one first.
  • I can only veeeery vaguely remember getting to the support teams- think i grabbed some jelly babies from someone and sort of meandered off again, which was a bit rude, but I was decidedly dazed by that point in the day... Saying that, its probably for the best that I didnt stop coz I only got about a hundred yards down the road before i had to stop and throw up (oops!)so if Id have stopped for a chat, one of the lovely support team members would have probably got hurled on!
  • okay - that's something we can bear in mind for next year:

    Supporters to wear waterproofs and carry buckets
  • that would have been marvelous!- much more polite than letting rip on the side of the road!
  • Funny!

    As the email notification came up I was 'pencilling' in 23rd April 2006 on my 'events' spreadsheet!
  • Just one request, can Ange1cake be on someone else's team? ;o)
  • OK, Just a few thoughts from a supporters perspective.

    If we'd had the spreadsheet thingy on the URWFRC site earlier, this would have been the place where people entered their race number, expected time.- Pen number( so we could calculate the time to cross the line?)
    Appearance, requirements,email address.

    This would have made a huge difference to us supporters who ended up doing a surprising amount of chasing.

    It was very hard for us to spot you all.- If we could think of a symbol that is easy to wear and wouldn't ruin costumes/cover team shirts/chafe then this would help us spot everyone from the forum and give them a cheer.- It's easy to keep an eye out for several people you know, but you can only really keep one number/appearance in your head at a time ( or we found it hard anyway).

    I'm sure that people thought we were counting backwards purely because the first sign they saw was the 9.-
    I think a really big, high sign at the beginning and then the smaller ones for each team should work well.
    The last spot in the area should have a group of people with loads of goodies but noone allocated, so anyone who misses their team doesn't miss out.

    When it comes to allocating teams, it might be a good plan to see who knows whom.- It's much easier to spot people you know.
    Perhaps we could add this to the information on the URWFRC site.- I'd be happy to help work out the allocations next year.

    The roads were pretty clear of supporters by safeways etc.- But I think the railings probably help a lot and they did give us places to hang signs etc.
  • if we got the whole thing kicked off earlier, could we email piccies to the support teams?
  • Hi All,

    Sorry I could not be there to help with the support this year. However, hopefully next year... It sounds you did a great job.

    As I am a software engineer and I also run an internet design and hosting company, if we need to put together an on-line registration/organisation support system then I would be more than happy to put something together if needed. I think that 9 months should be enough time to get something usefull together!

    Any views?
  • HelegantHelegant ✭✭✭
    I like the idea of a recognisable tag - something like a round fluorescent pink badge worn on the left shoulder would be much easier to spot than trying to identify numbers and colours in a blur.
  • Agree, the tag is a nice idea, especially if we could make it downloadable...
    Hi Dan One - great offer! Maybe you, me and SwissBobby can put our heads together nearer the time.
  • You might notice my "picture" has a red flashing LED earing! This was added some time ago when a thread was discussing the idea of identifying forum runners... May I re-introduce the idea of red LED flashing earings? (They do exist!)


    ... I thought not...


    Meerkat, whenever you want to get things rolling.

  • LED earign does not flash in Mozilla.
  • Yes it does! (well does on mine !)
  • WaboWabo ✭✭✭
    hi all, question for team 9, a photo is up of me on my story of flm, its not action photo and i din't post it, did you guys take it? looks like I am singing oggy oggy, wouldn't suprise me...
    possunt quia posse videntur - we can because we know we can 
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