PA Rando Organizer Manual

Pick a start/finish location for the event

A good Start Finish has the following attributes.

• Safe, legal all-day (and night) parking.
• Access to bathrooms
• Nearby pre-ride and post ride meal options
• Access to good bike routes

If you want to use a new start/finish that is not a PA Rando approved start finish already in the system, contact the RBA with your idea for a start finish and work with them to get it added.

Ask the RBA to schedule the event

Once the event is scheduled, if the venue requires reservations/access permission, contact the venue and secure the date.

Create an event info page

• In the PA Rando organize event system, fill out all the required fields. Make sure the event is HIDDEN till editing is complete.
• Pick a good name for the event that does NOT include "200K" in it.
• Write an interesting event description.
• Include an attractive photo early in the description, align right, 31.6% width.
• Decide what the price is. In recent years, bare bones events have been free for PA Rando members, subsidized somewhat by the shorter "food included" events. There's no simple formula or budget. Generally speaking we like the registration fees to pay all the expenses of the event with little profit or loss. Work with the RBA to establish a price and be prepared to adjust your plan based on the number of riders who register and other variables.
• Decide what the start time is -- which will also affect the controls and finish time. Verify that control venues are open/available at these times.
• Decide what the lodging options are. Some venues can offer lodging at the start/finish (eg Chamounix) or camping (eg Flint Hill), whereas other locations riders will need to find local options away from the start/finish.
• Decide what food and other amenities, if any, will be included in the price (work with the RBA). There's no simple formula or budget. The organizer must be prepared to make responsible decisions that balance the needs of the riders with the needs of the club.
• If there are sponsors for the event, they should be listed in alphabetical order in the same font, unless one of the sponsors merits special placement.
• PA Law discourages gambling. If you want something like a "raffle" at the finish, call it a "sweepstakes" and offer it to everyone, rider or not, without any fee.
• If the finish and start are at different locations, provide directions from the finish to the start. Do NOT put these in the official route. Add a cue note near the finish control, and put directions/map in the Finish section of the event webpage.
• Verify that the event "looks right" when viewed on the PA Rando website.
• Un-hide the event

Promote on Social Media

Promoting events on social media is important. Riders use different platforms and devices, so spreading our information out onto multiple platforms helps riders discover our events and stay connected with any updates. Social media is also great for supporting discussion and experiences, including the capture of pictures and videos. But social media platforms should not be a primary source of official PA Rando information.

Organizers should support social media chatter, the posting of pictures and experiences on social media, but when something is scattered over multiple places, the chance of error, omission, and contradiction is multiplied. Put critical event information, route notes, and safety warnings on the website and blog and nowhere else. Social media should point at this critical data. Copy the best ride report narratives and photos onto the website and blog, with links from social media pointing inward at this. It's acceptable to have links outward to non-critical social media chatter and photos, but anything important should be captured on to platforms fully controlled by PA Rando.

Pick a route

The route must work with the start/finish. If you want to use a new route that is not yet RUSA approved, do the following:

• Design your new route in RWGPS.
• Make sure the route doesn't cross private property or other paths at illegal times. (eg Some of the SRT is closed at night.)
• If the route doesn't finish back at the start, be sure to add a note near the finish giving directions back. DO NOT add the return route to the official route.
• Any RR track crossings should be identified
• T Intersections should be noted
• TFLs should be identified at a non-T intersection where the route turns.
• Follow the CueWizard documentation for adding #tags to the controls.
• #style=info controls need a #question, #style=photo controls need a #photo
• Publish cuesheets and cards in CueWizard
• Review everything for errors. Re-publish if necessary.
• Give the published route/info link to the RBA for review and RUSA submission

Months before the event

• If the start/finish venue requires scheduling/permission/reservations, contact the venue to make sure everything is set for the event date.
• Line up necessary volunteers
• Answer questions

Volunteers

The volunteers required depend on the amenities and route

• All events require at least one person at the start. A second person at the start can do bike inspections if night riding is likely.
• All events require people at the finish. Since the finish time window is so large, it's best to have 2-3 volunteers split the coverage hours at the finish.
• If food/drink is being served, extra people can be helpful at that control.
• If lodging is offered, at least one "rando concierge" volunteer is needed the night before the event, and the morning after the event.
• Volunteers that have cars and can go where needed are valuable.
• Volunteers that can be available during the entire event are valuable
• Overnight controls require two volunteers
• Drop bags require at least one volunteer -- better with two
• Longer events benefit from a volunteer at the penultimate control and a wandering volunteer covering the final 1/3 of the course (overall, or before an overnight). In some cases these can be the same person as some other volunteer.

A few Weeks before the event

• If the start/finish venue requires scheduling/permission/reservations, contact the venue to make sure everything is set for the event date.
• Double check the route for errors and scan the web for announcements of road closures
• Arrange for a Pre ride.
• Advertise the event by posting a link to the event page on social media

On the pre ride.

• Pre rides FOR CREDIT are for true day-of volunteers only. Anyone can pre-ride for no credit.
• Pre riders should carefully inspect every control and take notes. If a control is used for a meal, make sure required amenities are there. Verify open/close times. Verify or invent new control info questions.
• Pre riders should carefully review the cue sheet and take notes of any typos or corrections required. Verify that the cue sheet notes ALL DANGER SPOTS.
• Pre riders should carefully verify the GPS routing. Spurious turns (or missing turns) should be noted. Verify the viability of bridges.

After the pre-ride.

• Update the RWGPS route with any changes.
• Republish Cues and Cards with Cue Wizard. Check for errors. Re-publish if necessary.
• Write a blog post with course notes and links to the latest route and event info.
• Advertise the event by posting a link to the pre-ride notes blog post

Food for events

There are many possibilites for food. Every organizer has a different approach. Nevertheless, a few things have been learned over the years.

• Buy green bananas on Wednesday -- they'll be sufficiently ripe by Saturday. Generally riders eat 2/3 of a banana each.
• Yogurt is not very popular with non-vegans unless there's nothing else, although having a few (like 3) single-servings of non-dairy vegan yogurt can provide a useful option for vegans.
• Bagels should be pre-sliced. Vegan cream-cheese is vile. Get Philadelphia whipped in a tub.
• No Pulp in OJ
• Fresh strawberries must be cleaned and knife split or people won't eat them.
• Don't buy any more Almond Butter, we have about 6 untouched jars already.
• Catering half-trays claiming to feed 20 people typically only feed 10 randonneurs on a 200K.
• THERE MUST BE COFFEE. Recipe is printed on lid of coffee maker. Make more than you think is needed. Typically takes 1/2 hour to brew so it's best to start coffee at least 1.5 hours before event.
• Do not overbuy on perishables.
• Generic cookies do not have an expiration date.

Days before the event

• After pre-ride updates are published and registration is closed, it's safe to print the brevet cards.
• Make sure all pre-ride finishes and DNS notifications are included in the roster data before printing the Control sign-in sheets. Typically these are best to print the night before the event.
• If the start/finish venue requires scheduling/permission/reservations, contact the venue to make sure everything is set for the event date.

During the Event

• Start volunteer should arrive at least 1 hour before the event, unless food prep is involved. With food, arrive min 2 hours before event.
• Establish some system (SMS/Signal group, Slack, Smoke signals) for coordinating volunteers during the event.
• If there are no-shows at the start, the start volunteer MUST WAIT ONE HOUR till the start control closes before leaving.
• All control volunteers should report the passage of riders through their control.
• All riders must be accounted for. There are contact phone numbers on the sign in sheets for this reason. If you don't know where somebody is, call them. If you can't reach them, and they haven't shown up after the final closing time, call their emergency number. Be very gentle when speaking to the emergency contact.
• If there's any accident that involves EMS or LE or seems serious, take note of all details. Contact the RBA immediately.

Immediately after the event

• Text the RBA photos of all control sheets.
• Throw away all uneaten perishables after the event.
• Throw away all open non-perishables.
• Find a way to store any PA Rando gear and non-perishables
• Enter all finish elapsed times, DNS and DNQ results into the roster.
• Clean up the venue as required. Lock any doors. Return any keys. Notify the venue (if necessary) that we are out of their facility.

A few days after the event

• Report to the RBA any expenses or miles driven. (Alternatively, prepare a P&L spreadsheet and deliver it to the RBA).
• Collect photos and rider quotes.
• Write a blog post describing the event that links collected photos and quotes.
• Link the blog post in the event configuration page
• Link the blog post on social media