The Small Things Matter
As a frequent runner of 10k races I find myself comparing the various races on their strengths and weaknesses. Today I ran a race I’d never run before, the “Escape to Belle Isle” in Detroit. Apparently this is the third year of this race. Overall it was nice but there were a few small details that would have made it a much better event.
The positives for this event were:
- Good-looking technical shirt.
- Nice course on Belle Isle.
- Good water stations.
- Nice volunteers.
- Proceeds seem to benefit a good charity (S.A.Y. Detoit)
The small things they could add to improve the event:
- Mile markers along the course.
- An earlier start time (it started at 8:50AM)
- sprinklers/mist to run through along course (there’s almost no shade).
- Awards for top finishers in each age division (they only did overall Male and Female winner).
Don’t take these comments as complaining. I know hosting a road race is very labor intensive and takes many volunteers many hours to plan and organize. I’m just pointing out that little things can make a big difference.
For the third year of the event they are doing a lot of things right but I also hope they can focus on a few of these small details that I’m sure all the runners would appreciate. If so, this event will no doubt grow, which will mean it will raise more funds to support their chairity (so everyone wins!)