June 22, 2016

In era obsessed with selfie-sticks, Snapchatting and Facebooking, it is rare that a moment goes by undocumented. Every worthwhile event, experience, adventure, is videoed, photographed, and socially shared. In a way, the recording and sharing of an event has become part of the experience itself.

Endurance events take a variety of forms. Themed events, such as Color Runs, OCR Events like the BattleFrog Series, and triathlons like the notorious Ironman, and are designed to attract more participants and create a more exciting, unique, overall experience.

Event organizers, of standard marathons, obstacle races and themed runs, are all constantly looking for new elements to bring to the race. The goal being twofold: drawing more participants and enriching their experiences.

Making any race a unique experience requires out of the box thinking. We’ve done the thinking for you. Here is your “unique experience” checklist. While not all items apply to every event, the more checked boxes the more likely the runners will relish every moment.

 Music. Many runners listen to their own music from their smartphones. However, another way to pump up the crowd and boost momentum is to have music blasting along the race route. This is especially ideal for themed events or charity events.

 Spectator Cheering Stands. Designate certain areas for spectators to cheer on runners. Not all runners have someone in the stands rooting for them, this is a great way to keep them motivated and enthusiastic.

 Photos. Give your runners a way to keep their memories forever. Selfies are great but what about action shots? Utilize sponsored photo-sharing platforms like Pic2Go, which give participants their photos for FREE! Runners will have even more fun posing for cameras, when they know that just a few hours after the race, Pic2Go will have their photos ready to be shared.

 Funny Distance Markers. Instead of using race markers that only show the mileage number, add funny inspirational quotes to signs, for runners to read as they race.

 Snapchat Geotag. Snapchat is of the hottest social sharing apps. Make sure your event has a set of geotags for runners to share with their snaps!

 Refreshments. Innovate your typical water stands. Offer runners energizing snacks and drinks, like pretzels, bananas, raisins, Gatorade, coconut water and green tea shots.

 Performance Tracking. Whether running for fun, for fitness or to break a record, runners want to know their timing. The more data you can offer the runner the better. Pic2Go’s Performance Tracking System, provides photos that feature the runner’s pace, distance and location on the course at the time the picture was captured.

 Scenery. Design the race route around scenic views. This will make for a heightened running experience, as well as, stunning photos from the race. If the event is near the ocean, integrate part of the boardwalk into the course. Here are some races that Forbes claims are worth traveling for the scenery.

 Nearby Attractions. Incorporate historical monuments and famous buildings along the runners’ way. In this way, the participants not only become runners but they are also tourists.

 Get Creative With the Medals. Runners who frequent endurance events are used to getting the classic finishing medal at the end of the race. Spice up the medals by making them unique to the event. At the Surf City USA Marathon runners receive a surfboard-shaped medal at the finish line.

 Restoring Stations. In addition to offering refreshments, reenergize participants by creating restoring booth that feature a spraying water mist to cool off runners as they pass by. This is especially effective for races in hotter climates.

 Finish Line Announcements. Nothing is more exciting for a runner than to hear their name announced as they cross the finish line. Arrange for an announcer to call out participants’ names and you cap off the experience with a bang.

According to Fortune magazine, the road running industry rests around $1.4 billion in revenue. This makes it one of the most valuable areas in athletics, earning more than both the NCAA and NFL in 2015. To continue this trend, event organizers need to keep their events fresh. When putting these new ideas into practice it is also important to exercise caution in order to maintain the integrity of the race.

Start checking those boxes! Your runners are waiting for something new and exciting!

Written by Sarah Marlowe - Marketing and Sponsorship Advisor at Pic2Go