Date: 3/27/23
Subject: Zumbro Volunteer Communication 2 2023
Hello Friends!
You are receiving this email because you signed up to volunteer for the Zumbro Endurance Run, which is less than two weeks from today – Friday April 7 and Saturday April 8, 2023. This is a very long email but it is important that you review it in its entirety.
Thank you all so much for volunteering for this year’s race. We have a really impressive group of 110 volunteers helping this year. We could not put on such a great event without your help. Race registration is still open for another few days but we currently have the following number of registered runners: 100MI=39, 50MI=95, 34MI=91, 17MI=309, TOTAL= 534
A list of volunteer assignments can be found HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/volunteer-assignments/ As always, I do my best to review and implement the information you provide in the ‘notes’ section of the volunteer signup form – that said I have been known to make a few mistakes and take a few liberties along the way! If you see anything that does not work for you, please let me know and we can easily adjust. Please keep in mind that you may have been assigned more than one job or shift, so please search both by name and job (you can type your name into the search box or you can sort the table by clicking any of the column headers.) There could be a few minor tweaks between now and race day, so please be sure to check the list again the week of the race. Info on each specific volunteer job can be found HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/volunteer-jobs/ A note about staffing and durations… the aid stations are really well staffed and many of the shifts are long – the intention here is that this allows you to take breaks as needed, please coordinate with your aid station captain and fellow volunteers.
Please be sure to review the website and specifically the volunteer section in its entirety so you are 100% up to speed on what is going on (saving, screenshotting or printing out anything you feel you will need on race weekend), where you are going, how to get there, what you are doing, what is provided and what you need to bring. Doing this homework in advance allows you to be prepared come race weekend and be the best resource possible for the runners and your fellow volunteers.
Additional Volunteer Needs:
If you can help with any of the following please let me know.
• Monday Cleanup: Normally we clean up at our home in Hastings on Sunday, this year Easter is on Sunday so we are pushing cleanup to Monday.
• Photography: If you are a good photographer with a DSLR camera or similar, we would love to have you shoot photos.
• Cleanup / Loadout: If you want to stick around until the very end on Saturday and help us with final cleanup / loading please do.
• Van Back: If you are carpooling to the race with someone and are staying until the end on Saturday and are comfortable / willing to drive a van back (with Aid Station 2 / Central supplies and equipment) to Hastings.
Other important things to note:
• If you are assigned to work the start / finish area, finish line, aid station 3, runner check-in, post race food, parking etc. this is all at the West Assembly Area / race headquarters. There is plenty of parking, plenty of room to camp and toilets. There is no cell or internet service. Due to the slow thaw and expected road conditions leading into Zumbro Bottoms we are currently asking that all volunteers coming to West Assembly come in through Theilman, directions HERE https://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/getting-to-zumbro/
• If you are assigned to work Aid Station 2 / Central Assembly, there is also plenty of parking, plenty of space to camp and toilets. You may be able to get one bar on your phone, enough to get a call or text out. Note that volunteers only are allowed at this location, no crew or spectators are allowed. A Google Maps link is HERE https://goo.gl/maps/k49JaHGMTrJ8Q1Hs7 – and following are directions from Theilman: From Theilman head .7 miles southeast on Wabasha County RD 4 (you will cross over the Zumbro River). Turn left / head east onto 624th ST / T-113 and go 1.7 miles to 235th Ave / T-70, the Central Assembly will be 1.9 miles on your left. Drive very slowly once on 235th Ave / T-70, this is a minimum maintenance road and it passes (goes pretty much right through) one farm / homestead. ** The roads leading into Aid Station 2 / Central Assembly are minimum maintenance roads. The final 1 mile stretch is shaded by a tall bluff to its South. As a result, come race weekend the road may be impassable for low clearance / 2wd vehicles, TBD. Aid Station 2 / Central Volunteers please fill out the following form so we can plan / adjust as necessary https://forms.gle/wGP5jaNA9bzAPsVr6 – I will provide AS2 / Central volunteers with an update the week of the race.
• Feel free to put your own personal touches on the aid station and please work with your aid station captain to plan an extra more substantial food item (burgers, pizza, vegetarian or vegan items – whatever sounds good and you know you can pull off)! Aid station captain email addresses are listed below. We will provide soup mixes and primarily pre-packaged snack foods for the runners.
• Name badges on lanyards. In the aid station bins will be lanyards with name badge holders and magic markers to write down your name on the card and insert into the holder. I know not everyone loves name tags but just as we have found with the runners (having their names printed on their bibs) we have found 1.) It helps runners be able to identify who the volunteers are 2.) We meet so many people on race weekend that it is hard to remember everyone’s name and 3.) Knowing people’s names and truly getting to know people builds community.
• Kurt at Aid Station 2 / Central will coordinate with the HAM Radio Operators, they may need a couple of helpers to record bib numbers of runners (runner tracking). Aid stations are staffed really well so it should not be an issue rotating volunteers into that position. Timers will track runners at Aid Station 3 / Start-Finish.
• In the event of a medical emergency let the HAM radio operators know so they can help locate our on-site medical personnel and / or can call for emergency services if needed. Keep in mind there is little to no cell coverage at Zumbro except up on top of the bluffs.
• If a runner DNF’s make sure it gets written down somewhere and then reported to the HAM Radio operators so they can call it into Net Control.
• Even when we have warm days at Zumbro it usually gets pretty cold overnight, so please be sure to bring warm clothes; think down-jacket and other winter gear especially for those late night shifts. Rain gear is advisable as well. There is always the potential for mud at Zumbro so bring appropriate footwear.
• For those working really long shifts (many of you) please work with your aid station captain and those in your group to rotate out and get some rest, feel free to bring a tent, sleeping bag etc so you can catch some Z’s – we do not want, need or expect anyone to try to stay awake for two days straight!
• You are welcome to all the aid station food you can eat but you may get tired of it… you may want to pack a lunch so you have something you like. We will make pizza at West Assembly and will plan to make that available to everyone a couple of times during the race.
• Your HATS https://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/2023-race-beanie/ will be sent out to Aid Station 2 / Central Assembly for those that are working there, the aid station captain or someone they assign will help get those out to everyone (if it is busy and nobody has offered, feel free to ask for it!). For those working at Aid Station 3 and all other positions you can pick yours up at the merchandise booth / check-in area at the start / finish.
• Need to know what we are providing at the aid stations? A list can be found HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/aid-station-supplies/
• Never worked an aid station and want to learn more? You can do that HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/aid-stations-101/
• Confused about the area or how the race course lays out? You can learn more HERE http://www.zumbroendurancerun.com/maps-and-data
Below is a list of aid station captains and event leads:
Aid Station 1 Rescue Point E
Unstaffed Water Stop (will have a HAM / communications volunteer and a person or two to keep them company here)
Aid Station 2 Central (Friday – Saturday)
Kurt Decker / TCRC – Omitted for web version
Aid Station 3 Start & Finish Area
Karin Noerenberg – Omitted for web version
Scott Noerenberg – Omitted for web version
Jason Tintes – Omitted for web version
HAM Radio Coordinator
Matt Todd
Medical
Chalayne Palmgren
Jimmy Bartley
Finish Line
John Storkamp
Alex Bartley
Cheri Storkamp
Parking
Scott Radke
Todd Rowe
Alex Bartley
Check-In and Post Race Food
Cheri Storkamp
Sweeping
Paul Hasse
Additional Communications:
I will be in touch individually with Timing, HAM Radio, Marking and Sweeping Volunteers, Thursday Setup and Monday cleanup volunteers in the coming days.
That is all for now, this email was the big one prior to the race, you may hear from me again, you may not… if you have any questions please reach out.
Thank You,
John Storkamp
Race Director
[email protected]