Eight Ways You Can Volunteer for the Princeton Half Marathon

waterstationMaybe you didn’t get your registration in on time to run on the Princeton Half Marathon, or maybe running 13.1 miles isn’t your kind of thing. But you can still take part in this fun community event on Nov. 3 as a volunteer. HiTOPS is still seeking volunteers for the following activities:

Start & Finish Line Volunteer
This group is in charge of helping to setup the start/finish line area, organize the runners as they assemble, handout finisher medals at the end and perform ad hoc jobs as needed.

Water Marshal
Water marshals are positioned at various points on the course in teams to hand out water, electrolyte drinks or gels to runners as needed. Water Marshals cheer and encourage the runners and help keep the runners motivated and hydrated.

Green Team
The green team is responsible for collecting and recycling any items left along the course and ensuring the route is clean, and ready to open back up. This position will require some walking and minor lifting as team members walk the route in sections.

Outdoor Trails Clean Up
As part of the course goes through pedestrian paths, the outdoor trails crew will be responsible for walking the paths and clearing any debris that may be a hazard to runners. After the course has been set as clear, trails crew may be positioned to help as traffic marshals.

Traffic Marshal
Traffic Marshals work in conjunction with the Police Departments to provide direction and information to any vehicles, cyclists or pedestrians that may encounter the course. Being placed at minor intersections, traffic marshals are a vital role to the event and ensure that runners can safely follow the course with the least possible interruptions from traffic. This position involves attending a mandatory training session.

Pace Official
Pace Officials are the “cut-off” points at Miles 6 and 9 that enforce that runners are meeting the 15 minute per mile pace. At the two cut-off points, volunteers will remind runners how much time they have left, along with help runners step to the side and forfeit the race if they cannot keep that time frame. Pace officials enforce the safety of our runners as police open roads to traffic.

Traffic Cyclist
Traffic cyclists work together as a team to ride in front of, within and at the back of the pack of runners. They help to alert water stations, course officials and spectators when runners will be coming through and most importantly keep the runners safe throughout the course.  This position involves attending a mandatory training session.

Guidebook Distribution
Volunteers are needed to send out guidebooks to residents, restaurants and community areas to notify the community about the event, and will need their own mode of transportation (car, bike or by foot). This position is on varying dates prior to the event, and can be performed in conjunction with day-of volunteering.

For more information about volunteering or to sign up online, visit the Princeton Half Marathon website.