A race with several events on one day has several starts, several courses and several finishes, and each needs its own count. The crowd at a start is not the crowd at the finish, so a single total for the day under-counts one area and over-counts another.
Key takeaways
- Each event and each start needs its own count, built from its own entries and the time people spend in that area.
- Course stops, where runners slow or gather, need units that a truck can reach. Long stretches need a unit even though they are used less often.
- The finish holds the largest crowd for the longest time, and it holds families and spectators as well as runners.
- Servicing is scheduled around the race's closures, with a route the race has allowed.
- This site publishes no runner count for the race and does not estimate one. The organiser holds the entry numbers.
- Units on the course need the organiser's written agreement, and the City's terms where a public street is involved.
Why each start is its own plan
A race with several events has several starts, courses and finishes. Each one needs its own count, because the people at each are different in number, in pace and in how long they stay.
A marathon, a half marathon, a 10K and a kids' run are different events in the same city. They draw different people, they run for different lengths of time and they finish at different points in the day. A plan that treats them as one crowd will under-count the start of one and over-count the finish of another.
Each start needs a count built from its own entry numbers, the expected time people spend in the start area, and the time they spend waiting to go. The start area's crowd is largest in the minutes before the gun, and it falls away quickly after it.
The race organiser holds the entry numbers for each event. Ask for them by event and by start, and do not use a total for the whole day. This site does not publish a runner count for the race and does not estimate one.
Course stops and the long stretches
On the course, units are placed where runners stop, slow or gather, and on long stretches where no other restroom is within reach. The course map is the first tool and the list of stops is the second.
A course stop is a place where runners slow down: a water point, a turn, the approach to a bridge or the foot of a climb. Units near a stop are used in short bursts and need quick servicing, so the spot should be clear of the runner path and reachable by a truck.
A long stretch is where a runner can be far from any restroom for a long time. A unit there may be used less often, but it matters more to the people who need it. Mark each long stretch on the map and decide with the organiser whether it gets a unit.
Ask the organiser who gives permission for a unit on the course, and get the answer in writing. Do not assume that a spot is available because it is open on the map, because the terms for a course may differ from the terms for a street.
The finish and the families
The finish area holds the largest number of people for the longest time, because runners stay, walk and wait for friends. It also holds spectators and families with children, so accessible and family-friendly spots matter there.
Check the finish area's count against the time people stay, not against the time the runners cross the line.
Place accessible units on a level route from the gathering space, not at the far edge of the finish area where the ground is least even.
Keep a unit near the family area, and make sure the route to it is lit and clear for people walking with children or pushchairs.
Set the servicing visits for the hour after the last finisher, when the crowd is slowest to leave and the units are most heavily used.
Plan the pickup after the area is cleared, and write the time on the order so the crew knows when the spot is free.
Servicing around the race
Servicing is planned around the race's closures and hours of use. The truck needs a route the race does not close, and the visits need a schedule written before the race starts.
Most of the servicing happens before the start and after the finish. During the race, visits are scheduled into the gaps between the starts and at the points where the course lets a truck reach a unit.
Name the person responsible for each area and the time of each check. A unit that fills in the middle of a long stretch needs a route the race has allowed, and a call to the operator should not be the only plan for it.
Ask the organiser for the closure map and its times, and set the delivery and pickup around them. A delivery into a closed street is a delivery that waits, and the crew should not be expected to find a gap in the closure on the day.
Before the race: what to settle with the organiser
Four written answers from the organiser set the plan: the entry numbers by event, the course and start map, the closure times, and the permission for any unit on the course.
Ask for the entry numbers by event and by start, with the date they were taken. A figure with no date is a weaker basis for a count than one that can be checked against the race's own records.
Ask for the course and start map, marked with the stops and the long stretches, and ask which points the organiser wants covered by units.
Ask for the closure times, both the start-day closures and the reopening times, so the delivery and pickup windows can be set against them.
Keep the four answers with the order. A plan built on them is one the crew and the organiser can both check on the day.
What to decide before you plan the race
Four decisions shape a race plan: the events and starts in scope, the entry numbers for each, the course map with its stops and long stretches, and the organiser's rules for units on the course. Each one is a question for the organiser, answered in writing.
Settle which events are in the plan. A race that includes a marathon, a half, a shorter race and a children's run has more than one start, and each start may need its own count and its own servicing route. Confirm the list with the organiser before any count is built.
Gather the entry numbers, the course and start map, and the closure times, as set out above. A plan that starts from these three documents can be checked against each of them, and changed in one place when the race changes.
Decide who signs for each area on the day. A race has many moving parts, and the unit that matters most at a crowded corner is one whose contact can be reached by radio or phone at that corner. Write the name and the number on the plan.
Accessibility and the family area
A race plan needs accessible units at the start, along the course where a stop is staffed, and at the finish, on level routes that the crowd does not block. The family area needs its own unit and a route that is lit and clear.
Place accessible units where a person with a mobility aid can reach them without crossing the crowd. At a start, that is usually the edge of the holding area; at the finish, the edge of the gathering space. The route should be level and firm, and it should be the route the crew uses to service the unit.
The family area is where children and their carers wait for runners. Keep a unit near it, and check that the route to it is lit for the late part of the day, when the finish area is slower to clear. A family unit placed far from the family area is one that will not be used.
Ask the organiser how the course directs people to facilities, and whether the directions include the accessible units. Matching the plan to the race's own directions is the simplest way to ensure the units are found.
Frequently asked questions
How many units does a race need?
No ratio is published here. The count is built from each event's entries, its starts, its course stops and the time people stay in each area. The City's park form ratio applies only to a City park without restrooms.
Is a runner total used on this site?
No. This site does not use a runner count for the race and does not estimate one. Ask the organiser for the entry numbers by event.
Are units placed on the course itself?
Only where the organiser or the City agrees in writing, and where the spot is safe for runners and for the truck. Ask who gives that permission before the plan is drawn.
Where does a race plan most easily go wrong?
In using one total for the whole day. Each start, each stop and the finish need their own count, and each needs a servicing plan that matches how it is used.
Sources
This guide is general information for Multnomah County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.