Interview: Aland Lind and Maureen Roben
By RunColo

Alan Lind and Maureen Roben are the co-race directors of the Park to Park 10 Miler and The Platte River Half Marathon. They were kind enough to participate in an interview with RunColo. I have run both of their races and can say that they put on an excellent race. I hope to make the interview segment a regular feature on the RunColo Blog, interviews with Race Directors and other influential people in the Colorado running community.

First, thanks for participating in this interview. Please tell us about yourself, your background, how you got into race directing, etc?

Maureen: I’ve been running since 1980 and competed during the 1980’s. During this time I ran numerous events both nationally and internationally. My best events were the marathon (P.R. 2:32) and the half marathon (P.R. 1:14). Following my competitive career I began coaching individuals and have coached at the High School level in addition to coaching adults both individually and in groups such as Team in Training. Alan and I coached Team in Training together and both saw a need in the Denver Metro area for races in the 10 mile to ½ marathon range. The 2003 Platte River Half Marathon was my first race directing experience.

Alan: My running began in 1974 in high school and continued competitively through college and through the late 1980’s. Like Maureen my best events were the marathon (P.R. 2:20) and the half marathon (P.R. 1:06). I coached Team in Training following my competitive career and have also taken on individual clients as well as coaching high school cross-country. My race directing began out of frustration with the lack of well organized distance events in Denver. That is when Maureen and I started the Platte River Half Marathon.

What challenges do event directors face in this recessionary market?

Maureen: Certainly sponsorship is difficult to secure in the current market. We’ve been fortunate to have very loyal sponsors who continue to support our events. We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the initial signups for the Platte River Half so far this year. We purposely have kept our price down and haven’t increased our registration fee for 4 years. This year we wanted runners to feel as though they could afford our race in spite of a down economy.

Alan: As Maureen stated, both sponsors and participants are feeling the crunch this year. I imagine that there will be some events that won’t be able to continue this year as well as fewer new events because of lack of or limited sponsorship.

What are the key traits to being successful at organizing an event?

Alan: Plan, plan, plan. Spending countless hours developing what will happen on race day has been critical for us. Knowing your budget is also a vital part of successful organization along with knowing what participants are looking for in a quality event.

Maureen: Responsive communication with sponsors, volunteers and participants.

How has technology changed how events are organized?

Maureen and Alan: On-line registration has made the processing entries much easier for participants and race organizers. Results can be generated quickly and in larger events in real-time. The web has proven to be a valuable tool to pass information to anyone interested in the race. Posting last minute instructions on our website makes race day experience less stressful for the participant.

Though we don’t utilize chip timing it is a good option in large races. We’ve been blessed over the past 4 years to have great scoring and results provided by Benji and Amie Durden.

Do you feel events such as road races will continue to grow or have peaked in terms of participation?

Maureen: I think they will continue to grow, I don’t believe they have peaked in terms of participation.

Alan: I believe they will grow but you might see, like any other businesses, over the next year or two some events will drop out. There will always be ebbs and flows with the number and size of races depending on the demand by runners and the ability to put on new events.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of putting on a race?

Maureen: There is more work then you realize to put on a successful race. You must be passionate about your event and be willing to put the time and energy into it to make it successful.

Alan: Absolutely you need to be passionate about your event. You also need to be realistic about your expectations on the size and cost of the event. Have a long term vision for the direction of the race and be willing to adjust year over year.

What resources are available for event organizers, primarily those who are rather new at putting on an event?

Alan: There are resources on the web that give the basics of race management. Volunteering at events is a great way to understand how they work or sometimes don’t work. Observing as a participant or even as a spectator can give you some insight into event management.

Maureen: Going to special event conferences were very helpful in the initial planning. You can also learn from the successes and failures of other events. I learned from other races that I’ve participated in as a racer, coach and race director.

How do you recruit volunteers for events?

Maureen: We have been very lucky in the fact that Alan and I have been involved in the Denver running community for years and have established many friendships. These friends have been very supportive of our events and have returned year after year. We also recruit volunteers through our website and through Runners Roost. Our charities also provide volunteers.

What is the one thing you wish that the runners of your race better understood?

Maureen: The cost of putting on the event. As an example, I had no idea before I became a race director that police officer were not volunteering their time.

Alan: That nearly every race director has the best interest of the runner in mind. As a race director, I am less critical running in other events then I was as strictly a participant. I now realize the amount of planning that goes into any event.

What are the challenges with regards to working with the city to get the required permits, etc?

Alan: This is a great question. With the Platte we work with four different jurisdictions (Littleton, Englewood, Sheridan and Denver). Each has their own requirements and methods of doing business. With Park to Park we work exclusively with the City of Denver. With the smaller municipalities we typically have a single point of contact. In Denver we work with multiple departments so sometimes coordinating with these various departments can be the challenge.

Finally, what are your long term goals for the Park to Park 10 Miler and Platte River Half Marathon and will you add any more races to your portfolio?

Maureen and Alan: Our long term goal is to continue to put on well-organized and reasonably priced events. Certainly we want to see each event grow but not at the expense of delivering a quality race.

Maureen: When Alan asked me to join him in directing the Platte River Half Marathon I told him I would never direct a marathon with him or anyone else. So I guess we won’t be doing a marathon.

Alan: When we started the Platte I told Maureen if we started the race we would hold it for a minimum of 10 years. It’s hard to believe we are in our 7th year and added another great race with the Park to Park. I wouldn’t rule out other events. It seems like the limiting factor is time plus Denver has so many good events that it’s hard to find a favorable spot on the calendar for an additional race, but we’ll always keep looking.