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Canadian Death Race |
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Help others:
Survive 125km of extreme racing.
Cross three mountain summits.
Gain over 17000ft elevation. Raft across a major river.
What is the Canadian Death Race Anyway?
The Canadian Death Run is
held every August long/first weekend over extreme mountain trails. The events are organized by the Canadian
Institute of Extreme Racing, a non-profit incorporated society of
Volunteers! Volunteers! Volunteers!
It is the people
behind the scenes that make a race great. As you can well imagine it takes a small
army of volunteers to safely stage an event of this magnitude. We recruit approximately 400 reliable
and motivated individuals for the Run to handle a variety of functions. Although volunteering can be challenging
and exhausting in some cases, the rewards for the adventurous at heart are
immense, leaving one with lasting memories. Some
say that the only thing harder than competing in the Death Race is volunteering
for the Death Race. So right
they are! The race is epic and so
is the challenge for the people behind the scenes.
If you have a
partner, family or friend, whether racing or not, they can help us out too with
various tasks any time between Friday morning and Monday afternoon in
approximately 5 to 8 hour shifts.
Volunteers get an ultra-cool special Canadian Death Race T-shirt (while
supplies last so register early), ticket to the BBQ lunch on Saturday, an entry
into a draw for a free team race entry ($1,2500 value) and many, many smiles
for helping at least 5 hours.
(Racers who volunteer get their name entered into an additional draw for
a refund of their race fee!)
Helping out with the race is actually lots of fun. Fill out the on-line Volunteer
Registration Form to sign up.
To find out more
send an email to info2008@canadiandeathrace.com or call (780)
827-5413.
Volunteering
positions fall into 15 broad categories (“Crews”) as follows:
1. Administration/Office
These
jobs primarily involve work before the race. Assignments include answering email and
telephone queries, computer data entry and marketing and recruiting
administrative tasks.
2. Aid Station
Help organize aid stations, all food and
equipment provided. Hand out water, gatorade and food to racers. Help racers
with gear and filling water bottles, etc.
Stations range from accessible to remote.
3. Announcing
This
is your chance to be a star.
Available assignments include acting as MC at the opening ceremony,
announcing racers’ times and bios as they cross the finishline and acting
as MC at the awards ceremony.
4. Backup Racer
Are
you fit and ambitious? Be available
to run (for free!) if a team member drops out at the last minute. There is no guarantee that you will get
to run and you won’t be eligible for a plaque/goodies that the racers
get.
5. Communications
Be
in the centre of the action at Command Central! Receive data from the field and enter it
into the computer database. Track
racers and coordinate with Search and Rescue to dispatch help where it is
needed.
6. Course Set Up
Maintaining
125 km of the Death Trail is a monumental task. We invite racers in training or anyone
else interested in hiking the trail to help with marking the trail in the weeks
and months prior to the race.
7. Marshal
Make sure racers go the right way.
Use giant full arm gestures to indicate the way, cheer racers on, give
racers verbal direction when required.
Postings range from within town to remote mountain summits.
8. Media
Help coordinate aspects of the media,
getting the media with quads and 4x4 vehicles to interesting locations to film
and photograph racers. Several TV
and newspaper crews will be here.
9. Rapid Response Team
This
team with specialized skills ensures racer safety over the vast distance of
extreme mountain terrain and responds to problems as they present in the field.
10. River Crossing
If you have a boat that
can cross the Smoky River at Hell’s Gate – please come forward to
help racers cross the river to the final stretch home.
11. Registration
We
have two assignments here: Volunteer and Racer Registration. Be at the check-in station and
distribute packages.
12. Set-Up – Race Weekend
Assist
with setting up and/or taking down the course downtown, at the Rec Centre and
at Hell's Gates.
13. Sweeper
Follow the last racer to ensure their safety and
close the course and collect signs and pylons. A quad is required for most segments but
some must be hiked. Communicate
with Command Central.
14. Timing
Ensure
racers receive a time at various points on the course and manage the Relay
Points. Timers form the
communications network of the course using cell phones and radios. Data is
collected by computerized timing sticks.
15. Videography
Videotape
the course during the race for presentation at the awards ceremony.
Remember this is the Death Race. We encourage a
Halloween style/Mardi Gras atmosphere on race weekend. We encourage volunteers to dress up and
play the part - costumes, masks, face paint, and noise makers all add to the
extra special nature of the Canadian Death Race.