Turkey Trots are coming! With events of all sizes looking to their Turkey Trots and other fall races with some uncertainty, we look at some options for Hybrid events that allow you to be more flexible and dynamic depending on the current restrictions in your area - and the level of comfort of your participants.

1. What to do About
Turkey Trots
(and other Fall Races)

2. Hello!
I am Bryan Jenkins
I am here because people ask me about
Turkey Trots a lot.

3. Today’s Topics
▷ Creating a Contingency Plan
▷ Break-Even Analysis
▷ Communicating with Sponsors
▷ A Virtual Strategy:
▷ A Plan for Swag:

4. We ALL want Fall
races to happen.
But there’s a lot
of uncertainty.

5. What to Do?
No one knows, yet.
But that doesn’t mean do nothing.
Plan for your A option, but prepare for B, C, and D.

6. Creating a Contingency Plan

7. Plan B
Event Happens with Both Live and Virtual Option
▷ Social distancing protocols require a reduced in-
person field
▷ Permitting agencies are tentative
▷ Sponsors and vendors have reduced capacity
▷ Some participants are uncomfortable in a group

8. Plan C
Event is Virtual Only
▷ Restrictions on group size remain strict (or tighten
again)
▷ Permits are revoked for all events
▷ Sponsors are unable to commit
▷ Participants are not willing to participate

9. Plan D
Be Creative. If you don’t like the idea, of a virtual race,
you need to have another option in mind.
▷ Week-long, open scoring
▷ Virtual Challenge instead of standard virtual race
▷ Fundraising-only event
Skipping a year entirely can have long-term impacts on the
success of your event.

10. What do you need to Succeed?
All contingency plans need to be based on reality - which
means you need to understand the costs and benefits of
each option.
First up: Determine the financial viability of Plan A.

11. Breakeven Analysis

12. Who is On Board?
It’s not only your decision. Start having the hard conversations now.
▷ Governing bodies
○ New requirements for permits?
■ Do these increase your costs
■ Do these limit your number of participants
▷ Venues
○ Are they open for business?
○ Are there new requirements for spacing and sanitation?
■ Do these increase your costs or limit your numbers?

13. Production Costs
What do you have to spend to put on the event? Which costs are fixed, and
which scale with the number of participants?
Examples of Fixed Costs
▷ Park and municipal permits
▷ Signage
▷ Police for road closures
▷ Medical Support
▷ Base Timing Fee
▷ General Liability Insurance
Examples of Scaled Costs
▷ Swag (shirts, medals)
▷ Port-a-Potties
▷ Water and snacks
▷ Per-Runner Timing Fees
▷ Race Bibs

14. Increased Fixed Costs
Modifications to increase distance and sanitation often include extra
costs. Examples include
▷ PPE for staff and volunteers
▷ More hours for timing and employees spread
out the start
▷ Lower porta-potty ratio
▷ Significant amount of hand sanitizer
▷ Individually packaged water or snacks

15. Minimum Viability
What is the minimum number of participants that you need to make the
event financially viable?

16. Communicating with
Sponsors

17. Talk To Your Sponsors
▷ Reach out personally for a conversation (not an email)
▷ Are they financially able to support an event this year?
▷ Are they comfortable with the risk of an event and
willing to tie their names to it?
▷ Are you able to offer lower tiers

18. What Will They Support?
▷ Would they be willing to support a fully virtual event? Do they
understand what a virtual event is?
▷ Would they commit support for an event that is intended to be
in-person, but could convert to virtual if conditions require?
▷ Is there a minimum number of participants that they need for
it to be worth it to sponsor?

19. How Can You Re-Negotiate?
▷ Can you maintain sponsorships by lowering the financial
commitment? Will you offer that up-front, or work with them
on a case-by-case basis?
▷ What can you offer them (traffic to their store or online site)
that will help their business enough to keep them involved?
▷ What metrics do they need to see from a virtual race - views,
clicks, etc?

20. Virtual Strategy

21. Lean on Tradition,
Community, and Cause
Tradition
▷ Families can
participate together
even if they can’t
travel to be together
▷ Highlight runners who
have run 5, 10, 20
consecutive years
and what it means to
continue that this
year
Community
▷ Feature local
sponsors that
residents want to see
survive
▷ Offer a RaceJoy
Anywhere map with
audio cheers and
waypoints that show
off local slang and
establishments
Cause
▷ Charities are in need,
and participation
helps keep them
running
▷ Charities rely on the
money from annual
charities
▷ Online activity makes
fundraising even
easier

22. How Many States have
runners?
What family has the most
generations participating?
Are groups creating
matching outfits?
How are social media
contests enhancing the
experience?
Participate Across
the Country
How are local running
clubs using the race to
connect remotely?
How are new runners
training for their first 5K?
How does the flexibility
make it easier for everyone
to participate?
How can spectators
“watch” and cheer from
home via apps?
Celebrate What’s Different

23. Hit the Big Screen
Include a Live Element
▷ Facebook Live, YouTube Live,
Instagram Live, etc.
▷ Contact local TV or radio for
support
▷ Highlight runners, sponsors, and
charities in support
▷ Communicate local impact of the
event

24. Sponsor Options for Virtual
Races
1. Website views (flexibility
over where they appear on
your site)
2. Email views in all participant and marketing
communications.
3. Sponsor offers:
unique deals or
coupons for your
participants that
operate as type of
Contactleess
Digital goody bag

25. Sponsor Options for Virtual
Races
4. Custom-
branded
swag for
direct
mailing.
5. Sponsor
watermarks on
RaceDay photos for
free download.
6. Sponsorship through the promotion of participation.
Offer digital rewards (like website and email views) in
exchange for a set number of registrations through their
network, rather than upfront cash.

26. Sponsor Options in RaceJoy
In-App Banner Ads Sponsored
Progress Alerts
Custom Cheers Local Places of
Interest

27. A Plan for Swag

28. Create a Plan for Swag
Local Pickup
▷ No shipping
costs
▷ Can drive traffic
to local sponsor
▷ Easier for size
exchanges
▷ Not possible for
out-of-town
Shipping All
▷ Convenient for
participants
▷ Cost of shipping
▷ Unreliable
deliveries
▷ Time intensive to
prepare
Half/Half
▷ Makes everyone
happy
▷ Eliminates some
shipping costs
▷ Can be difficult
to manage

29. Shipping Considerations
Shipping is hard. Keep these things in mind:
▷ Weight: average package is $3-5, but that increases significantly over
13oz
▷ Shape: a t-shirt and medal is easier to ship than a poster or a wine
glass
▷ Zones: Use shipping software to automatically calculate the shipping
zones and subsequent cost
▷ International Shipping: International shipping, if you allow it, can be 5-
6x the cost of domestic shipping

30. Make it Fulfillment Easier
▷ DIY: If you’re keeping shipping in-house, software like
Shipstation or ShipEasy can help
▷ Contact your Timer: Many timers offer shipping/fulfillment
services as a part of their business model
▷ Fulfillment Companies: Some swag companies specialize in
shipping fulfillment. Visit RunSignup.com/GoVirtual for more
options.

31. Communication is Key
(Always)
Make sure you know when your items should ship and arrive, and include
that information in registration, confirmation emails, and follow-up
communications.
For Giveaways, update Additional Details at Race >> Giveaways/Add-Ons
>> Giveaway
For Add-Ons, update Description at Race >> Giveaways/Add-Ons >> Add-
Ons

32. Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find me at:
@username
user@mail.me
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