Free · Certificate included
Race and Marathon Volunteer Training
Support runners safely from the start line to the finish — and every aid station between.
What you’ll learn
- Run aid stations and water stops smoothly
- Keep the course and runners safe
- Spot and respond to runners in distress
- Direct runners and keep the finish chute flowing
Screen your volunteers for $5
VolunteerBadge runs FCRA-compliant background checks for just $5 — with identity verification built in. No monthly fees, no contracts.
Create a free account →Course outline
- 1
Race day from the inside: roles & the timeline
A road race looks like chaos from the curb and like a machine from the inside.
5 min Quiz Interactive - 2
Packet pickup & the pre-race expo
Most volunteers picture race day as cups and cowbells, but a huge share of the work happens the day (or two) before, at packet pickup.
4 min Quiz - 3
Course marshal: directing runners & keeping the course safe
The course marshal is the race’s nervous system.
5 min Quiz Interactive - 4
Aid station operations: water, cups & the handoff
The aid station is where most race-day volunteers serve, and it has a craft to it.
6 min Quiz Interactive - 5
Spotting a runner in distress & getting medical help
This is the most important module in the course.
6 min Quiz Interactive - 6
Cheering, encouragement & the finish-line experience
Never underestimate the volunteer who just cheers.
4 min Quiz Interactive - 7
Weather, the back of the pack & putting it together
Weather changes everything about a race. Heat and humidity raise the risk of the very emergencies you learned to spot; cold and wet bring hypothermia, especially…
5 min Quiz Interactive
Sources & further reading
- Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) — Safe Event Guidelines for race directors and volunteers
- Running USA — How to Design Your Finish Line Area
- American College of Cardiology — What to Watch for in the Medical Tents: Non-Cardiac Emergencies in Race Medicine
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC/NIOSH) — Heat-related Illnesses — signs and what to do
- New York Road Runners (NYRR) — TCS New York City Marathon — Volunteer Roles
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