This was posted on M2 earlier.....
Anyone got any views they'd like to share?
----------------------
MINI Runs – Behaviour, Etiquette and What to Expect
The last few runs have seen some incidents that have resulted in damage to MINIs and personal injury too – though fortunately not of a very serious nature. We have also had MINI2ers leaving runs mid-way through because they felt intimidated by the pace of other drivers and there has since been much posting and discussion about this. Let's now try and move forward in a positive fashion, learn some lessons from the last few months to ensure future events result in everybody going home at the end of the day feeling happy, in one piece, and with their MINI in one piece too.
This thread is to be purely informational, i.e. no off topic banter or debates about whether somebody else’s post is a good idea or not. It can then serve as a point of reference for both organisers of Runs, to assist them in establishing a consistent and safe format, and attendees of Runs to help them to know what to expect and how to behave for the benefit of themselves and other runners.
Some ideas below have already been used or suggested by other MINI2 users – so thank you to all contributors and apologies for stealing them and not acknowledging all of you but a particular nod does go to DietCokePlease for extensive input
Organisers
Include a link to this thread in your Event thread to ensure attendees are aware of what to expect
Take time to prepare the route, research it on a map, drive it yourself, time it, change it, do it again – be aware organising will take its toll on your time.
Always provide pace notes for attendees to enable them to follow the route if separated from the main pack – try and make this available at least 2 weeks before the event to allow for people going away on holiday etc
Provide as much detail as possible on the pace notes, signage, landmarks etc
Wear a badge that clearly identifies you as an organiser so people know whom they can talk to if they need assistance on the day
Get someone who has not done the route to dry run the pace notes to check for errors – there will be some !
Organisers should aim to arrive at the meeting point at least 30 minutes before the start time.
Organisers of runs should aim to hold the start point within close proximity to a petrol station to ensure all runners can fill their tanks, especially important for those that have travelled a long distance to get to the start point
If the event is atteneded by large numbers split the runners into smaller groups. More than 30 cars in one group is impossible to keep together so aim for groups no bigger than this.
Expect people to get lost on the day – if you have a large number of runners it will always happen
Provide a mobile number for emergencies, such as those lost above
Get helpers – ask for volunteers to help on the day, have them in the middle of groups as well as the front and back to make sure people are not getting lost
Identify known hazards, such as fords, hump back bridges etc., on the pace notes
Vary the road conditions so there is variety for all types of drivers, slow twisties, faster open winding roads etc. However it is best to avoid the main “A” roads where possible as, due to traffic volume, this is where groups tend to get split up
Include mileage between each turn/change of direction on the pace notes. Show this for each section rather than as an accumulative total for the whole run, i.e. zero the trip counter between each stage
Provide frequent re-group points along the route so if someone is lost or the group gets split they can arrange to meet the rest again at the re-group point
Make it clear within the Run thread and pace notes that people are expected to drive courteously, legally and safely – persistent irresponsible behaviour will not be tolerated and offenders should be asked to leave the run
Accept people do drive at different speeds to you, both slower and faster, so allow for it
Expect bo
Reply With Quote
