Volunteering at big bike races: lessons from the 2010 Worlds
For every rider on a start line at a world championship there are several people in high-visibility vests who are not racing. At Mont-Sainte-Anne in 2010 the organisers spoke of a volunteer crew of roughly a thousand across the whole event period, which is the usual scale for a championship of that size.
Where the work is
A mountain bike venue is kilometres of forest trail, with crossings, fast sections and places where spectators walk over the course. Each needs a marshal for every practice session and every race. Add accreditation, shuttles, team welcome, feed zones, number pick-up, spectator information, waste sorting and the build-up and tear-down of the site, and the total quickly exceeds what any paid staff could cover. The model is the same at marathons, festivals and the Olympic Games: a small core team, specialist contractors for timing, security and television, and a large volunteer base.
The main roles
| Role | What it involves | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Course marshal | Holding a crossing or a technical section, flagging crashes, keeping spectators off the line | People who can stand for hours in any weather |
| Course crew | Taping, netting and repairing the trails before and after each day | Fit local riders who know the terrain |
| Start and finish | Grid line-up, number checks, guiding riders to the podium or anti-doping | Precise people with some language skills |
| Accreditation and information | Badges for teams and media, help desk, lost property | Volunteers who prefer a sheltered post |
| Transport | Shuttles between lodging, airport and venue, or to the top of the downhill | Experienced drivers with a valid licence |
| Environment | Waste sorting, spectator awareness, site cleanliness | Anyone who wants a green event to be more than a slogan |
Groups, clubs and fundraising
Large Québec events often recruit groups as well as individuals. In 2010 groups of ten or more people aged 16 and over could register together and earn a fixed sum per person per day for their own cause. Clubs, school teams and associations use this kind of arrangement to fund equipment or trips while providing a reliable block of helpers. It also brings people who are not cyclists into the event.
What volunteers get, and what they should not have to give
The rewards are real but modest: a front-row view of world-class racing, experience in logistics and crowd management, meals and a uniform, and the company of a crew that often meets again year after year. The limits matter too. Responsible organisers keep shifts reasonable, provide water and shelter, never put an untrained volunteer in a genuinely hazardous position, and do not use volunteers to replace jobs that would normally be paid. Before signing up, ask about shift length, supervision and insurance.
Getting involved now
The 2010 championships are long over and this site recruits no one. If you want to help at a cycling event in Québec today, start with local cycling clubs, the provincial cycling federation, the websites of the events themselves and regional volunteer centres. For a closer look at individual posts, our French-language page on volunteer roles at a mountain bike race goes into more detail.
Sources
- Volunteer Canada, Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement: supervision, training and the relationship between volunteer and paid work.
- Volunteer and group recruitment pages published by the 2010 organising committee (Internet Archive): announced crew size and group scheme.