Volunteer Info

Volunteer Positions

Thank you VERY much for your interest in volunteering with Forest City Road Races!

If you’re free over the June 7, 8, and 9 weekend, we would LOVE to have your help!

We have lots of volunteers who sign up on their own, and lots who sign up with family members or friends. It’s a great opportunity to meet others, help out in the community and have some fun too!

This event would not succeed without volunteers! We appreciate and value everyone who joins in the FCRR team!

Some interesting facts:

  • Forest City Road Races is a non-profit event that is put on to raise funds for the Thames Valley Children’s Centre

  • We are celebrating our 42nd anniversary event this year!

  • The Race Crew is comprised of 15 volunteers who work year-round to organize their specific area of the race + we have close to 300 volunteers who help out over race weekend!

  • This event has raised over $1.3 Million dollars for the TVCC and over $500 000 for local organizations!


Volunteer Positions

  • Where we need the most volunteers. IF you can help out on the course, we would love to have you.

    Description:
    Course Marshalls are out on the course in specific locations, guiding participants to continue in the right direction.

    Time:
    The time varies depending on your location. The races start at 8 a.m. (so you might have to be in position by then or before 9 a.m.), and the race finishes passing marshals by 11ish a.m. (again, depending on your location). You will receive a very specific location, as well as the specific times that you can expect runners to reach you and when you should be finished.

    Notes:
    Marshals must pick up their assignment from our Course Director, Arnie, on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Arnie will go over your location with you and make sure that you’re really comfortable with your position. The course marshals and the safety of the courses are the most important aspects of the entire event.

    Most marshals volunteer on their own, but we welcome you to bring friends or family members. You are also welcome to bring anything that you would like to cheer participants on.

    Contact:
    Course Director Arnie, spivey.arnie@gmail.com

    Please mark your calendars. Arnie will send an email a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with him before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    The event set-up starts on Wednesday, but we start setting up the race shirts, medals, food tent, VIP tent, etc. on Friday afternoon. If you’re available Friday afternoon, we would love some help setting up things for race weekend.

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Friday, June 8th between 1-4 pm.

    Notes:
    This position might involve lifting some boxes of t-shirts or tables to aid setup.

    Contact:
    Race Director, Shauna shauna@forestcityroadraces.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Shauna will send an email a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    We would love to have you help roll up the finish chute and pack up the tents if you're available!

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Sunday, June 9th between 12-2 pm.

    Notes:
    This position might involve some light lifting.

    Contact:
    Race Director, Shauna shauna@forestcityroadraces.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Shauna will send an email a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    We would love to have you help set up and hand out food in the food tent to participants.

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Sunday, June 9th between 7:45 am-11:45 am.

    Notes:
    This position might involve some light lifting.

    Contact:
    Volunteer Director, Julie juliet@forestcityroadraces.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Julie will email you a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    If you’re available to help check in volunteers and hand out their t-shirts, I would love to have you!

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Saturday, June 8th between 9:30 am-12:30 pm or 12:00 pm-4 pm.

    Notes:
    T
    his role has many general questions. Volunteers in this role must have volunteered with our event in previous years.

    Contact:
    Volunteer Director, Julie juliet@forestcityroadraces.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Julie will email you a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    We would love to have you if you’re available to help with race kit pickup!

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Saturday, June 8th between 9:30 am-12:30 pm or 12:00 pm-4 pm.

    Notes:
    This role has many general questions. Volunteers in this role must have volunteered with our event in previous years.

    Contact: Registration Director, Danielle danielle@forestcityroadraces.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Danielle will send an email a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    We would love to have you if you’re available to help Harry’s store!

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Saturday, June 8th between 9:30 am-12:30 pm or 12:00 pm-4 pm.

    Notes:
    This role involves using our cash register and debit machine. Volunteers would need to have some experience with this.

    Contact:
    Registration Director, Danielle danielle@forestcityroadraces.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Danielle will send an email a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    We would love to have you if you’re available to help with gear check on race morning!

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Sunday, June 9th between 7:30 am-10:30 am

    Notes:
    This role involves greeting participants and organizing their gear so they can easily pick it up.

    Contact:
    Volunteer Director, Julie juliet@forestcityroadraces.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Julie will email you a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    We would love to have you if you can help with the kid's zone on race morning!

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Sunday, June 9th between 8:30 am-11:30 am

    Notes:
    This role involves having fun in our kids' zone! We have coloring stations, games, bouncy castles, basketball courts, face painting…, and all kinds of other things that you can jump into and have fun with the little ones and their families.

    Contact:
    Volunteer Director, Julie juliet@forestcityroadraces.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Julie will email you a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    Are you open to helping anywhere? We would LOVE to have you!

    Time:
    If you’re available to help at any point between:

    Friday, June 7th (1-4 pm)
    Saturday, June 8th (10-4 pm)
    Sunday, June 9th (8-12 pm)

    *Not all of those days/times, just a few hours. If you select this, our Race Director, Shauna, will contact you the week before the event to find out your availability and see where you would like to help out. We would LOVE to have you.

    Notes:
    This role might involve light lifting, depending on where you’re helping.

    Contact:
    Race Director, Shauna shauna@forestcityroadraces.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Shauna will send an email a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    If you’re a bike enthusiast who can lead or sweep the races, we would LOVE to have you!

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Sunday, June 9th between 7:30 and 11:30 am

    *Your volunteer time depends on the race and role that you’re doing. Amy will be in touch with you to figure this out.

    Notes:
    Experienced cyclists must fill this role. All cyclists must have their own bikes, gear, and helmets.

    Contact:
    Bike Marshal Director, Amy amy@amykwhite.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Amy will send an email a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

  • Description:
    If you have a group of 6-20 people and would like to operate one of our five water stations, we would LOVE to have you!

    Time:
    This volunteer position is for Sunday, June 9th between 7-11 am.

    *Your time will depend on where your water station is located. We will give you very detailed times when participants will reach your station.

    Notes:
    This position might involve some light lifting.

    Contact:
    Water Station Director, Gord gmcneil585@gmail.com

    *Please mark your calendars. Gord will email you a few days before the event to let you know your position, but please feel free to connect with her before that if you have any questions.

Volunteer FAQ

  • If you want to volunteer on your own, we recommend that you’re at least in grade 10.

    For safety reasons, we ask that course marshals be at least 18 years of age.

    We welcome families with children to volunteer together!

  • Yes, please register individually and write who you would like to be with in the notes section.

  • We sure do! Susan, at our volunteer check-in, will gladly sign your forms.

  • Amazing, thank you! Our volunteer race crew usually waits until the week of the event (Monday or Tuesday) to email their crew in case of any changes or more sign-ups. If you fill out the registration form, they will have you on their list. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to the person listed under the area that you signed up for and/or our volunteer director, Julie juliet@forestcityroadraces.com

  • Please dress according to the weather. All volunteers will receive a volunteer t-shirt plus a lanyard to wear. If it's chilly or wet, you will want to wear comfortable pants or shorts, running shoes, and potentially a sweater or raincoat.

    You might also want to bring a snack and water, as most positions last at least a few hours.

  • If you have a large group that is interested in volunteering, please reach out to our race director, Shauna and she will let you know what positions we have available. shauna@forestcityroadraces.com

  • Unfortunately, we do not keep a waitlist. However, we do have people who register early, and then things come up, so please check back to the Race Roster Volunteer page, some positions that say “sold out” could change before the event if people change spots or cancel.

  • If you have signed up for a position and haven’t heard from someone on the race crew, please check your spam folder in your email (sometimes our FCRR emails are there). If still nothing, please reach out to the contact person listed in your role and/or Julie, our Volunteer Director, at juliet@forestcityroadraces.com.

  • You will receive an email with a full list of instructions a few days before the event, likely on Monday or Tuesday. If you have any questions before then, please reach out to your designated race crew volunteer and/or email Julie, our Volunteer Director, at juliet@forestcityroadraces.com

  • Please email your designated race crew volunteer (listed in your role description) AND Julie, our volunteer director, at juliet@forestcityroadraces.com