send your race to the dogs!

I have been running since 1976. A year later I got involved in organizing fun runs and races, and in the process, performed almost every conceivable volunteer job. Then in 1992 I adopted my first dog, as a training partner, and soon became involved in the dog world as well. And since I work for Nabisco/Kraft, parent company of Milk Bone, it struck me that I was uniquely positioned to bring all my contacts and experience together to organize an event that everyone would remember with fondness for years to come. The motivating trigger to put on a special dog-human team event was that my dog and I experienced some unwelcoming treatment at several regular road races.

My main goal was to have a safe and enjoyable event for people who run with their dogs on a regular basis. There are only a handful of opportunities in the United States for fit dogs and owners to join as a team and compete together. The idea was to make the race a celebration of the human/canine bond and their mutual love of running. I discouraged people from participating if I felt their dogs were not fit or if they planned to walk. I discouraged walkers because I limited the number of entrants, and I did not want to close out runners. I wanted to limit the race for several reasons: I was using park trails, which are narrow; I also planned my own timing system, which would be taxed, if I had too many runners; I wanted to insure a top quality event and not get overwhelmed by participants.

The race had several secondary purposes as well. I wanted to show the skeptics that dogs and dog owners can be careful and dogs can participate in events like this with little or no risk of incidents. I also wanted to find a special way to benefit St. Hubert's Animal Welfare agency, where I adopted my dogs and where I now volunteer.
As a race director, your first priority is to define your goals. What is it that you want to do? If you have a question about how to handle something, return to your goals and see what is most appropriate to meet those goals.

In addition to the normal things that make a race well-organized-an on-time start, expedient check-in, accurate course and times, sufficient water on the course, and adequate toilets-there are also some extra precautions you should take when directing a human-canine run. The following steps insure the success of our race each year:

Outline the rules and training guidelines that owner and dog need to follow, especially if they don't already run. Training tips include:

• Start slow and build up over a 4-6 week period.
• Watch your dog's foot pads for signs of injury (cuts, wear).
  
• Be careful in hot weather (carry water, keep your run short,
  watch your dog for signs of stress).
• Run on a park trail, preferably with other running dogs and humans to acclimate your dog to running in a pack with distractions

Require participants to follow our race safety rules:

• One dog per person.
• Dogs must be on leashes at all times (max 6 feet). No flexi-leashes allowed, which could be hazardous in a crowd.
• Dog must have proof of current rabies vaccination.
• Dogs in heat are not allowed.
• Dogs must be at least 6 months old.
• Dogs must not be dragged.
• Participants should keep a short leash at the start to avoid entanglement.

The director must take the precaution of establishing ground rules for the race to avoid any complications. If you plan to direct a human/canine race you may want to do the following:

• Provide plenty of dog-poop bags and trash receptacles throughout the staging area and at frequent intervals along the course. (You may have an alternative to this. We did not. A large canine run/walk in Houston gets the Future Farmers of America to clean up.) Ask people to be responsible and clean up.
• Have a wide start. I have access to a big grass field used for soccer and baseball for my start. The start is wide enough so the runners were no more than 2 or 3 people deep (probably 200 feet wide).
• Have a vet at the event in case of a canine medical emergency.
• Reserve the right to refuse entry to dogs if they might prove hazardous to others or whose physical condition appears to be in jeopardy.
• Reserve the right to turn the run into a fun run if the weather is unseasonably warm. Give the awards away as drawing prizes and turn off the clocks, because some dogs are especially susceptible to heat and could easily get heat stroke.
• Plan your event in the fall. Fall is preferable because participants will have been acclimated to heat. Do not plan it in the summer. If you get a warm day in the spring before anyone is used to it, you are more likely to have problems.
• Have extra water. I had two water stops on a 3-mile course and lots at the finish. If it is warm, try to position children's wading pools along the course.
• Suggest strongly that people take their dogs for a warm-up jog or walk before the start to eliminate the need for a pit stop during the race.

________________
Barbara Rushman is the founder and race director of the Hounds and Harriers Run in New Jersey and a member of the Rose City Runners, which sponsors her human/canine race.

Beyond the basics, there are additional ideas that can make your race "great." These are just a few suggestions but if you care enough to make them happen you will have a very appreciative audience. A Course Only a Dog Could Love Design a beautiful course. We used paved and dirt park trails and quiet residential streets. A New Meaning to Doggie Bag Do your best to give away the best goodie bag. My first year I had three giveaways in addition to the T-shirt and doggie bandanna: a full-sized box of dog biscuits, a bag of soft doggie cookies, and a large stuffed plush toy of Beethoven the dog. Other year's bags have included several product lines from my company, including human cookies and candies as well as dog treats, joint supplements and vitamins from a pharmaceutical firm, a chewy bone from a local pet store, doggy ornaments, and a water bottle or Frisbee from a local veterinarian. Getting quality items won't be easy but it will be well worth it in the end. Bring the Stuffed Shirts Pre-stuff envelopes with the size shirts people request. Think about offering smaller sizes for children and mediums for smaller adults. First come, first served on the T-shirts often leaves unhappy participants with the wrong size. T is for Terrific Give great shirts and matching dog bandannas. Don't approve a design unless you really like it. For 2 years we have used silhouettes of actual runners taken from photographs of previous year's races in the design. We have always been able to sell leftovers as souvenirs for family members. The key to making your T-shirt a hit is to change the design annually. Look What I Won! Try to give unique and amusing prizes. In the past we awarded all winners with a different ceramic prize (Milk Bone bowl, Milk Bone mug, treat jar, holiday Milk Bone pet shop, all ceramic) plus a one-of-a-kind rosette ribbon featuring special race artwork. In addition, overall winners received a gift basket and a dog bed from a local pet store. Think about finding awards that relate to your event (your sponsors, charity, or town) instead of the usual often-overpriced trophies. Cool it! Provide great refreshments for humans and for your canines. Dude, Where's My Dog? Make race day a little less hectic by pre-mailing runners' numbers and instructions to participants, reviewing directions, rules, times, parking, etc. Follow up by mailing full race results and press release copies after the race. Say Cheese! Have a photographer take lots of photos. They are great for press releases, Web sites, and other publicity. We took "all lab," "all mixed breed," "all golden retriever" photos as well as photos on the course, at the finish and at the awards. Share the photos with the participants-I mailed the photos taken along with the results. And the award goes to… Create unique award categories. We gave awards to the first shelter adoptee, the first large breed, the first small breed, the first registered, and the person traveling the farthest, to name a few. Use your imagination to come up with some of your own. More Please, Sir. Raise money for a charity that you and participants really care about. Targeting dogs and dog lovers, we donate our funds to St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center. Following through on one or more of these ideas can go a long way in making an impression on your audience. If you put enough of these special touches in your race, your participants will all walk away and say, "That was a great race!" Race Facts Hounds and Harriers Run Date of race: 10/13/01 Distance: 3 miles Age of Race: 5 years Town/state: Morris Township, NJ Starting time: 10 a.m. Hounds and Harriers Run, 27 Sherbrooke Drive, Florham Park, NJ 07932 Phone: 973-377-6276 E-mail: houndsandharriers@att.net URL: www.concentric.net/~Rc02/hhapp.htm