UltraCrew series - Part 2
Want a Better Ultra Crew? Be a Better Organized Runner
A good crew can make an ultramarathon much easier. But your crew can only help with what you prepare. If food is mixed into mystery bags, batteries are buried under a rain jacket, and the only instruction is “just give me whatever I need,” your crew is going to have a very long night.
One Aid Station, One Bag
Pack one bag for each major crew point. Label it clearly with the aid-station name and race distance, such as Mountain Pass - 82 km. Put the food, drink mix, socks, batteries, gloves, and gear for that section inside. This saves your crew from digging through the entire contents of your life at 2 a.m.
Pack for the Next Section
Prepare what you need to leave with. If the next section takes three hours, prepare food and drink for those three hours. Do not make your crew count gels, measure powder, and search for salt capsules while you stare into the middle distance. Future-you will be grateful.
Label Everything
Use big labels. Your crew may be tired, cold, rushed, and working under a headlamp. Label FOOD, NIGHT GEAR, FEET, COLD WEATHER, and BATTERIES. There is no prize for elegant storage, but finding gloves immediately is satisfying.
Write Down What You Want
Before the race, your brain is useful. During the race it may become less cooperative. Write simple instructions for each aid station:
- Refill both bottles
- Take 4 gels
- Change socks
- Put on headlamp
- Offer jacket if cold
- Check left foot
- Eat something warm
Your crew does not need a novel. They need instructions they can read in ten seconds.
Separate Must Have From Maybe
Make clear what is definite and optional: TAKE: headlamp, 5 gels, 2 full bottles. OFFER: gloves, jacket, soup. CHECK: feet, stomach, temperature. This gives structure without turning crew into robots.
Tell Them Your Weird Preferences
Maybe you love bananas early and hate them later, want Coke when your stomach goes bad, never want to be asked whether you want to stop, or need a reminder to eat. Tell your crew. Small details become important after ten or fifteen hours.
Make a Simple Crew Sheet
Give your crew one page with aid-station names, race distance, expected arrival times, cutoffs, crew-access rules, distance to the next crew point, planned gear changes, and pacer information. Keep it simple enough to understand while sleep-deprived in a dark car park.
Practice the Handoff
Spend five minutes practicing: bottle out, bottle in, food in vest, change layer, quick check, go. You may discover that a bag is impossible to open, nobody knows the spare headlamp, or your system is chaos wearing labels.
Do Not Make Your Crew Read Your Mind
Be clear, organized, and write things down. Prepare obvious decisions ahead of time so your crew can focus on how you are moving, feeling, and what you need next.
The Golden Rule
If your crew has to think less, they can help more.
Pack the bag. Label the food. Write the instructions. Sort the gear. Make the plan. Then, when you arrive tired, hungry, and slightly disconnected from normal civilization, your crew can do exactly what you need. That is when good crewing starts to look almost effortless.