Race Entry Form

This is where the heart of your race is planned, start this a year before the race if possible. Try to plan every thing ahead of time and put it on here. Limit your entry form to one page on one side. Plan your age groups; these should either 5 or 10-year groups such as 20 to 24 or 20 to 29. There should be separate ones for men and women. Some races may have as many as first through fifth in age groups where are a lot runners such as men in their thirties or forties. Others may have only two where there are very few such as women over 60 or under 19. There should be 3 overall winners in both the men and women’s categories. Do not give age group awards to overall winners.

Simple entry forms are best. The ones that fold into thirds or have other differences don’t work as well a just a plain 8½ by 11 sheet. Other formats are harder to duplicate and distribute. Entry blanks with white backgrounds are best since they reproduce best; remember some may be printed up from web sites with home computers. Again simple forms which start at the top of the page and read down the page work the best and use white paper so that people may copy it. Background pictures or colored paper may look great but they make a form hard to read or copy.

Make sure the important things like the date; time and address of the race and packet pickup are at the top and clear. Do not list a location as at a city park or building without an address, no matter common it is to city residents; most of your runners may be from out of town. Do not use an intersection such as a street and avenue; mapping services such as Google and Mapquest need an address such as 999 specific street, your city and state. This will help people from out town get to your race. Be sure to list a phone or email where they can get more information; some race calendars will not list your race unless there is a way for people to get more information besides U. S. Mail.

The best format might be the title of the race then a list of the most important information such as date, location and time. Next put the amount and who to make the check out to, then the address to send the check to. Make sure this information is first on the form. Be sure to put a phone number or email address on it so people can get additional information. Put important things at the top and make everything easy to read and find.

Plan your entry fee and how much to register the day of race and when the last day to pre-register is. You should put on your entry form that race day registrants may not get a shirt; otherwise you may have to print more shirts and mail them out after the race. Some races may charge $15 to pre-register and $20 the day of the race. State your cut off date when forms you receive by mail will be considered as race day registrations.

After your entry form is printed up, several hundred is best if you can afford it, distribute some at running clubs, athletic and shoe stores. You can add your race entry blank here. Add your race to as many race calendars as you can find. You can also visit Sign-me up, , Active.com or one of the registration services but they will charge a fee to do this for you.

Your or your insurance may wish to prohibit strollers, bicycles, dogs, headsets or roller blades on the race course, this should be put on the entry form.

On race day keep track of questions that come up and add these to your entry form next year to save you trouble.

All race entry forms contain a waiver saying the race entrant may not sue the race directors or sponsors. This is just formality since in the eyes of the law a person may not waive away their rights. See the example entry form , notice how much information is contained and easy it is to find. It has also been converted to a PDF since this is a free, widely available format that prints well from home computers.