Preparing for Race Day, Crew Meeting & Crew Assignments

Part 2 of our 3-part Series on How to Crew for an Ultramarathon

Following our exploration of crew roles and responsibilities in Part 1 of our crewing series (“Crewing Effectiveness”), we now focus on selecting your team and preparing for the runner's specific needs. Effective planning ensures race day remains as manageable and successful as possible.

Who is in Your Crew

Selecting the right crew members is a critical decision. When building your team, consider the following qualities:

• Insight and Motivation: Do they understand your personality and know how to push you when necessary?

• Adaptability: Can they remain calm and solve problems effectively under pressure?

• Organization: Are they disciplined and composed?

• Experience: Do they understand the sport or have prior crewing experience?

• Supportiveness: Will they remain uplifting through the inevitable highs and lows?

Sometimes, ruling out individuals with conflicting constraints or temperaments is as important as identifying ideal traits. Consider these practical examples:

"My mother struggles to see me pushed to my physical limits. During a 100-miler, she might prioritize my immediate comfort over my race goals, potentially encouraging me to drop when I simply need a push to continue."

"My best friend has young children and strict availability. If the race takes longer than planned, her personal stress regarding her family obligations could negatively impact the crew dynamic."

"My running partner is often disorganized or late for meetups. Her tendency to become overwhelmed when plans shift makes her a poor fit for the unpredictable nature of an ultra."

As race day approaches, an athlete's anxiety naturally increases. Your crew should alleviate stress, not add to it. While having experienced ultrarunners on your team is advantageous, the most important factor is that they understand their role and, above all, understand you. It is also helpful to note that it can be advantageous to have a fellow runner who understands ultrarunning and has their own experiences as a member of your crew, but it can be just fine to have someone who doesn’t run or doesn’t race, as long as this person understands their role and the goals of the crew, and most importantly, they understand you.

Author Tip: Coach Brittany: “My brother is often on my race crew and he isn’t a runner. He is my Crew Captain because he can calm and direct me and he can organize and lead the other crew members. I know when he’s on my crew that I don’t have to worry or take on everything, because he can anticipate, problem solve and is prepared and organized. This allows me to remain calm and focused as I go into race day and feel confident that my race plan (and any adjustments made) will go as smoothly as possible once I’m out there.”

Crew size is another consideration. While one person can manage, a larger team provides essential companionship and allows for rest during longer events. A larger crew is also practical if you have extensive supplies or if aid stations require long walks from parking areas. Some races are logistically complex and in order to actually have crew at every accessible aid station, you’d need a larger group that could be divided into two crews. For example, you’d split your team into an "A-Crew" and "B-Crew." This allows you to "divide and conquer" aid stations when driving distances between crew access points are too long for a single vehicle to keep pace with the runner.

A classic example is the Western States 100 miler. There is a canyon that separates two early aid stations and it requires significant travel time to get between them because it is also narrow, slow forest service roads to access them. Therefore, runners typically have Crew A meet them at Duncan Canyon (mile 24.4) and Dusty Corners (mile 38), while Crew B handles Robinson Flat (mile 30.3). Both crews can then merge for later stations like Michigan Bluff and Foresthill.

Mapping out these nuances—distance, accessibility, and logistics—is vital before finalizing your team. Once you understand the demands, you can assess the team dynamic. Ensure your members work well together and that no single person is overburdened. The goal is a balanced, supportive environment that motivates you when the race gets tough.

Once you know the logistics and demands of crewing for your specific race then you can determine how many people you’d like to have and who would be a good fit. There can be several other factors that could make someone stand out as a good fit for your crew. A few examples are:

• Maybe there is a segment that requires 4-wheel drive clearance to access the crewing location. Do you have a friend with a 4x4 truck who feels comfortable driving on this type of terrain? 

• Will it require travel or do you have a friend who lives nearby the race location? 

• Do you have a friend who wants to do this particular race and would want to scout it out by being part of your crew as they prepare for their own race there the following year?

• Would you benefit from having a camper van to nap in (in context of multi-day race)?

Once you consider the logistics side of who may be a good fit, then you’d want to look at the likely team dynamic of the crew you’re putting together. Do you have friends from your local running group, but two people don’t get along and therefore that would add tension or stress the crew dynamic? Is the crew relatively well-balanced in terms of sharing the load and demands of crewing, or would one person end up having to do so much more than the others? Do you have several strong and “opinionated personalities” and there may be conflict when it comes to decision-making for the team? This is where you’d want to go back to this section’s original questions and start assessing who would work well together, who compliments what you would need on race day and who would be able to motivate you and lift you up when the race gets tough! 

How to Organize for Race Day

Effective race-day execution starts with the athlete. You must know your training, gear, and nutrition preferences intimately. By the time you reach race week, your gear and fueling strategies should be well-practiced. Organizing these into a logical system prevents confusion during the race.

We recommend planning your supplies from "Crew Access to Crew Access." For each stop, consider (*This is athlete-specific and would need to be adjusted based on the particular athlete and the specific race):

• What will you need to resupply hydration and nutrition at each particular aid station? 

• Do you plan on using your pack the whole time or will you be switching to a waist belt or handheld?

• When will it likely get dark out and you’ll need your headlamp and your cold weather gear?

• When do you want to have caffeine?

• When and what types of real food do you want?

• Do you anticipate a shoe and sock change?

• Are you using trekking poles? Can you drop them at certain places and pick them back up at a different location?

• Do you want sunscreen reapplied? 

• Do you need ice or an ice bandana?

• Do you anticipate medical needs? (i.e use of an inhaler, muscle rubs, etc.)

This is a lot of information for your crew to remember and put into action so we recommend preparing designated "Aid Station Baggies"—gallon Ziplocs or small bags containing only what you need for that specific segment. This allows your crew to review instructions before you arrive, ensuring a fast and efficient transition.

While these bags contain the essentials, the crew should maintain a broader inventory in the vehicle, including back-up nutrition (different flavors or textures), hydration refills, medical kits, extra clothing, and comfort items like chairs and blankets. This ensures that even if your primary plan shifts, your crew is ready to adapt.

It is important to know the set up of what is in the aid station bag because you likely still need to bring a lot of other gear to the actual aid station (you will likely need to bring more than just the aid station bag with you to the aid station). Not every athlete can have a fresh set of hydration flasks for each aid station and many of us use larger quantity products so we aren’t putting “single serve” electrolyte packets into the aid station bag. So you first want to take used gear from the past aid station, clean it out and refill to get it ready to be in the next aid station baggie. And even if they say they only want 2 gels at the next aid station, you should still have a small supply of other nutrition products ready as a back up (i.e. bars, other flavor gels, applesauce packets, ginger chews, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, etc.). 

At every aid station you would therefore have:

• Aid Station Baggie

• Additional fluids (backpack cooler ideal) (i.e. gatorade, jug of water for filling bottles or drinking, coke, redbull, gingerale)

• Additional gels, snacks, real foods

• Medical kit (i.e. medication, inhalers, blister kit, medical/first aid kit, batteries, etc.)

• Extra clothing / gear (i.e. rain jacket(s), hat, gloves, baselayer, cold weather gear, hat, visor, sunglasses, etc.)

• Extra shoes/socks

• Hot weather gear (i.e. ice bandana, cooler for ice with bucket to douse, ice vest, etc.)

• Chair to sit down in

• Table or blanket to set things out on

 **Customize to your athlete’s individual needs and desires.

Example of How to Set Up your “Aid Station Baggie” and Instructions:

(Written on ziplock bag):

Fish Creek Falls Aid Station 

(mile 17.7 in race, 12.4 miles until next crew) 

(Ziplock bag holds supplies and a written note that provides instructions)

Instructions: 

2 bottles - electrolyte in both

Take 4 gels

Electrolyte capsule as needed if it’s hot

Pick up raincoat

Another Example:

(Written on drawstring bag):

Olympian Hall #2 Aid Station 

(mile 63.9 in race, 6.9 miles until next crew)

(Drawstring bag holds supplies and a written note that provides instructions)

Instructions: 

Taking my poles.

Fresh headlamp swap.

2 bottles - electrolyte in both

Take 3 gels

Caffeine ready - Coke / Redbull

Real food - chicken noodle soup and mashed potatoes

*Change of clothes if weather is cold

Providing step-by-step instructions or mental checklists allows your crew to handle the technical necessities efficiently. This frees them up to check in on your well-being—asking about your feet or temperature—without feeling rushed. 

The final step in this preparation is the Crew Meeting. If the athlete has mentally gone through the whole race, determined what they will need at each aid station and aligned this plan with their race goals and execution plan, it naturally gives them an outlined plan for their crew to follow. The sharing of this plan happens at the recommended Crew Meeting, which is discussed in the next section.

Pre-Race Preparations - Crew Meeting

The day before the race is dedicated to final logistics. After packet pick-up and any race briefings, the most critical task is your internal crew meeting. Holding this meeting early is recommended to ensure everyone is aligned and you have the afternoon for packet pick-up, the race briefing, dinner and hopefully the rest of the evening to rest before race morning.

The athlete should lead this discussion, walking the crew through the race course station by station. Review the nutrition plan, demonstrate how to mix electrolytes, and ensure everyone knows where the gear is located. Most importantly, this is the time for the crew to ask clarifying questions so that everyone feels confident going into the morning.

Author Tip: Coach Brittany: “On the day before my race, I generally start my morning with time alone organizing my thoughts and getting everything ready for race day. I get all of my gear organized so it is ready for the crew meeting (which is held late morning or scheduled with enough time to be completed before packet pick-up) where I will explain my race plan and the needed actions at each aid station.”

Pre-Race Preparations - Crew Assignments

During the meeting, formalize roles. We strongly recommend designating a "Crew Captain." This person serves as the athlete's primary advocate and the crew's leader. They manage the other members, ensure tasks are completed correctly, and, crucially, act as a buffer for the athlete.

A Crew Captain prevents the athlete from being overwhelmed by the team's questions or anxieties. They delegate final tasks—like prepping ice coolers or organizing real food—so the athlete can focus entirely on their own mental preparation. This leadership remains vital on race day, as the Captain oversees technical decisions and provides direct coaching. In the heat of the race, the Crew Captain is the trusted voice. They help problem-solve GI issues, decide on shoe changes, or provide "tough love" when the athlete hits a low point. The Crew Captain generally is free to do the problem solving and address what is needed at that time, while the other crew members generally have a task that they need to complete during the aid station stop (i.e. refilling bottles, giving the athlete a burrito and ice cold water, dousing the athlete down with ice water, etc.). 

Author Tip: Coach Brittany: “My brother is always my crew captain. My brother is the guy that can anticipate problems, problem solve the issue and then designate tasks to others. But more importantly, my brother is the guy that gets me. He knows how to read me, how to push me and how to calm and refocus me. I trust that the crew is ready and set to go because I know my brother is on top of this, but I also trust that when things get tough my brother wont let me spiral mentally.”

The crew captain is also the safe person (and only person) who helps the athlete determine if they are going to drop the race or “DNF” (“Did Not Finish”). This is a delicate decision as it can often be an easy default if the athlete is in a low spot, which can come with regret later. However, deciding to withdraw from a race can be the correct decision at times, but it needs to be considered properly. For example, if a crew member is tired and didn’t expect to be having to crew overnight (for example if an athlete’s race turned out differently than expected and it was now taking many hours longer than planned) it may be easy for that crew member to default to wanting the athlete to drop from the race, but this shouldn’t be the motivating factor to encourage an athlete to drop. This is why the most trusted person on the crew should be designated as the crew captain and should be the only one discussing this topic with the athlete. 

To maintain maximum efficiency during stops, assign specific responsibilities to other team members:

• Managing feet - addressing blisters, changing shoes/socks

• Changing out running pack and providing new hydration bottles, nutrition supplies, etc. (this generally includes removing garbage from pack)

•  Giving real food or drink at the aid station (i.e. what can they eat or drink during the actual aid station stop)

• Managing medical - pain reliever, replenishing sunscreen, managing GI distress

• Managing heat - refilling ice bandana, sponging ice water over the athlete’s head/down their back

Now you know what a crew does and how to effectively prepare for race day, prep your crew and design your race execution in a way that your entire team works toward a single goal - getting you to the finish line efficiently and in the strongest way possible. When you plan and organize your crew in this way you truly can see the benefit of having a full team cheering you on and sharing in your race journey and working toward maximizing your efforts. This makes crewing for a friend or someone in your running community a pretty special experience.

Coming next, the 3rd part of our series: Spreadsheets & Pacers.  

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Brittany Peterson is a Running Coach at WildPeak Collective and a professional trail and ultra runner. She has had several wins in key races throughout the world and has been a 3-time finisher at the Western States Endurance Run, with 2 of her 3 results being in the top 5. She comes from a background of track and field and road marathon running as well and loves coaching athletes of all ages, abilities, in all terrains and with any goal in mind.

"Run Wild. Train with Purpose."

https://www.wildpeakcollective.com

info@wildpeakcollective.com