If you want a more luxurious sports event, take a look at our tips to make things a little more legitimate.

A mass participation sports event, like a race, is a great way to get a lot of people to come together. It’s why lots of them double as charity fundraisers, so you’re doing something good for individuals and some communities. But they tend to be pretty slapdash and unglamourous events. The participants are sweaty and/or muddy, there’s a lot of waiting around for the guests, and the provided food usually amounts to water and orange slices. If you want a more luxurious event, take a look at our tips to make things a little more legitimate.

Hire a reliable team

A lot of things can go wrong in these sport events, from injuries to sponsorships. And it doesn’t all take place in the one day. There is a lot of planning that goes into these events and a lot of work during the event. Make sure you have a reliable team to help you out and keep everything running smoothly in your mass participation sports events. Companies such as WeAreMassive for example hire out complete teams of event managers and ‘stewards’ to maintain a smooth and safe event for all stakeholders.

Hire a professional photographer

Mass participation sports events like marathons are a big achievement for a lot of people, and despite the sweaty worn out mess they are likely to be at the end of it, they’ve got a smile they’ll want to remember. So, instead of subjecting them to their mum’s iPhone photos that always have a finger over the lens, consider hiring a photographer. Good dynamic sports photos are not something that can be easily replicated, so hire a professional so that your athletes will feel like a professional.

Kit out the finishing line

If your sports event has a finishing line, make a big deal of it. You can sell spots on a finishing arch to sponsors to make money, and it makes everything feel like an event. It’s going to be pretty anticlimactic for runners, for example, to see a chalk line on the ground when they’ve been running for so long. A decent finishing arch and podium can do a lot for motivation, and, if you do go with a professional photographer, they both make for a great photo opportunity.

Offer a luxury winners prize

A medal is all well and good, and will be appreciated, but these hobbyist/career marathon runners will have dozens of them gathering dust. Especially since there are plenty of participation medals handed out at just about every marathon. Consider offering something more substantial to the podium winners and add the luxury element while you’re at it. You can offer tokens to a nearby spa, for instance, to rest the weary runner bones.

Have a local celebrity attend

Look, if every celebrity that got asked to show up to every charity event for free did it, they’d never get a moment’s peace, so it’s understandable that this might be a tough one to pull off. Especially since everyone’s idea of a celebrity is different. You might love the local librarian that reads to the kids enough to call them a celebrity, but others might disagree.

That being said, sometimes you strike it lucky. Some towns have that author that loves chatting with the locals, some causes are near and dear to a celebrity’s heart, and sometimes a small fee is enough to convince them.
The “celebrity” in question can present prizes, open the event, and bring a sense of grandiose to the event, plus it gives the press, whether local or national, a new angle to talk about your sports event, so your marathon can be on the front pages as well as the back.

Keep everyone hydrated

With water, sure. But who doesn’t love a champagne pop at the finish line?