Proper marking is essential if you organize a trail running event. First and foremost, it provides a course that meets American Trail Running Association requirements. This, in turn, means that the event is safe and accurate, provides timely results and awards, abides by entry limits, is environmentally friendly to the land, and properly describes event details in entry booklets/brochures and/or website and/or email blasts. Having an ATRA label provides a lot of benefits: ATRA will add your event to their race calendar, and your participants will know all the details as they read them on the ATRA website.
OK, we understand the importance of proper race track markings. How to do it right and provide the maximum comfort to you as the organizer and your participants? We will discuss it all in this article. So, don’t waste time searching for the information, as we have gathered it all in one place.
The Main Rules You Should Follow
To start, here are some important rules to follow – if you don’t stick to them, you risk complications.
- Be evident. At first sight, all may seem simple. Don’t be afraid of being too obvious when it comes to race track markers because something that may seem obvious to you is not so clear to beginners. Something clear for a skilled runner may not be evident to the middle-skilled runner. To provide complete information, you should mark everything.
- Environment friendliness is essential. Markings should have a minimum impact on the environment. Think about reusing the markers from past events before buying new ones.
- Be communicative. Before starting the marking procedure, be sure that local authorities, residents, the police, and all relevant agencies know and understand the specifics of the future event you plan to organize. If you need private access permission, get the landlord’s consent before you begin marking.
- Consistency is a must-have. Create a set of trail-marking rules and stick to them throughout your course. If you have helpers, be sure they follow the same rules you set (color, style, and size of arrows, signs, and waypoints)
- Do not complicate. Use easy-to-understand marks. Usually, you just need to show the direction with an arrow or affirm the direction with a dot, square, or another symbol. Still, be sure your marks are visible against the backdrop of the trail.
If you enforce these rules, the marking process will become easy.
Types of Markings
There are a lot of different materials – it all depends on your budget and the time of the year you hold the event.
- Barrier race course marking tape. You get an excellent marking sign if you hang it on tree branches. It is easy to place and very visible, even from a distance. You can buy red-on-white options or reflective ones if you plan a night run or expect cloudy weather. Adding a sticker with your event name and contact information on the back is better to avoid confusing your marking tape with others.
- Hi-visibility tape. If your event uses trail segments where reflective barrier tape is ineffective, choose this type of marking. If you use this option, choose more expensive versions, as they shine longer.
- Spray paint. It is very useful, but be eco-friendly and use it sparingly. It leaves a permanent mark on the environment. Choose biodegradable types of paint and try to use organic alternatives. Regarding trail marking colors, red and orange are the most noticeable. Contact other race organizers, mountaineering clubs, and local community stakeholders to create a marking schedule that won’t harm the environment.
- Spray chalk. Choose this variant if you want bright markings without the environmental impact. Choose a non-toxic, washable vegetation-friendly powder spray that naturally disappears 10-20 days after use. Thanks to these benefits, you can use it on grass, asphalt, and most hard surfaces.
- Flour/starch paint. You can make this paint yourself and apply it like regular paint with a brush or roller. The benefit (or disadvantage) is that the next rain will wash it away. So, check the forecast in advance if you plan to use this kind of marking.
- Fixed signs. These options are irreplaceable if you have some difficult places where all the runners must run in a particular direction (cliffs or hills, for example). The sign may be made of cartons or other materials. Avoid stapling the signs onto trees. Tie them to trees or use poles fixed on the ground.
- Marking flags. If you cannot use paint or tape, choose this variant. These flags come with tall 10”+ wire stakes. They are lightweight and easy to carry around. Still, remember that they can be dangerous for animals, so use them carefully.
- Other equipment. You should provide yourself with nails or staples, a hammer, heavy-duty twine, and some duct tape, as you will need all this equipment to fix signs. Try to buy lightweight options to carry for hours, as the marking process takes time.
Before You Start Marking
To make the process of marking more efficient, you should do these things first:
- Inspect the course. Yes, you should pass all the way and make notes of the potential hazards and high-risk areas. Imagine you are a runner and ask yourself how you can get lost or injured. Pay attention to where to add extra signs to provide the best efficiency.
- Check the quality of your marking materials. Place some of them a couple of days before buying all the marking materials. Choose the most suitable.
- Give yourself enough time. Plan how much time and people you need to place the markings in advance. All the terrain is different – different places need different times to mark. Calculate the approximate time, and add some reserve hours to be sure you can do it all in time.
- Determine places for night marking. If your race has nighttime sections, you must understand where to provide reflective tape/paint and human resources.
How to Place Markings?
The way you place all the markings is essential. It determines the outcome of the event and the comfort of runners. Of course, at the start, you may make some mistakes. Still, you should follow the following essential rules as much as possible.
- Try to place 1-2 visible marks at any place on the course. They say one marker should be visible from another at any point along the way. Still, putting a couple of them would be better as it gives more confidence that each runner will see the mark and run in the right direction.
- Correct placement is essential. Place cross-country course markers on the ground or at eye level. Most participants look out ahead and down for obstacles. The fastest runners may not notice markers placed on the side. So, placing the tape at eye level and the paint on the ground will be better. You also should aim to mark one side of the course.
- Use affirmation marks. These marks are important as they will tell the runners that they are still on the course. There are two kinds: the first tells the runner that they are on the course following a direction change (they may not be very bright — for example, spray a dot with paint a few yards after the course junction); the second shows the runner they are on the course if the direction has not changed for some time. By the way, it is essential to warn runners about a turn 100 feet before it comes.
- Add pictures and descriptions of marks you use to a running event manual or mention it in the pre-race briefing (better to do both of them). Thus participants will know what to prepare for. Finally, you can post on social networks about markings to ensure that every runner has the necessary information.
The main thing you should also remember is to ensure the markers are done correctly. The best way to do this is to place cross-country running course markers the day before the event. Use a consistent marking technique, simple marks, and try different configurations.
What Distance Should You Adhere When Marking?
For regular sections, the best variant is to adhere to 0.10 miles on straightaways. Don’t be afraid if this may seem too frequent – it is not. Imagine that you run at a 30-minute mile pace – in this case, the time when the runner meets marks is about 3 minutes.
For busy sections, it is normal to place marks closer to each other – every 20-30 feet is ok.
On a busy course, we recommend adding markings every 30 feet – at an intersection, placing 6-8 markings within a 30-foot stretch is ok.
Night-Time Markings. How to Place Them?
You need to determine two points: the first is where the slowest runner will face the dusk, and the second – is where the fastest runner will meet the sunrise. All the distance between these two points must be marked for night conditions.
Presentation of Markings. How to Make It Clear?
Straightaways
As we said before, it is better to place markings on one side of the course (typically the right). If the runner is on the “back” portion of an out-and-back section, markings will be on their left.
The Straightaway With Unused Intersections
Place a marker about ten feet after the intersection if you have another trail that intersects the main one but don’t need it. It must be close enough to be visible but far enough not to be mistaken.
The Basic Intersection
If the intersecting trail is visible enough, use a few marks in a line at the head of the intersecting course, with a few more leading up the trail. If it is not visible, plant a group of three or four marks right at the head of the road, with a few more leading up the trail, confirming the right path is being followed. Try to place the group of marks so they are visible well before the turn. Use a flour/paint arrow on the ground before the turn.
The High-Speed Turn
If the runners must turn at high speed, use a group of regularly spaced marks placed in advance and throughout the turn. In such cases, you may even mark both sides of the course and add lath stakes/flags with arrows and flour/paint arrows on the ground before the turn.
The “Y” Intersection
It is also easy to mark as a straight section. You need to place a few marks just inside the turn and a few more up ahead. They must be clearly visible, leading the runner up the trail.
Wrap Up
Racecourse markings are essential for event performance. To provide it effectively, use our guide. If you have something to add from your experiences, please share it in the comments.