RMB Ultra-trail Cape Town®

VOLUNTEERS

RMB ULTRA-TRAIL CAPE TOWN VOLUNTEER INFORMATION

We value the role all our volunteers play in Ultra-trail Cape Town® and have put together some basic information to provide you with all you will need regarding working on the event. Before you sign up as a volunteer, please read through the following information so you have an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of volunteering.

Volunteering at RMB Ultra-trail Cape Town® requires a special kind of person. Yes, you need to love running and being outdoors, but you also need to understand that it is a long day out and signing up is a commitment not to be taken lightly. We rely on our volunteers and it’s a serious responsibility - last minute cancellations throw the team out so it’s not cool unless you have a really valid reason!

Please make sure you are aware of the different roles and the days that we require volunteers. There are various roles we are looking to fill so please make sure you indicate your preference when you sign up:

Registration Staff - Thursday, Friday
Start Finish Staff - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Expo Staff - Thursday, Friday
Route Markers - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Forerunners - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Sweeps - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Aid Station Staff - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
Mountain/Route Marshals - Friday, Saturday, Sunday

We don’t pay our volunteers, but we offer you a discounted entry to select Summit Event races during 2023. You get the opportunity to spend the day helping runners out on the route or at the Race Village, plus you also get a Crew T-shirt. The Cape Town trail community is a special one, and it’s rewarding to be a part of an event where this sense of community is so apparent. We ask that you bring a sense of humour and a desire to work hard and give back to the trail-running community. Each volunteer will receive:

A Crew T-shirt.
R350 discount on a single entry to one of the following events:
- The Skyrunning Series 2024
- RMB Ultra-trail Cape Town® 2024
- Ultra-trail Drakensberg® 2024

Please note that discounts are not carried over to the following year.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR

ROUTE MARKERS:

SIGN-UP HERE

Our Route Markers are vital in preparing the trails during Race Week. They are required from Tuesday to Thursday to assist with marking various parts of the route. This is limited to a small, experienced group who can work well in a team and are used to a long day out on the mountain, often in the heat of the day. There will be a Route Marking Workshop held in the Constantia green belts to give you an idea of what is expected. This is considered compulsory to attend.

FORERUNNERS:

Our Sweeps are required for Friday, Saturday and Sunday’s events, but we ask that you don’t see this as a chance to run the race as a freebie. Sweeps must be prepared to be out there for the long haul, and most of you will hike behind the slowest runner.

SWEEPS:

Our Forerunners are required at various times, including early mornings or late nights, over the Race Weekend. This is also open to a small, experienced group of trail runners who can work well in a team. All five events will require groups of Forerunners to run ahead of each race to ensure the route is well marked and everything is in place for the runners.

REGISTRATION & START-FINISH STAFF

SIGN-UP HERE

We require volunteers to assist at the Start-Finish during Race Week (Thursday to Sunday).

Thursday/Friday: These volunteers will assist with Registration - handing out race numbers etc. to all participants, Information Desk, Gear Check, and general admin around the Race Village. You can sign up for all three days or only specific days, depending on what suits you.

Friday/Saturday/Sunday: These volunteers will assist with Runners’ Zone, Finish Line Control, Medal Handout and general admin around the Race Village. You can sign up for all three days or either Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

AID STATION & TIMING POINT VOLUNTEERS

We require volunteers at the following locations:

AS Signal Hill - Friday, Saturday
AS Kloof Nek - Friday, Saturday
TP Platteklip - Friday, Saturday
AS Table Mountain - Paddy, Scouts Association - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
AS Llandudno - Brandon, Atlantic AC - Friday, Saturday
AS Rocket Road - Ryan & Tracy - Friday, Saturday
AS Hout Bay - Leeanne, Trail Dawgs - Friday, Saturday
AS Silvermine - Saturday
AS Kalk Bay - Fish Hoek AC - Saturday
AS Blackhill - Saturday
AS Simon’s Town - Bianca, VWS - Saturday
AS Kleinplaas Dam - Saturday
AS Kommetjie - Marcy, Kom Surf - Saturday
AS Noordhoek - Janet, Deep South Trail Crew - Saturday
AS Constantia Glen - Dave, Varsity Old Boys AC - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
AS Alphen Trail - Justin, West Coast Athletic Club - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
TP Nursery Ravine - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
AS University of Cape Town - Various - Friday, Saturday, Sunday
TP Deadmans Tree - Friday, Saturday, Sunday

TIMING POINTS (TP): The following checkpoints are vital for capturing the participant’s times: Platteklip Gorge, Nursery Ravine and Dead Man’s Tree. Our teams of mountain marshals manage these timing checkpoints.

AID STATIONS (AS): From the runner’s point of view, these aid stations exist so that runners have a place to get food and water to continue running and finish the race. From the race organisation’s point of view, it gives us a place to check on the runners to ensure they are doing ok and can continue running. Aid stations are also a place from where we track runners’ progress, record their numbers etc. Simply put, the primary reason we have aid stations is for the runners’ safety and to help them accomplish their goal of finishing the race.

The Aid Stations are usually allocated to specific Running Clubs or Groups which are indicated above. The Aid Station up on Table Mountain is staffed and managed by Paddy Milner and the Scouts Association and does not require additional volunteers.

Please make sure you sign up for the correct day and Aid Station or Timing Point.

MOUNTAIN/ROUTE MARSHALS:

SIGN-UP HERE

We require Mountain Marshals at strategic points on the mountain over the Race Weekend. These marshals must work in teams, be familiar with the mountain trails and route access points, and be able to hike/run to their allocated points. All Mountain Marshals will be issued with radios, and certain positions will be issued with Nano timing devices.

These Marshals can be a part of the Aid Stations and managed by the Aid Station Captains or part of Start Finish and managed by the Route Captains and are required to:

Direct the athletes, ensure they are safe in the City section and direct them in and out of the aid stations.
Have route knowledge and know the route in and out from their particular position.
Manage a Timing Point on the route.

AID STATION STAFF REQUIREMENTS:

FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER

AS Signal Hill - 10 volunteers
AS Kloof Nek - Chicks Who Trail - 10 volunteers
AS Llandudno - Atlantic AC - 10 volunteers
AS Rocket Road - Ryan & Tracy - 20 volunteers
AS Hout Bay - Trail Dawgs - 20 volunteers
AS Constantia Glen - Varsity Old Boys AC - 10 volunteers
AS Alphen Trail - West Coast Athletic Club - 10 volunteers
AS University of Cape Town - Various - 10 volunteers

SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER

AS Constantia Glen - Varsity Old Boys AC - 10 volunteers
AS Alphen Trail - West Coast Athletic Club - 10 volunteers
AS University of Cape Town - Various - 20 volunteers

SUNDAY 26 NOVEMBER

AS Signal Hill - 10 volunteers
AS Kloof Nek - Chicks Who Trail - 15 volunteers
AS Llandudno - Atlantic AC - 10 volunteers
AS Rocket Road - Ryan & Tracy - 10 volunteers
AS Hout Bay - Trail Dawgs - 10 volunteers
AS Silvermine - Jock - 10 volunteers
AS Kalk Bay - Fish Hoek AC - 20 volunteers
AS Blackhill - Fred Mindful Runners - 10
AS Simon’s Town - VWS - 20 volunteers
AS Kleinplaas Dam - Mates - 20 volunteers
AS Kommetjie - Kom Surf - 20 volunteers
AS Noordhoek - Deep South Trail Crew - 20 volunteers
AS Constantia Glen - Varsity Old Boys AC - 20 volunteers
AS Alphen Trail - West Coast Athletic Club - 20 volunteers
AS University of Cape Town - Various - 20 volunteers

VOLUNTEER BRIEFINGS

We will host compulsory Volunteer Briefings - dates and times to be confirmed closer to Race Week. Please study this website to learn as much as possible about the race – this will help you, and make you a resource for other volunteers and, most importantly, the runners.