Interested in volunteering at the 2023 adidas Manchester Marathon on Sunday 16th April?

Volunteering is a fantastic way to engage with sporting events, develop skills and make a valuable contribution as part of a team. We’re looking for enthusiastic, proactive and practical volunteers to fulfil a variety of roles across the event; this could include marshalling along the running route, helping direct our arriving runners, or supporting activity in the Athlete’s Village – and much more! Whatever your role on the day, you’ll be making a vital contribution to the success of this fantastic event.

We welcome support from individuals and from clubs and organisations, and you can find out more about how to register below.

To sign up as an individual please complete our short online registration form.

Volunteering with others is a really enjoyable way to get involved and we love the support from local clubs and organisations. By volunteering at the event, as a reward for their valuable time, these organised groups get a monetary donation to their organisation or club. If you would like to register a group from your club or organisation then please download our short Group Confirmation Form and email the completed form to us at volunteers@humanrace.co.uk.

If you have any queries before committing, please get in touch via  volunteers@humanrace.co.uk

To find out all about volunteering for us, make sure you check out our FAQs, which should answer any queries you may have. You can also view the Volunteer Role Profile here.

1. I belong to a group – can we help out at the event?
2. I want to volunteer as an individual – how do I register my interest?
3. Can I volunteer if I am under 18 years old?
4. I have registered or offered to volunteer. When can I expect to get some details from the event organiser?
5. Do I need to have specific skills and experience to volunteer at the event?
6. What support will I be given at the event?
7. I have a criminal conviction, can I still volunteer at the event?
8. What measures are in place for a volunteer’s safety?
9. Can I still volunteer if the event is less than 10 days away?
10. Can we advertise the volunteer role profiles at our workplace/company/university/organisation/centre?
11. What should I do if I want to escort my friend or family member around the course?
12. What should I wear or bring to the event?
13. What should I do to prepare myself to be volunteering at the event?
14. Travel – how do I get to and from the event?
15. Can I volunteer if I have a disability?
16. Can I still volunteer if I’m receiving benefits?
17. My phone number / email address etc has changed – what should I do?
18. Are there any other volunteering opportunities with Human Race in addition to the Manchester Marathon and Half Marathon roles?

1. I belong to a group – can we help out at the event?

Yes you can and we would love to have you join us as part of the team! We are looking to recruit a lot of volunteers for the event so please get your friends and colleagues involved too!

Group leaders should register their details by completing our short Group Confirmation Form and emailing it to volunteers@humanrace.co.uk

On this form information is collected about the approximate number of volunteers in the group and the preferred location / role.

Group members (aged 11 and over) will then need to register their details on our short online form, and declare the club or organisation they are part of.

Youth groups are welcome to volunteer, with under 18s being accompanied by adults on a ratio of 1 adult to 6 children. Youth group leaders should register their interested by emailing volunteers@humanrace.co.uk. Parents/guardians will need to register their children via Active and the group leader will need to complete a consent form. The group leader will be fully responsible for the group at the event.

All group leaders may be asked to attend a briefing event prior to event day.

2. I want to volunteer as an individual – how do I register my interest?

Volunteering is a great way to meet new people and so we’d love to have you as part of our team.

To confirm your place on the team please register as a volunteer online via our short registration form.  Between now and the event you’ll hear regularly from our Volunteer Manager and closer to the big day they will liaise with you directly about your role and send you all the information you need.

3. Can I volunteer if I am under 18 years old?

Yes you can and we would love to have you join us as part of the team.

Individuals aged 11 – 16 at the time of the event must EITHER be accompanied at the event by a parent or guardian OR be part of a supervised youth group. Parents / guardians must register their child online via Active and group leaders must complete a consent form. Please email volunteers@humanrace.co.uk to request a form.

Individuals aged 16 – 18 can volunteer independently but parents / guardians must register their child online via our Active registration form.

4. I have registered or offered to volunteer. When can I expect to get some details from the event organiser?

Volunteers will receive information around 2-3 weeks before the event date with the details about where and when to arrive and what you will need to bring. In the meantime, if you have any specific queries please email volunteers@humanrace.co.uk stating the event you are volunteering at / querying about in the subject line. If you are volunteering as part of a team, please contact your group leader in the first instance.

A member of the Event Team will contact you before the event to send you all the information that you will need to know about the event and your role. Some roles will entail more responsibility than other roles. Those with more responsibility such as a Team Leader may be expected to attend a briefing evening a couple of weeks before the event to get key information for the role.

Please note that in the run up to the event, the Volunteer Manager can be extremely busy and may not be able to respond quickly to detailed requests for information. However, we will endeavour to answer your queries as quickly as we can!

5. Do I need to have specific skills and experience to volunteer at the event?

Most of our event volunteer roles do not require you to have any specialist experience or skills and we will provide all the information and training you need to fulfil your volunteer role on the day of the event.

Any skills that we’d ideally like you to have as a volunteer are clearly stated in the role profiles. If you feel you have a particular set of skills or knowledge that you think may be relevant please do let us know by noting this in answer to the question on the volunteer registration form.

6. What support will I be given at the event?

Whatever volunteer role you take on, we will give you all the information and support you need to feel comfortable in your role at the event. This includes information being sent out pre-event. Group leaders will be invited to attend a briefing event (around 2 weeks prior to the event) at which point information will be distributed and questions can be asked.

At the event all volunteers will have a Team Leader who they can go to for help and support.

7. I have a criminal conviction, can I still volunteer at the event?

Human Race does allow the involvement of volunteers who have previous criminal records, at the discretion of the recruiting member of staff, providing that it is reasonable to do so. We will not decline any applications from volunteers on the grounds of spent criminal convictions. Volunteers with unspent or pending convictions may be declined if the relevance, nature and severity of the crimes concerned warrant that course of action.

8. What measures are in place for a volunteer’s safety?

The safety of our volunteers is very important to us therefore all volunteers will be looked after by a Team Leader throughout the event. A full health and safety assessment of the event areas will be carried out.

Whilst the outlook relating to the Coronavirus pandemic remain positive, we will continue to closely monitor the latest guidance and put in place measures to protect our delivery team as needed.

In the event of needing to introduce Covid-secure measures for the safety of all involved and to ensure the event can take place in its usual format, we might need to extend the duration of the event and may ask volunteers if they can commit to an extended shift; if this scenario arises, we will notify volunteers with as much notice as possible.

9. Can I still volunteer if the event is less than 10 days away?

Yes you can, and we would love to have you join us as part of the team!

However, to allow the Volunteer Manager to have enough time to contact all the volunteers you will be unable to sign up via the website if the event is less than 7 days away. Please email volunteers@humanrace.co.uk stating the event that you would like to work at and let us know your name and contact details. Your information will be collated and you will be provided with a form to register with before or at the event.

10. Can we advertise the volunteer role profiles at our workplace/company/university/organisation/centre?

Yes please! We particularly love having groups volunteer with us so if you recruit a group of colleagues/friends/team mates that would great!

The role profile can be found on our website (click here) along with information about the event. Please note that all volunteers need to register with us on our website prior to the event, either as individuals or as part of a group.

11. What should I do if I want to escort my friend or family member around the course?

Unfortunately, spectators are not allowed to run the route with participants due to capacity issues. We have lots of cheering points on route so supporters will be easy to spot and ready to cheer on runners. However, if there is a need for you to assist/guide a friend or family member around the course, please email us at info@manchestermarathon.co.uk.

Your assistant will need to register as a volunteer via the website so that we have all of their details and emergency contact details on record. They will also need to clearly state in the free text box in their application that they are assisting a runner around the course so that they don’t get assigned into a volunteer role.

12. What should I wear or bring to the event?

On the day, please ensure you wear comfortable sports or outdoor walking footwear. Whilst it could be a warm day, given the time of year, it will be cool in the morning when you start so we recommend wearing a few layers of clothing for this outdoor event! Also, as the British weather is so unpredictable, please do come prepared for rain with waterproofs etc just in case! You will be provided with a volunteer bib to identify you during the event – these will need to be given back at the end.

The following are not essential, but are very useful to bring along if you have them:

• A cap, sun-cream and waterproofs
• A small bag with a drink and snacks to eat
• Small torch or head torch as it may be dark when we first get on site!

When planning your outfit please remember that you will need to put on a volunteer bib over the top of your clothes etc and that it will need to be visible at all times so you are identifiable as part of the event crew.

Please note that there will be nowhere to store your bag or items so please only bring with you what you need and leave valuables at home. Please bring a rucksack or other bag that you can keep on you whilst you do your role.

13. What should I do to prepare myself to be volunteering at the event?

Please read all the information that has been sent to you so that you know where you need to be and when.

Please arrive in plenty of time for your shift and please plan your journey to the event well in advance. Don’t forget to also check in advance for any  TFGM engineering works or closures etc that may be in place across Manchester that may affect your journey.

14. Travel – how do I get to and from the event?

Please plan your journey well in advance to make sure that you are able to check in with your group leader or Team Leader in good time and be deployed into your role in time for the day.

Your roles start time, sign-in and briefing locations will be communicated nearer to the event but please be aware that the volunteer check-in time could be from around 6:00-7:00am (sorry!) on the morning of the event.

Please avoid driving as it will be difficult due to the closures for the event, as well as it being a central Manchester location so parking will be limited.

Please refer to the TFGM website to plan your journey.

15. Can I volunteer if I have a disability?

Yes you can, and we would love to have you join us as part of the team!

We believe that having a physical or learning disability shouldn’t prevent anyone from volunteering. Please get in touch so we can talk about what roles might suit your skills and any extra support you may need. You can email volunteers@humanrace.co.uk.

16. Can I still volunteer if I’m receiving benefits?

You are free to volunteer while you are receiving benefits as long as the work you do is unpaid, and you meet the rules of your benefit. Always check with your benefits advisor before you start volunteering.

17. My phone number / email address etc has changed – what should I do?

Please email volunteers@humanrace.co.uk with the event that you have signed up for, your full name and the change of details required.

18. Are there any other volunteering opportunities with Human Race in addition to the Manchester Marathon and Half Marathon roles?

We host many events throughout the year and we would welcome your support! Please visit our website humanrace.co.uk to see what events we do and if you are interested let us know via volunteers@humanrace.co.uk.