Meet the race director between 11:00AM and 1:00PM on race day to help mark the race course.  Course marking takes between 1.5 and 3.5 hours depending on the specific course, distance and conditions.  Suggested that you wear a hydration pack (do not carry water bottles as you need use of your hands), sun-screen, bug repentant, rain jacket, work gloves, etc.  Dress light and be prepared to move quickly – mostly fast walking while installing flags with some slow jogging depending on time.

Parking, believe it or not, is one of the most important jobs on race day. Arriving and parking at the event is runners first touchpoint with the race and we want it to be a positive, low-stress experience for them. Keep in mind that it is a weeknight, runners may have been stuck in traffic, running late from work, and may be stressed. If anyone is stressed, impatient, etc. please kill them with kindness – it is the best technique!

The goal is to help direct traffic / parking so we safely optimize the parking space available to us at each venue.

You will meet at race start / finish area at 4:45PM, looking for parking coordinator Bill Pomerenke. Bill will provide instruction and introduction to other volunteers helping with parking. Bill will be wearing a blaze orange safety vest. You will be issued a fluorescent yellow safety vest and two-way radio (parking uses channel 1). The parking volunteer position lasts until about 6:30PM. You may want a hat / sunglasses for a sunny day, and a rain jacket for inclement weather. Having a beverage with you is a good idea.

The direct link to this content is https://www.estrs.com/volunteer-jobs/#photography

Photographers play a special role in documenting and memorializing the Endless Summer Trail Run Series for individual race participants and our running community as a whole. It is also a great service to us, the race organizer, having great photography in order to paint a picture of what our event is about for runners, volunteers, sponsors, partners, permitting agencies and the general public.

We are always looking for hobbyist and professional photographers who are willing to share their time, skills, and equipment shooting photos at ESTRS. While we welcome anyone that wants to come shoot (even with a phone), this is a great position for those with DSLR or mirrorless digital cameras, as capturing moving runners (often in the woods in low light) is no easy task, and a large sensor and fast shutter are needed in order to capture clear and crisp photos. It is not lost on us that this is a unique volunteer position in that it not only requires your time on race day, but requires the use of specialized personal gear, and time spent in the days after the race post-processing and delivering images to us.

Photographers are generally welcome to shoot whatever (and wherever) at ESTRS calls to them. We are fortunate in that we have typically have enough coverage in that we do not have to be overly prescriptive in asking individual photographers what and where to shoot. One exception to this is that we really like to have a dedicated finish line photographer in an attempt to capture a photo of each runner at the race finish. That said, if you would like help with planning or logistics or have any questions at all, we are here to help and so are your fellow photographers who have experience on the course.

Generally we are looking for photos that represent all aspects of our the event (not just runners running); check-in, pre-race, race starts, on trail, at water stops, runners running, runners walking, runners doubled over, all race distances, front, middle and back of the pack, all shapes and sizes, and walks of life, volunteers, ESTRS / RSR swag, crew, pacers, dogs, kids, landscapes, wildlife, macros, aerials, struggles, triumphs, the race finish, the social hour after, etc. You can get a great idea of the type of shots that we like in the very large curated photo gallery on the homepage of our website HERE https://www.estrs.com/ . At the end of each race and race season my goal is to have a broad enough range of photos to tell the entire story of that year’s Endless Summer Trail Run Series, both in a curated highlights photo gallery (example; https://www.estrs.com/photos-2025-highlights/ ) from that year, and in the short race recaps after each individual race (example; https://www.estrs.com/2025-estrs-leabnon-7mi-recap/ )

Whenever possible it is great to get photos from you within five days of the race. I typically try to curate the photo highlights gallery, write and send out my race recap within 5 days after the race. If you get me your photos after this, that is just fine, participants know to check back and will still find them, but they will not be included in the original submission of the photo highlights gallery or race recap (sometimes I will try to go back and edit some in). I pride myself in going through each and every photo after the race and finding at least of a few of everyone’s to highlight.

Many of our photographers have somewhere that they host their own photos, and this is great / the easiest for us (Google Photos, Google Drive, Flickr, SmugMug, their own website, etc.). After you post-process, upload your photos, and send me a link – I post / link to your gallery HERE https://www.estrs.com/photos/ – for those that do not have a place that they can or want to host photos, you are welcome to zip them up / send them via a filesharing service (I think WeTransfer works really well) and I will upload them to our Google Photos in its own gallery, and will credit you in the title of the gallery.

Please know that we respect, value and appreciate your work!  We ask the following of all of our participants on the photo page: “If you are sharing or posting photos for personal use, it is always good form to credit the photographer. If you’d like to use an image for a commercial purpose (e.g. publish in a magazine, use to promote a product etc.), please contact photographers for permission and terms of use.” By shooting the race you are agreeing that we (Endless Summer Trail Run Series) may use your photos on our event website, social media, and in emails in perpetuity. That said, you retain full ownership of your photos. If a sponsor, large / for profit media entity, etc. asks for photos from the race we will put them in touch with you so you can negotiate your terms, if any. We do ask that if one of the non-profits that we work with, or small local media outlet would like to use one/some of your images, that you consider donating them.

If you are interested in coming and shooting for us please do. If you have any questions, please reach out.

Help get runners checked in, hand out “swag” (usually stickers), check ID’s / hand out wrist-bands, answer questions and more.  Starts at 5:00PM, arrive by 4:45PM for instruction and to meet up with rest of volunteers that are helping.  Report to race start / finish area.  Goes until about 6:30PM.

Water stops are located about 3 miles into each race (no water stops for our 5Ks) – and as a result usually see their first runners around 6:45PM – so, if possible report to the start finish area around 6:00PM to meet up with other volunteers who are headed to the aid stations or to get final instruction. Help setup the water stop – then when runners come through hand them water, help cool runners off with the garden sprayers, help direct runner traffic, etc. and look for any runners that might be in distress. Help cleanup and tear down the water stop when all runners are through and haul equipment back to the trailer when done.

Help work finish line by handing runners cups of water, helping those that may not be steady on their feet, and generally being of assistance to runners and our timers should they request help calling bib numbers.  First finishers start coming in around 6:45PM for the shorter races and around 7:00PM for the longer races. If the finish line is well staffed, at a minimum ring a cowbell and cheer like crazy for each and every runner finishing. This volunteer position goes until the last finisher, and then the sweeps, come through!

The direct link to this information is https://www.endlesssummertrailrunseries.com/volunteer-jobs/#course-sweeping

Sweeping (and marking) trails is a volunteer position for those who are looking to make a long term / several-year commitment. While it is one of the most fun jobs on race day, it is also one with the steepest learning curve, and its execution is imperative to the safety and success of the event. Please email us if you have interest in learning our sweeping (and trail marking) system and would like to become a sweeper (and/or a trail marker) with us! Having sweeping volunteers with medical training is a plus.

Description and Responsibilities:

After the start of the race, the race director will release the sweep team, so they can begin the sweep. Sweepers should not depart until they are released, since once in awhile we will have a last-minute straggler / starter who checked in late, and whom we are allowing to start the race.

Course sweeps follow the last runner at a respectful / out of site distance; picking up flags and arrows, looking for runners in distress, and picking up any garbage (from the race, or otherwise). Course sweepers should be very fit and able to cover the course without issue. Sweepers will be hiking, not running. The sweeping team should always stay together / never split up, unless in the event of an emergency where splitting up is warranted and carefully coordinated. Carrying a small pack to stash marking arrows, or an excess of markers is suggested. Plan to be out for an extended duration (you can look at previous years results to get an idea of the finish time of the last runner). Bring water and some calories. Carrying a basic first aid kit is advised. Sweepers may want to wear a pair of work gloves as the fiberglass markers can give fiberglass slivers (never rub your hands up and down the markers – you will get slivers).

Course Specifics: It pays for sweeps to review the course maps prior to the races, have a copy of the course map on their phone, or a printed copy. The Lebanon 10KM is a two loop course. The last runner needs to be followed (at a respectful / just out of sight distance) on the first loop, so we know where the last runner is on the second loop – so we know when it is safe to start picking up flags / taking down the course. The other three races French 5K, Lebanon 7M and Spring Lake 5M are single loop races, so flags can be picked up right away / behind the last runner – while appropriately reconfiguring any intersections that see two way traffic.

Radio / Communications / Emergencies: All of the races have cell coverage. In the event of a true emergency (ex. heart-attack, death, etc.) dial 911, then call the race director. In the event of medical non-emergency (ex. sprained ankle, runner needs transport off of the course) call the race director and the race medical volunteer, if there is one. New in 2024, we will be experimenting with two-way radios on the sweep at some of the races. Please conduct yourself professionally on the radio; i.e. no profanity, unnecessary communication, goofing-off, etc.