Call for Volunteers for the Crawling Crab Half Marathon
dennisricketts1
The Crawling Crab half-marathon will be held on 05 October 2025. This event is held in the Coliseum Central area of Hampton starting at the Hampton Coliseum, running an event course that covers a large amount of central Hampton.
This event starts at 07:30. Please note that because of the extensive road closures in the area, there is a minimum on-site time of 06:00.
Please wear weather appropriate reflective coats or vests, gloves. Have your HT, programmed with the used repeater/simplex frequencies. Bring extra batteries for your radio. Bring a lighted wand. Bring your name tag on a lanyard.
Our volunteers are spread at various Mile Marker locations along the course. There, you will notify our Net Control about the arrival of the first Male runner, first Female runner and first assisted runner. Please, if possible, note their bib numbers of these runners. Then radio this information on to Net control. You are also to monitor for any issues in your area; runners needing medical assistance, or retrieval from the course. Also monitor any vehicle incursions onto the active racecourse and report them to Net control.
This list is the generally used Simplex frequencies at our events. Racecourse communications are on the local repeaters. The Crawling Crab will start out on the 549 repeater. Please make sure that you have the following simplex frequencies programmed into your HT’s and Home/Mobile radios.
146.52, 146.460, 146.550, 148.580, 147.405, 147.555
There will also be an integration of GMRS users involved, so if you have that capability, bring the appropriate HTs, and spare batteries, or mobile radios. Use of GMRS will be determined on site, with consideration of volunteers who are capable in this band. Integrating GMRS into our reporting will allow GMRS volunteers, who do not have Amateur Radio licenses, to participate.
At each mile marker, when the race passes your location, the cleanup team will arrive, as they follow the last participants. Cones, flags, and water stations will be removed. At that point, you are free to go. However - please note with the extensive road closures in place to make up the racecourse, chances are that to leave you will have to drive away from, and around the race area. You CANNOT expect to drive along the racecourse.
Attached are maps of the course, mile marker locations, and an overview map. These are from a previous race, but these positions have not changed in recent memory. Looking at the overview maps will give you a good idea of where your assigned station is located. And how/where you will need to exit the area of the race, if you have an early Mile Marker position.
If you have worked on this event before, and have a preferred Mile Marker location, please advise.
This is a manpower heavy event, so if you are available, you will be needed.
Dennis Ricketts
K4DRR
WSEP748