The Volunteer Diaries: Michael Hartrey

The Volunteer Diaries: Mike Hartrey

Leading a Club Run

I joined KWCC in 2011 drawn in by the Sunday Club Run.  Things were a little different back then – there was no advanced sign-up, routes were often made up or adjusted on the fly (especially if someone went off the front) and ride pace a bit more of a lottery.  Rides were shouted out, riders nervously shuffled together, set off from Laithwaites and by Cobham you just hoped you’d joined the right ride.

Within a year of joining, I started to lead the occasional club run, and over time, that frequency increased. These days I lead a club run most Sundays.

So, what makes a good club run? First and foremost – know your audience. A K1-paced Henley ride without a café stop isn’t for everyone! 😊

For me, the café stop is one of the most important aspects of the Club Run. I’m always on the lookout for new café stops and, without revealing all my trade secrets, I try to ensure the café is suitable for a group ride.

Once I have a café in mind, I plan a route, aiming to place the café stop just over half-way.  I check previous routes, Strava heatmaps and Google Street View to find one or two lesser ridden roads and lanes.  Some might call them gravel sections, but I like to call them “hidden gems.” 😉

Leading a Club Run isn’t complicated or stressful. These days most riders download the route in advance, making navigation a team effort. And despite the name the Ride Leader doesn’t have to lead from the front – it’s often more important to keep track of numbers and make sure no one gets left behind (though, let’s be honest, it happens sometimes 😲).

The best part of leading? You get to choose the route and café stop (especially if you ignore the social media badgering from your frequent club runners during the week 😉).

As we head into spring and summer, more members will be looking to join Club Runs, which means we’ll need more volunteers to lead them.  So, what are you waiting for?

Bedfont Lakes CX

In 2018, KWCC began hosting the Bedfont Lakes Central League CX event. The background and organisation of this race were covered in Matt Foote’s recent Volunteer Diaries article (December 2024). As a relatively large event, it relies on a significant number of volunteers. There’s course setup on Saturday, plenty of marshalling opportunities on Sunday, and course take-down later in the day. Volunteering is flexible – often people marshal in the morning and then race in the afternoon.

I’ve volunteered most years, usually as Chief Marshal – though the title sounds grander than it is! The role is to mainly coordinate between the marshals, Central League commissaires, and race organisers (Matt & Chris). Marshalling itself serves two key purposes: keeping other park users off the course and ensuring racers stay on the right course – which, with course changes between age categories, isn’t always as simple as it sounds!

There’s no expectation for volunteers to commit to a full day; even a half-day on either Saturday or Sunday is hugely appreciated. If you’ve never been to a CX event or are new to volunteering, this is a great place to start. It’s also a great opportunity to get to watch the various races close-up, giving you a front row seat to all the exciting action. And who knows? You might even be tempted to race it next year!