This is my fifth years as a freelance event project manager (it's flown by!), specialising in project management, production, event delivery and event safety across the outdoor and sports events sector. As the summer season comes to a close, know is the time for reflection and reviewing learnings. For that reason I wanted to do a round up of 2024, outlining what we've been fortunate enough to be involved in this year and lessons learned throughout.
So here it is, 2024 on a page.
Cambridge Half Marathon - Event Safety Manager
Starting the same way as the previous few years. I was kindly invited to provide event safety cover on behalf of ATZ Safety at Cambridge Half Marathon. This year the race saw 13,000 runners cross the finish line on a cold Sunday morning.
Image: the start line of the 2024 Cambridge Half Marathon
Fred Whitton Challenge - Event Director
The Lake Districts most loved cycling event. This is a year round project, with pre entries and the ballot in November and December. Then planning ramps up from January onwards, ready for a May event delivery. Each year we see 2500 cyclist take on a 113 mile route around the Lake District, including all the toughest Lake District passes along the way. My role as event director is to ensure all the planning and logistics are put in place each year, including closing a 20 mile stretch of road over Harknott and Wrynose pass. Fortunately we have a fantastic team around us with 25 years of experience delivering sportives and over 350 volunteers every year. Always one of my favourite events of the year, as you can see from the image below, the venue is unbeatable!
Image: a fantastic drone shot of the Wheelbase Fred Whitton Challenge venue in Grasmere, Cumbria
Ride London Classique - Senior Venue Production Manager on behalf of London Marathon Events Ltd
For the past three years this has been one of my biggest projects of the year, with planning kicking off from January. My role each year was to plan and deliver two start venues and one finish location. For 2024 this was Saffron Walden and Maldon. As a freelancer event manager, it's always a pleasure when a client gives you a solid chunk of work and clear perameters of responsibility. This role couldnt be clearer, "the venues are yours to plan" was the brief. This included supplier procurement/management, creating production documentation/site plans and liaising with other teams including branding, stakeholders, authorities, Health and Safety and LME management. Sadly the Classique isn't happening in 2025 and will be a weekend I miss next year, but hopefully it will be back!
Image: the finish line of the 2024 Ride London Classique built on Maldon High St.
Wild Goat Festival - Event Safety Lead
A new one for the 2024 calendar and a very enjoyable one. The weather gods were on our side and I enjoyed spending the week in the Lake District working with the Event of the North team to safely deliver this trail running and gravel cycling weekend.
Image: Steve Cram, Paula Radcliffe and Chris Thompsom delivering a talk at the Wild Goat Festival
Macmillan Mighty Hike Lake District - Event Director
This is the third year that Threshold has kindly invited me to attend one of Macmillan's Flagship hiking events, this year as event director. Over 1000 hikers took on the marathon loops of Ullswater, which in my opinion is one of the most beautiful hikes in the UK.
Sorry no picture of this event, all I could find was lots of pictures of muddy fields on my phone that you don't need to see!
Highlander Adventure UK - UK Operations Lead
Highlander is another year round project for me and one I'm enjoying seeing grow every year. This five day event allows people to attempt a through hike and have all their logistics taken care of; including provision of private and remote camping locations, water, food and entertainment, as well as a fantastic route. This year over 300 hikers took part across the five days. The event has so many similarities in terms of challenges to my other projects, but also a number of unique challenges that have to be overcome to deliver a five day hike where multiple venues are open at the same time.
Image: A great shot of check point four in St Johns in the Vale, Cumbria.
Great North Run - Logistics Manager (Finish)
A new project for 2024, I was invited by the Great Run Company to take a lead on the logistics of the Great North Run finish through the planning and delivery phase. This included updating specs, booking kit, managing contracts, liaising with suppliers and ensuring our site manager Ash had everything he needed on site. As you can see from the image below, the finish site is huge and much more akin to a music festival in scale than a mass participation event finish site. I've never booked in so many marquees! It's for that reason I got to learn plenty of new skills I look forward to transferring to future events, including the use of a GPS unit to mark out an event site accurately.
Image: Bottom, primary finish and seconday finish in the background. Top left, charity village, top right Apres zone.
What's left for 2024.....
2024 isn't over quite yet, I still have a couple of events left to attend including the 13 Valleys Ultra providing the event control room cover during the night shifts and Manchester Half Marathon in the crowd management team.
In October I'm also renewing my First Aid in the Outdoors qualification and completing a Level 5 Award in Crowd Safety Management with the Square Metre Group. In 2025 I'll be looking forward to adding crowd management planning, provision of crowd safety plans and delivery to my event safety offering.
Whilst the events go quiet over winter, I'll be looking this year to diversify into further winter events with planning opportunity. So if you or your company have freelance opportunities or tender applications this winter/ next summer that you think will fit our skill set please do get in touch at josh@allaboutsportsevents.co.uk.
More information on our services can be found here: https://www.allaboutsportsevents.co.uk.
See you at the next event!
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