Volunteer

Interested in volunteering at the 2023 Manchester Half on Sunday 15th October? That’s great we can’t wait to welcome you to the event delivery team!

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 helping direct our arriving participants, handing out medals, helping run the bag drop operation, or supporting activity in the event village – and much more! Whatever your role on the day, you’ll be making a vital contribution to the success of this fantastic event and the money is raises for charity.

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

To sign up as an Individual (as opposed to being from an organised group from a club etc) please complete our short online registration form via the “Volunteer Here” button below. Please do encourage your friends to come along and to sign up to volunteer with you too, the more the merrier!

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 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 fill in our short Group Registration Form.

This form will be automatically be received by our Volunteer Manager, and they will be in touch to confirm the next steps and how to sign up your group members.

Should you have any queries then please email us at volunteers@humanrace.co.uk.

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

I belong to a Group / Local Organisation – can we help out at the event?

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

Adult Groups

A Group Leader should register the groups details by completing our short Group Registration Form. This form collects information about the number of persons from your group that you are pledging to volunteer, your preferred location / role if you have one, and the bank details for the group for your post event donation.

The Volunteer Manager will then send you a link for a short online form that all your Group Members need to register their details on. It is important that they do this so that we can all keep track of numbers, but also so that things like emergency contact details are captured.

Your group members should be over 18 years of age.

Children aged 11-15: for some volunteer locations younger children aged 11-15 may be able to brought along with parents/guardians (if so they will be under their responsibility at all times). In some roles we allocate you to they may count as a headcount towards your numbers, but in other roles where the positions are more spread out this is not possible and they will not.

Children aged 16 & 17: for some volunteer locations children aged 16 & 17 may be able to be in your group without their parent / guardian in attendance (parent / guardian consent is needed to be confirmed pre event for their attendance).

In general when pledging your numbers who will attend please don’t include those under the age of 18. If your group will include members under the age of 18 then please let our volunteer manager know at volunteers@humanrace.co.uk and this can be considered in your groups role allocation and discussed further as needed.

Group Leaders may be asked to attend a briefing event prior to event day.

Youth Groups

Youth groups are welcome to volunteer – under 18s should be accompanied by adults on a minimum ratio of 1 adult to 6 children (some exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis let us know if your group works differently).

Youth Group Leaders should register the groups details by completing our short Group Registration Form and drop us an email at volunteers@humanrace.co.uk to let us know your interest.

The Group Leader will need to complete a consent form which will be emailed to you. The Group Leader will be fully responsible for the group at the event.

Group Leaders may be asked to attend a briefing event prior to event day.

I want to volunteer as an Individual – how do I register?

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

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 – 15 at the time of the event must either be accompanied at the event by a parent or guardian that is volunteering too, or be part of a supervised youth group. Parents / guardians must give consent for their child to attend, and youth group leaders must complete a consent form for the group.

Please email volunteers@humanrace.co.uk to let us know and we can send you detail of what you need to do / fill in.

Individuals aged 16 & 17 can volunteer independently but parents / guardians must give consent for them to attend. Please email volunteers@humanrace.co.uk to let us know and we can send you detail of what you need to do / fill in.

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 are 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 group then 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 an online briefing 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 event team & 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!

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.

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 an online briefing (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.

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.

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.

Can I still sign up to 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. If this is the case then 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.

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/teammates 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 prior to the event, either as individuals (or a group of individuals), or as part of an organised group.

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 medical support need for you to assist/guide a friend or family member around the course, please email us at info@manchestermarathon.co.uk.

What should I wear or bring to the event?

On the day, please ensure you wear comfortable sports or outdoor walking footwear. Given the time of year it will likely be cool in the morning when you start.

We recommend wearing a few layers of clothing for this outdoor event as you can always remove them later if you get warm. 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. So 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.

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 to carry with you with a drink and snacks to eat
Small torch or head torch as it may be dark when you first get on site!
If in a route role a packed lunch

For volunteers positioned in or near the event village, you will be provided with a packed lunch. If your role is out on the route, you will receive a contribution after the event towards the cost of your lunch. You may not be positioned close to a shop or café so we recommend you bring a packed lunch with you.

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 small rucksack or other suitable bag that you can keep on you whilst you do your role.

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

Please read all the information that will be 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.

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 Group 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 7:00am (sorry!) on the morning of the event.

Please avoid driving as it will be difficult due to the multiple road 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.

Please also refer to our road closures webpage if needed here.

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

Can I still volunteer if I’m receiving benefits?

You should be ok to volunteer while you are receiving benefits as long as the work you do is unpaid, and you meet the rules of your benefit. However always check with your benefits advisor before you sign up to volunteer.

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.

Are there any other volunteering opportunities with Human Race?

We organise the Manchester Marathon, the Manchester Half Marathon, and some other 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

Calling All Volunteers...Manchester Half Needs You!

We use cookies on this site to enhance your user experience.