HOPE AND DREAM TEAM: BEHIND THE SCENES
My name is Joe O’Regan. I am one of the core team of the Hope and Dream 10K and 10-mile fundraising events. My main job is to ensure that the course is set up and ready for the big day.
A week before the event, we go over the course, together with the safety officer and chief marshal, to ensure that it’s safe and free from hazards. Road markings are done a few days before the race and refreshed, if necessary, the day before. On the morning of the race, the 1K and 1 mile markers have to be put out, plus the safety and direction signs.
I have three good helpers, Paul, Mylie and Kevin. This gives me the space to help out on the Prom, which is a hive of activity from early morning, Some of the team quill work there from 4 a.m. There is lots to do, such as setting up the start and finish lines, controlling the traffic and keeping the prom clear, ensuring that only race traffic gets through, and just helping out as required.
I also help out with the car parking in the immediate area, advise motorists about other parking areas around the town and advise motorists of alternate routes.
By this time, the best part of the day has still to come – when the first participants start to arrive on the prom. This is when the buzz and excitement kicks in and it gets better and bigger as the race time approaches.
It gets better still as they begin to arrive back to the finish line. I remember last year talking to an older lady after she had finished. I asked her how she felt. She told me that she had taken part because she had lost a dear friend through cancer during the year and she was doing it in her memory. I asked her if she found it difficult and she said, ‘not at all, my dear friend was walking with me all the way’. That sums it up for me.
I am just a small cog in a big wheel that organises the Hope and Dream Run and I feel privileged to be part of it.