Carlson students Samantha Muraski, Jamie Miller, Dana Hartle, and Kahli Hoppe have never run a marathon—but they know from experience that poor communication can make the races a challenge for the volunteers as well as the runners. That’s why they worked with Twin Cities Marathon leadership to create guides for volunteers that outline emergency procedures and racecourse terminology. Officials at the Twin Cities marathon plan to use the guides in the upcoming October marathon. They’ve even forwarded copies of the guides to officials at marathons nationwide—such as the prestigious Boston marathon—who plan to use the guides in their own races. “Our project really opened their eyes to what was going on, and just how confused many volunteers were,” says Miller. The project, part of Senior Lecturer Holly Littlefield’s honors business communications class, began with a focus group of past racecourse marshals—those 700-plus volunteers on the front lines of the marathon who set up barricades and assist runners. “When we had the focus group, the course marshals said they didn’t know what to do in an emergency, and that they felt really unprepared” says Hoppe. The students learned that marathon jargon could be confusing for first-time volunteers. They also learned that a lack of key information such as emergency protocols and contact information left many volunteers frustrated on race day.

Pictured left to right: Jamie Miller, Dana Hartle, Samantha Muraski, and Kahli Hoppe.

Their solution? Create two different guides for race volunteers: one for course marshals, and one for their supervisors. Both would have emergency protocols, course maps, and important contact information. The team even incorporated sections on frequently used terms and the race’s history. Twenty revisions and multiple meetings with race officials later, the group had perfected its guides. “Race officials emphasized to us that the marathon is an event that can change people’s lives,” says Hoppe, a reason the group found the project meaningful. Muraski and Hartle add that the project taught them how to manage a client relationship. “We had our deadlines, and they had their own restrictions and standards,” says Hartle. “We really had to be creative to accommodate both.” Come next October, team members Hartle and Muraski will have a chance to test out their new guides as volunteers at the marathon. Unfortunately, Hoppe and Miller will have no such opportunity: the project has inspired them to give the race a try themselves.