Growth and Leadership: Beyond the Start Line: My Experience at Beyond Trails London 2025
On 21st June 2025, I had the incredible opportunity to serve as a Start Manager at the Beyond Trails London event—a dynamic day that brought together trail running enthusiasts from all over the UK for an unforgettable journey through the capital’s green corridors and urban wilds.
A fully-signed, well-supported route following part of London's Capital Ring footpath, which forms Greater London's 'inner circle'. On the way, the runners experienced some of London's best-known and best-loved sights: Eltham Palace, Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park. The event offered participants a choice of 25km trail route or 55km ultra.
As someone who is passionate about both event organisation and outdoor adventure, this role sat perfectly at the intersection of adrenaline and logistics.
As runners, most of us see the race start as just a few minutes of countdown and clapping, but behind that smooth send-off is a hive of organised chaos, precise timing, and loads of teamwork. So today, I’m pulling back the curtain and sharing what it’s really like to be on the other side of the start line.
The Calm Before the Surge (Well… Kind of)
The alarm went off at 4am but my mind was already racing with excitement as this was my first event with Beyond Trails.
Being a Start Manager means you're responsible for making sure hundreds (sometimes thousands) of runners have a seamless, safe, and positive launch onto the course. You're also the go-to for any curveballs that come flying in. I was not the only start manager on the day so I worked closely with the other start managers and event director!
The Realities of Start Line Operations
Here’s what my day actually looked like, in between radio checks:
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· Wave Control: Ensuring runners were grouped correctly and knew when and where to go. Think crowd herding, but with a friendly smile.
· Time Syncing: Coordinating countdowns with the timing team so each wave start was logged accurately. Every second counts, especially for those gunning for PBs. Fortunately as it was a 32 degrees kind of day, most runners were sensible and left the thought of PBs at home. Safety first, all day, every day as I reminded them during the briefing.
· Problem Solving: A number of runners had dropped down from 55km to 25km so it was important that they were given a new wave number and also go to the correct start – as 25km and 55km had different start locations.
· Runner Morale: High-fives, pep talks, and a few nervous first-timers who needed some grounding. That emotional side? It matters.
Why This Role Matters
There’s something powerful about holding the start line. It’s the threshold between training and challenge, nerves and achievement. As a Start Manager, I wasn’t just coordinating logistics with the rest of the team —I was helping set the emotional tone for everyone stepping onto that course.
I also saw the grit behind the scenes: the volunteers, the medics on standby, the crew members sprinting to fix signage or restock water. Events don’t just happen—they’re built by people who care. We are eternally grateful for the amazing volunteers as without them most of these events could not take place.
Being a race director / start manager as a black woman I hope will bring a unique perspective to the running community. I want to model leadership, perseverance and inclusion in a space where there has been challenges. I want to continue to inspire and lead by example. I hope that I am able to raise awareness about the systemic gaps that exist in the world of event management, particularly in sports. A lack of representation and inclusivity in many event management roles can limit diverse perspectives, which is why I am so passionate about this work.
So my role on the day was varied:
- From setting up at the start and packing up
- To delivering the briefing for the waves at both the 25km and 55km start
- Checking in on the runners
- Cycling 10 miles to collect signage
- Walking 6 miles to collect signage
- Learning how to use radio equipment
Moments That Stuck
· Speaking to exhausted and emotional runners who were battling the heat, trying to stay hydrated but also very drained. Of course they all wanted to go and conquer the course. I spoke to them and advised them to take some time out at the feed station, reset and refuel and go again if physically able.
Why Every Runner Should See the Other Side of Events
As runners, we train for weeks—sometimes months—for that one big day. We show up, pick up our bibs, and line up at the start expecting everything to flow. And most of the time, it does. But when it doesn’t—when there are last-minute course changes, wave delays, or unexpected hiccups—it’s easy to feel frustrated or disappointed. Due to the forecasted weather for the event, Beyond Trails started the 25km at 10am instead of the scheduled 11am and extended the cut off to 6:30pm on the day.
What many don’t see is the massive engine working behind the scenes to make these events happen at all.
Seeing the Bigger Picture Brings Gratitude
Working as a Start Manager gave me a front-row seat to the reality of race operations. And I genuinely believe that if more runners understood what goes into pulling off even a "simple" 10K, they’d approach race day with more patience, gratitude, and grace—especially when changes pop up.
Here’s why:
· Things Go Wrong That You’ll Never Hear About
Last-minute road closures, medical emergencies, missing signage, tech glitches—all handled on the fly by crew members and volunteers. Often, by the time runners hear there’s been a delay, the team has already solved three other problems.
· Most “Last-Minute Changes” Are to Keep You Safe
If a course gets diverted, a wave start is adjusted, or something’s moved—there’s a reason. It might be weather, crowding, or safety. You might never know the full story, but it’s almost always for your benefit.
· Every Volunteer and Crew Member Cares Deeply
These aren’t faceless people in hi-vis vests. They’re runners or people that just generally love to give back and help others, donating their time, energy, and sleep to help others have an amazing experience. No one wants things to go wrong.
Perspective Shift: From Frustration to Appreciation
As a runner, it’s easy to get caught up in your own nerves and goals on race day. But pausing to recognise the human effort behind the event changes everything. You start to:
· Say thank you more often—to marshals, volunteers, and even the person handing out medals
· Handle delays with more calm, knowing they’re not done lightly
· Feel part of a community, not just a competition
Final Thoughts from the Start Line
Working as a Start Manager isn’t always glamorous, and you rarely sit still, if at all! It’s hands-on, heart-first work—and I absolutely love it.
If you’ve ever thought about volunteering or crewing at a trail or road event, do it. You’ll learn more about what makes races tick, meet the most incredible people, and walk away with stories that stick far longer than sore feet.
For now, I’ll keep running and working at events because being part of someone else’s starting line? That’s just as rewarding as crossing my own finish.
Stepping behind the curtain has made me a better runner. Not in pace or performance, but in presence. I now toe the line with more awareness, respect, and gratitude—for the people who make it all happen, and the unseen work that carried us there.
So if you ever get the chance to crew or volunteer at a race—take it. It’ll change how you see events forever.
I'll leave you with this thought:
True Inclusion in running, from the leadership team all the way down to the runners needs a holistic approach that ensures every participants- regardless of race, gender, ability, socioeconomic status, or background - feels welcome, valued and supported throughout their entire race experience. It definitely is not just about asking diverse groups to join, or merely giving free event entry, but about actively fostering an environment that removes barriers and actively promotes equity and representation.
A "top-down approach" to true Inclusion means that leadership actively drives and models inclusivity throughout. Its not just about "encouraging" diversity but integrating and upholding the culture, practice and policies.
Inclusion from this lens means actively dismantling barriers. True Inclusion takes work, but results in a community that feels unified, diverse and accessible to all.
🫶🏿 Heartfelt thanks to the Beyond Trails team who went above and beyond ❤️ to support and welcome me. I absolutely love the energy and vibe of working with an incredible group of people. 🫶🏿
Until next time,
Trina 🏃♀️
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