The roles
- Course marshals — at every major junction, hazard and road crossing to point the way and keep the public safe. The most bodies of any role.
- Aid-station teams — 4–8 per station depending on field size, handling water, food, and hand-ups (spacing and stock in Course design).
- SAG fleet drivers — the UTVs that shadow each stage: water, tools, mechanical help, and a lift for a stopped rider. Grand Tour Gravel's advantage is that this fleet already exists.
- Sweep — a vehicle behind the last rider on every stage; anyone behind the sweep is out of the timed race and into the SAG plan.
- Timing crew — with the timing company at start, finish and KOM/QOM mats.
- Medical — EMTs/medics roving with SAG and staged at start/finish (see Medical & safety).
- Comms / net control — the radio operators who tie the whole course together.
- Base & logistics — registration, expo, packet pickup, transfers, feeding the crew, and the nightly reset.
Staffing ratios (plan from field size)
A useful rule of thumb for a technical mountain event: budget roughly one crew member for every 4–6 riders across all roles on a stage day, weighted heavily toward marshals and aid on the exposed sections. Scale up for the queen stage. Confirm your real numbers against the timing company's and medical provider's requirements.
Recruiting the crew
- The town. Leadville knows how to run big mountain events (the Leadville Race Series) — local clubs, service organizations, search-and-rescue, and businesses are the backbone.
- Cycling clubs from the Front Range and the Western Slope who want early access and a stake in a new event.
- Sponsor activations — brands staffing their own aid stations and product zones.
- Perks — kit, meals, a party, and a guaranteed entry or lodging credit for returning crew. Treat volunteers like the asset they are and they come back.
Race-day discipline
- Written role sheets — every position gets a one-page brief: where you are, what you do, who you call, and the stop-the-race triggers.
- The radio net. Every marshal cluster, aid station, SAG vehicle, sweep and medic is a radio node checking in on schedule. Net control owns the picture and the call to EMS. Cell phones are backup, not the plan (coverage dies on the passes).
- Morning briefing and a weather go/no-go with the race director before each stage.
- Debrief nightly — what broke, what to fix tomorrow. A stage race improves across its own week.
The radio net, in practice
The net is the nervous system of a backcountry race. Keep it simple and disciplined:
- Net control owns the frequency and the picture. All emergency traffic routes through it, and only it calls EMS.
- Scheduled check-ins — each aid station, SAG vehicle, sweep and medic checks in on a set interval so a silent node is noticed fast.
- Plain-language, structured calls — location, severity level (green/yellow/red per the medical plan), and what's needed. No jargon in an emergency.
- Repeater coverage tested on the actual course before race day; satellite messengers for the dead high sections.
- A written net directory — call signs, channels, and the escalation tree — in every vehicle.
Aid-station team roles
A station runs better when everyone has one job:
| Role | Does |
|---|---|
| Captain | Runs the station, holds the radio, makes the calls, tracks the sweep. |
| Water/fuel | Keeps bottles and food flowing; watches stock levels and reorders up the chain. |
| Hand-up / flow | Manages the rider approach and exit so it's fast and safe. |
| First aid | Basic care and the eyes for a rider who shouldn't continue. |
| Pack-out | Trash, recycling, and leaving the site as found. |
A recruiting timeline
- 6+ months out — line up the anchor groups: Leadville clubs, Search & Rescue, service organizations, and sponsor activations.
- 3 months — open volunteer registration with clear roles, shifts and perks; recruit captains first.
- 1 month — confirm counts against the field size, assign stations, send role sheets.
- Race week — briefings, kit and credential handout, and a plan to feed and thank the crew.
Perks that bring people back: event kit, meals, a volunteer party, and a guaranteed entry or lodging credit. A returning crew is a safer crew.
Sources
- Leadville-area volunteer base and Search & Rescue — coordinate locally
- Event radio/comms providers experienced with backcountry nets
- Established gravel/endurance events' volunteer playbooks (see Comparable events)