A volunteer's view

[srw]

That was fun. Because I wasn't expecting to be working I responded to @redfalo's call for volunteers - something to do rather than bumming around at home. In fact I got a job in June, so it turned into a good break from sitting behind a desk at home for 9 hours a day. I've been following auadaxing vicariously for donkeys' years - ever since the days of ACF - but I've only ever done one event myself.

I was up at St Ives on Saturday for some of the setup (and the pub visit) and then spent Sunday as the first face of the St Ives control until the flood dried up to a tiny trickle. Mostly fun and games and very patient drivers (more than expected given a netball tournament at the school!) but there was a rather impatient supporters' car whose driver got sworn at and stood in front of as I let the riders through rather than accede to their self-importance. And one or two (they probably know who they are...) who insisted on stopping and proving their identity rather than follow my pointing to sweep through to the carpark so that the roundabout was kept clear for riders. Sometimes it's just not safe to follow the rules you've been given.

On Monday I rode down from St Ives along the home route to Chigwell, which was my base for the second part of the week. My longest ride since about 2019, and only about my fifth ride over 5k this year. I was pleased to arrive!

Then on Tuesday I helped Tim and the team set up the finish control and go shopping, and from Wednesday until yesterday around 7pm (except overnight) I was part of the control team. Mostly on computer duty but also occasionally stamping cards and presenting medals. I'm very pleased that we managed to give everyone who wanted to the chance to photograph their stamped card before it got squirreled away to be checked, and that we gave almost everyone a personal medal presentation and welcome.

So most people who rode will have had the misfortune to have met me a couple of times.

I was also some of the fingers behind the St Ives and Finish twitter accounts for a while.

Despite the dire predictions of the first couple of days, the estimated dropout rate was lower than last time - looking at the numbers on the system I reckon that most people who made it back to England made it all the way to Debden. The first two days were hard enough that people who were never going to finish dropped out quite early.

Despite the occasional complaints about the route through the North York Moors almost everyone who arrived was absolutely buzzing, or emotional for all the right reasons. Several people asked whether they could go out and do it all again straightaway. The overwhelming feedback at the control desk was positive - about the route, the support, the controls, the volunteers, the food (mostly at least...) - everything. Since people who are happy don't tend to give feedback I'd encourage the happy people to let the organisers know they were happy! The whole event was a credit to the UK cycling community and to Audax UK. And I'm already on Tim's list to help him out in 2025...

[Socks]

Similar sentiments for me.  I was on the first secret control so just two shifts, marshalling riders into the control and keeping an eye on the traffic.  It was interesting to observe how the riders and their approach varied through the day.  First shift (4am to 10.am)  the faster riders were going through.  Mostly didn't stop for longer than necessary and disappeared up the road at a good pace.  My second shift (4pm to 10pm) a more diverse group of riders with more of the 'full value' types.  In the heat of the afternoon many took the chance of a rest in the shade before continuing.

All in all a good experience and one which I hope to repeat in 2025.

[markcjagar]

I had a brilliant time (albeit tough due to the weather at the back end) and one volunteer commented on my positivity whilst I was eating at Great Easton,

I'm glad that my good mood was noticed. I also did my best to make sure I thanked as many volunteers as possible for their hard work, if I didn't catch you it was appreciated and I have already decided I want to see it from the other side next time!

[MikeFromLFE]

I hesitate to write this, but as a volunteer at Boston I had a very mixed time - not all of it down to the event though.
It didn't help that within hours of arriving in Boston I had a (very rare) flare-up of my Irritable Bowel Shenanigans which meant I had a very poor couple of nights and had to find a pharmacy PDQ.

Thankfully I had made the decision to sleep out of the control - I'm too old for floors & air beds. I slept in a pre-booked room in a pub in Boston, an arrangement that worked well for my situation.
My IBS problems would certainly not have been appreciated by the other volunteers - or riders. Which brings me to my first moan: Boston was a last minute replacement for Spalding, where I was in 2017, and the Boston school buildings were,frankly, dreadful - I didn't realise that England still had such crumbling wrecks in which we educate our teenagers. Toilet cubicles with no locks in 2022 WTF?
On top of this there were confusing issues with the food supplies that I never really understood - as far as I could tell the Special Forces were moving food around the country which left Boston (and possibly other places) with low stocks of a limited range of food.The only things that we seemed consistently to have plenty of was mac'n'cheese, sausages, chips and peas - I was sick of them! Due to my IBS the only thing available I was able to get down at one point was rice pudding, which we were running out of, and I was refused a second (small) helping. The important people - the riders - wouldn't have really seen any of that, but being there over a protracted period the issues became apparent. The chefs, however, were doing an amazing job, but seemed to be hamstrung by the lack of opportunity.
(Yes, I know I didn't have to rely on the control for food, and yes, I did eat non-control food when I could)

The riders were (almost) without exception splendid! They were cheerful under adversity and grateful beyond reason. I interacted with many, many riders (I was frequently the talking signpost on the run-in to the parking & check-in) and encountered only one participant who I wish to forget - but there's always one!

The weather was a real challenge for the riders, and it wasn't without its issues for volunteers. Finding shade was a problem for some jobs, and for others being indoors in sweltering temperatures was a problem. We were lucky that the main hall in the school, designated as a quiet rest area for volunteers, was cool and relatively peaceful. I'm sure rain would have been much worse for volunteers if not for riders.

Jim, the controller, and his family, were absolute stars. The control was run with a quiet efficiency - no drama, no tears - and whooppee! - no rotas.Jim's philosophy, which works, is that jobs will get done if volunteers are trusted to step into the spaces where jobs are needed to be done. This isn't to say that there wasn't some  light touch direction when needed.
I think that some of the patience of a couple of the volunteers had worn a bit thin by Friday, but maybe that's to be expected in a disparate group of tired people!

By the time I walked off the train station on Friday morning I was absolutely shattered, and am only now starting to come back to normal (not helped by having a couple of grandchildren in residence for the weekend). I certainly won't be doing a full week next time, but might be persuaded to do a couple of separate days.

[madcow]

Mike,sorry that you suffered for the cause. I wouldn't have blamed you if you had packed your bags and gone home.Thanks for your help.

Thanks as well for confirming what some /many riders suspected about food supplies.
Being told at breakfast service at St. Ives that I  could have one slice of bacon and a fried egg or two slices of bacon was a bit shocking.
Another control kitchen said -no desserts/pudding of any sort. We've been let down.
Too right you have but you don't have to cycle 60 miles to the next control or make an extra stop to shop at the Co-Op or Morrisons cafe in Malton.
I don't normally eat mountains of pasta and bananas and it's lazy thinking that all cyclists do.

Nor do I like bread and butter as dessert. That was the staple food of Scout camps in the seventies (BBJ on the menu every day) not a long distance cycling event in the new millenium.
With 300 DNS food supply should have been easier not harder. I'd rather pay for food at controls PBP style , than pay up front and find that all I get is a frozen loaf that can't be converted into toast because the toasters will set off the very expensive PFI fire alarms (Hessle).

 

[ElyDave]

That experience was very much NOT st Ives in 2017, I could not fault CETs planning and prep, and it was a delight to be on kitchen duties. Hopefully some sort of lessons learned will be identified to make 2025 even better.

[mzjo]

I was at St Ives both ways, avoiding the extra work on the two rest days and bugging out at 4am friday morning (family taking priority). I have lost any proper audaxer and have given all hope of ever being that. I loved being a volunteer, in spite of being bugged by a knee problem that made me painfully awkward and frustratingly slow (and eventually making me fall over getting off one of the buses on the way home). I think George did a brilliant job, managing the sleeper influx on thursday night/friday morning with genius and generally keeping everyone happy.
The family (who are not cyclists at this level - my wife not at all!) have decided that I will want to come back in 2025. Daughter and partner are turning into avid dotwatchers. They have decided that a holiday cottage in Yorkshire would be fun so St Ives will probably be out!
Where do I sign  ?

[chevinhawk]

I was part of the team at Innerleithen, arriving Saturday to help set up and leaving Thursday after helping dismantle on Wednesday. Rider-wise we got off to a slow start, with Matt Page through 2.30pm Monday, and only clocking up our 100th rider lunchtime Tuesday.  It then got rather busier, and it was all hands! It was frantic, intense, exhausting and a phenomenal experience. I've been involved in a variety of large sporting events (including being Planner for a major international orienteering event with 2000+ competitors), but have never experienced such an organisational or logistical exercise as this. It was awe-inspiring.
There were inevitably a few personal down moments, almost entirely the result of just 6 hours sleep in 65, but overall it was pretty amazing, and one I'd repeat again without a shadow of doubt. The volunteer team (we were a small team of 32 including all those able to offer just a few hours - invaluable! A mobile team of 5/6 also made a huge difference on the Tue/Wed night) were an absolute joy to work with, and we were blessed with the most incredible school caretaker I've ever come across (I'm an ex-teacher), who slept on a z-bed in school, and, for example, was helping dishwashing at 5am Wed morning. We also had 2 school dinner ladies during daytimes who worked their socks off.
Riders were almost universally polite and appreciative, at least in my experience. Others had occasional problems, but when that was the case, it could almost always be put down to tiredness. As someone who has only managed 200k to date, my respect to all! Food and beds both held up (I'm intrigued to read about food being moved around - not sure if that happened to us, but wasn't aware of it), although the latter was a close run thing. I don't think I've ever seen so much milk in one place before (or washed up so much porridge!). With the stage to Innerleithen now extended to 80km through Edinburgh from Dunfermline, and 110km to the next available beds, we were a 'bigger' stop than in previous years, but budget (for food at least) was still less than most other controls as I understand - it seemed to be received well though. I think our only big issue was with both coffee urns/machines breaking down later on, but still managed hot water (and instant coffee!).  I hope that was all reflected in riders' experience. The fact that things went so smoothly was a testament to Dan's controlling and June's catering management, ably supported by Ella, Will (dishwasher extraordinaire) and Ted (the dog!). Having prior to teaching worked in volunteer development, I wish I'd had them as role models! Some week!

[Mr Larrington]

There has been a lot of grumbling about those coffee urns on WhatsApp.  Some folks reckoned the trick was to have one dispensing coffee, one brewing MOAR coffee and one cooling off at any given time.  At which point I'd like to say a massive “Hurrah” to baristas Luca and Carmen for their marathon caffeine-pushing shift Sunday night/Monday morning.

[Dai P]

LEL 2022 as a volunteer was an adventure.  First port of call was Debden on Friday prior to the start, moving onto Guildhall for the London Start then driving to Brampton for the week.  Observation in general very positive.

The Debden operation was straight forward, plenty of vols and efficient, well planned.  The Guildhall was a lovely start, a great backdrop to match the event.  A bit of a truck to Brampton but arrived late afternoon on the Sunday.  Met Chris and the volunteer team and started working.  I knew from bag packing that Brampton was going to be a pivotal control for many riders, so many bad drops!

An early start and a long wait for the first rider, but good to get to know the other volunteers.  When the bulge did arrive it was manic, it was so busy, the dorm (gym) soon got full, as did the marquee outside, riders asleep in the corridors, in the canteen, everywhere……. Ran out of beds and blankets, but nearly all riders were understanding.  It started to ease off at about 0400 when the numbers of riders arriving was balanced by the numbers leaving. (Time for me to get some sleep).

The worst over, the rest of the week was very busy, well supported and a professional operation.  Some of the riders did find in very hard (it is LEL after all), many DNF’s, but no complaints, people expect it to be hard and it was.  The Bernie to Brampton leg did cause some comments!

I was surprised by the numbers of bikes that had problems, having ridden a couple of LEL’s and PBP’s, but maybe this was just because I was static at control.

What did bring tears to my eyes was the amount and level of kindness to riders, between volunteers and riders, it was just fantastic.  Everything from a hug, and support, to fixing problems, lending kit, working out times, filling bottles, so much kindness.

I want to thank Daniel and the team for organising such an event, Chris and his team at control, the fabulous catering staff at Brampton, all my fellow volunteers and very much the riders who were awesome, so much pain and suffering and determination to do what they could.  Will be back!

[Bolt]

The fact that things went so smoothly was a testament to Dan's controlling and June's catering management, ably supported by Ella, Will (dishwasher extraordinaire) and Ted (the dog!). Having prior to teaching worked in volunteer development, I wish I'd had them as role models! Some week!

I'll second that   We had such a great team at Innerleithen, I'd even go as far to say my experience as a volunteer was more rewarding than when I completed the ride myself!

[nigeld]

I didn't realise that England still had such crumbling wrecks in which we educate our teenagers. Toilet cubicles with no locks in 2022 WTF?

At St Ives (where I was a vol), the M+F toilets directly outside the dining hall, which offered cubicles only, had half the locks missing.

[madcow]

As I recall, Boston school  was actually quite modern compared with Malton.
 I was ashamed to be a North Yorkshire council tax payer at that point.

[mzjo]

I didn't realise that England still had such crumbling wrecks in which we educate our teenagers. Toilet cubicles with no locks in 2022 WTF?

At St Ives (where I was a vol), the M+F toilets directly outside the dining hall, which offered cubicles only, had half the locks missing.

I think there was one with a complete and functionning lock, I'm not sure there was a second. I never went into the toilets by the dorm but they were never designed or intended for an influx like that so the fact that they existed was probably a blessing. The bigger problem on thursday night was probably the queue for the shower when the riders really needed to be sleeping. But you can't improvise that sort of thing at 2am. We need a mobile shower unit that can be placed to soak up the bulge wherever it gets to at shower o'clock.

[sizbut]

It didn't help that within hours of arriving in Boston I had a (very rare) flare-up of my Irritable Bowel Shenanigans which meant I had a very poor couple of nights and had to find a pharmacy PDQ.

Firstly Mike, can I say that none of that showed through in your demeanour during the whole week. And whilst most of us at Spalding floated around between roles, you were one of the few who was so outstanding at one particular task that they made it their own for the week. You were an absolute trooper.

- Jim's no-rota approach worked, aided by his family team leading by example - discuss what needs to be done, asked for volunteers and then do it. All the other volunteers picked it up pretty quick and got into the habit of checking on each other, so no-one was left too long on any particular post or without regular checks and offers of tea, coffee or water. I think I spent time in every role going, multiple times. 

- Coffee, yes, a disaster (again). We started with 4 very large coffee percolators. 2 broke on the first day, one was assigned to hot water only and the remaining coffee percolator only worked inconsistently. I remember similar challenges using smaller coffee filter machines back in 2017 where they just couldn't keep up with demand. A reliably whole week solution needs to be found, tried and tested before 2025 - not left until the actual day of the event. 

- Yes, seeing a lot of our food disappear to other controls caused some upset and concern. But its was always going to be a challenge. You don't want to be left with tons of food at the end, nor do you want to run out. Its a planning job I'm happy not to have to do.

Mike's right, what parts of the school we saw weren't outstanding - 4 loos for everyone (and I won't get into the seeming stupendous ability of some people to drop loo rolls into the loos).

- Riders were fantastic. Almost universally cheerful despite at times being obviously exhausted. Cheerful even when already out of time or having already turned around. The few who were rude were such rare exceptions I'll happily put them down to being tired and emotional.

Will I be back in 2025 - yes.

[Wycombewheeler]

I didn't realise that England still had such crumbling wrecks in which we educate our teenagers. Toilet cubicles with no locks in 2022 WTF?

At St Ives (where I was a vol), the M+F toilets directly outside the dining hall, which offered cubicles only, had half the locks missing.

I saw the second worst toilets i have ever seen at the finish, but at least i never encountered any without locks
(worst were in the shell station at membury services)

[IanDG]

The toilets and showers at Brampton were not really up to the job - 2 cubicles each for men and women and no locks plus showers with inadequate drainage that flooded the changing rooms. I did a couple of mopping sessions but it was a "painting the Forth Bridge" scenario.

[grams]

On top of this there were confusing issues with the food supplies that I never really understood - as far as I could tell the Special Forces were moving food around the country which left Boston (and possibly other places) with low stocks of a limited range of food.

“Special Forces” only planned role was delivering and returning the drop bags and moving small teams of volunteers to follow the bulge. It’s possible an arrangement was made to deal with an emergency, but that wasn’t something I heard about and wasn’t part of the plan.

[Mr Larrington]

We of SF3 certainly didn’t cart any food around, except the last remaining egg custard tart from the box of four that GST bought at Brampton Services on the way back south

[sizbut]

No. There was at least one  separate volunteer with a refrigerated lorry doing food distribution runs. Bulk deliveries of things like fresh milk supplies, and in some cases moving existing supplies between controls.

[alwyn]

Those were the catering team, aka Grant and Ashley. Actually paid for their work but heavily involved in the event planning.

[Peter]

I've volunteered on 3 LEL's, now.  Every time I am staggered at what the organising team puts together.  "Alwyn", you and the team are amazing.

Peter

[IanDG]

I've volunteered on 3 LEL's, now.  Every time I am staggered at what the organising team puts together.  "Alwyn", you and the team are amazing.

Peter

3rd time for me too and agree with that. Had a bit more input this year but unfortunately illness meant I was low key during the event. Chris did a great job at Brampton as a first time controller, was great to be part of his team.

[Mr Larrington]

Fourth time for me and hoping for five in '25.

[IanDG]

I could understand the simplicity of the Brampton canteen menu - mince and tatties or chickpea hotpot and tatties. OK for riders passing through twice but a bit "samey" for a vegetarian (pescatarian) working a control from Sunday to Thursday (OK I had soup and tuna or cheese sandwiches for variety and went to the local chippy on one occasion).