A question for organisers

[phil d]

2. The last rider back deserves just as much TLC at arrivée as the first back — probably more-so — and so we strive to give it.

This. Absolutely.

[LeFlic]

Thanks for a lot more responses than I expected.

It is reassuring to read what has been said and makes me think I will make the effort in the New Year. Until then I have entered a few 100km events which should give me an idea about how I am going.

[Nothereforafasttime]

You have nothing to worry about.  The fact that you consider contacting the organiser when out-of-time is the decent thing.  I always recognise that out-of-time riders still require congratulations on completing even if it is without validation.  In many ways I have a greater respect for individuals that are desperate to arrive back in the knick-of-time compared to those that race to the finish.

half an hour after closure some I was locking up the hall and the venue had been emptied and cleaned. Some out of time riders arrived.  I was polite and congratulated them about completing their ride. They promptly launched a volley of complaints on why I had closed down the hall, not kept any food aside and expected that their cards should be validated.   Given that there had been no forewarning on their late arrival and it was now 11pm, some sixteen hours after I had opened up the venue and had catered for 180 people, their complaints were not received sympathetically.  Two of the group were AUK members and should have known better.

Quite right that you shut up shop as you had not been warned those riders were going to be late.  If I was over the time limit I would certainly not expect to have my card validated and would have the courtesy to text the organiser of my late arrival.  Over the time limit means just that otherwise where do you draw the line?

[Nothereforafasttime]

Would it be considered normal / polite / an annoyance to contact an organiser if you’re being slow but still within time? I’ve never felt the urge.

Can you define 'slow'?  I've not long been a Randonneur and at the moment I consider myself to be a full value rider - and as long as you still think you will come in under the time limit I don't think it should be an annoyance at all for the organiser to wait for you (surely that's what the time limit is there for?).  In my opinion, full value riders should be given just as much - if not more respect for being out on the road that long anyway.

Example - I was always taught when I was younger to let my mum know if I was going to be late home for my dinner but I would certainly not be required to let her know if I was going to be home just in time for it....

[Manotea]

Ruddy Randonneur treat the place like a hotel, wander in any time and expect a meal to be put in front of them within 30 seconds, and don't even help with the washing up, etc.....

[frankly frankie]

I'm a bit surprised by the number of experienced and highly-respected organisers on here who are critical of riders who fail to notify if they DNF.  Most of my audaxing was done in the good old days before riders carried mobile phones, and in fact even more recently when acting as a finish controller we have never published an 'event phone number' and don't expect to hear from DNFs.  Its good when we do of course, but we know we can't rely on it.   And you'd perhaps be amazed how many organisers or finish controllers don't really know how many riders thay have 'out there', so on that basis we have to stay to the end but (in our case) not a minute longer.
I'm also surprised that many organisers don't seem to use modern comms to track the fastest riders - on a long event they could delay the opening by hours if they know what sort of schedule their fastest riders are on.  More useful than knowing about the slowest, I would say.

1. I have a duty of care to ensure all riders are okay, within reason — if you abandon without telling me then you're on your own, but otherwise it's part of the role;

I would say the same (my bold).  Sometimes what we do when we close up if we think riders are still 'out there' is to drive back along the last 5 miles of the route, before heading home.  Just to see if there's anything to be done.

[Phil W]

I had finishers right on the time limit on my recently organised events.  Did not crossed my mind that I should be annoyed.  My finish was at a pub and I had cycled there. So I was perfectly content where I was. The pub stopped serving food 20 mins before the  deadline for the 200. I had advised riders to ring me if they were running near the limits and wanted me to place an order for them before food orders stopped.

As for faster riders that did not really bother me as the gap between slowest 100 riders and fastest 200 riders was perfect to have something to eat at the pub.

For the 100 I had stated what the earliest time we would man the arrivee from. If anyone thought they would get there before then then they were to ring.

It all worked rather well. So plan your next 200 and don't worry if you are full value.

[Manotea]

Waiting for the last rider at Staplefield, East Sussex Hilly... could be worse, last year it rained cats and dogs!

[LiamFitz]

Waiting for the last rider at Staplefield, East Sussex Hilly... could be worse, last year it rained cats and dogs!

There's a welcoming face

[Manotea]

Alas when it comes to selfies, I'm rather in the Tony Soprano mold

Still, most riders found a hotdog and a coffee was an offer they couldn't refuse...

[Tomsk]

ACME Lantern Rouge of the Year trophy awaits the most full value/heroic rider ... The 2016-17 winner has already finished right on the limit this year [Richard Ellis Memorial 200km] in an attempt to win it back.

As already said, it's the DNFs who are totally AWOL that we worry about. Somewhere prominent on the info and route sheets is: Please let the organiser know on the above phone number if you are unable to finish.

[frankly frankie]

There - you see - if you didn't put that on the route sheet you wouldn't have to worry, would you?

[hellymedic]

There - you see - if you didn't put that on the route sheet you wouldn't have to worry, would you?

I remember worrying a great deal during various editions of LEL.

I don't know what was on the brevet cards or route sheets in this regard but 'missing' riders certainly caused concern!