Marshalling
These events wouldn't happen without those kindly souls who volunteer to stand out in the middle of nowhere for hour after hour, pointing in one direction like a broken scarecrow, waiting for the last competitor to safely pass.
Then they get to come back to base only to find all of the snacks have been eaten and most of the competitors have gone home leaving only those hoping they've won something and their irritable family members still loitering.
Then there are those with the more complicated jobs of holding a stopwatch and accurately wrting down times next to competitor numbers and hoping they've got it right.
What I'm trying to say is that these folks have given up their morning (and probably the chance to race) to allow you to ponce about in lycra on your flashy bike. Volunteer your services for at least one race a year - even if it's only for a 5K park run or local event - and let someone else have the glory.
Then they get to come back to base only to find all of the snacks have been eaten and most of the competitors have gone home leaving only those hoping they've won something and their irritable family members still loitering.
Then there are those with the more complicated jobs of holding a stopwatch and accurately wrting down times next to competitor numbers and hoping they've got it right.
What I'm trying to say is that these folks have given up their morning (and probably the chance to race) to allow you to ponce about in lycra on your flashy bike. Volunteer your services for at least one race a year - even if it's only for a 5K park run or local event - and let someone else have the glory.