Summer is on its way out and that means another season is fast approaching: The season of road races.
According to Running USA’s 2015 “State of the Sport” report, each year there are about 28,000 competitive running events in the U.S. with 8 million finishers. Upon crossing the finishing line, those 8 million runners received a medal and (drum roll, please) … a banana!
Can you imagine their excitement if someone handed them a bouquet?
- Seize the opportunity by contacting local running groups to discuss ways you can pump up the pomp of a race:
- Suggest they order flowers for the top finishers in each age group. (Hello, photo op!)
- Sign on as a sponsor to land your logo on race T-shirts and signage.
- Ask to set up a booth near the finish line. Hordes of people line up there with homemade signs, cow bells and pom-poms to cheer on their loved ones. Many would jump at the chance to surprise a runner with roses.
- At the very least, get the dates of local upcoming races. Market finish line bouquets on your website, social media pages and in email messages a week or two before the race. Visit the Road Runners Clubs of America’s national directory at rrca.org to find local contacts.
Speaking of bouquets for athletes, did you notice a lack of bouquets at last month’s Summer Olympic Games? So did Betsy Hall of Hall’s Flower Shop and Garden Center in Atlanta. Read her take on why flowers matter at large sporting events and why winners always deserve flowers in September issue of Floral Management magazine.
