F is for Fans. Over the years we have seen the fan-base of the race increase greatly. Every year at the finish we are told stories by racers and crew of how they were offered beds, showers, food, coffee or laundry by people they had never met before. People who were following the race online and wanted to show their appreciation of what the racers are going through by offering any support they can. Racers tell us stories of riding up hills in the rain in the middle of the night only to be greeted by an entire family on the roadside clapping and cheering them on by name. It’s the type of thing that can give a serious mental boost to a racer and the positive emotional affect is usually quite visible when they tell their stories. While an event of this nature is quite different to a standard road race where thousands of supporters will line the roadside, the advent of technology such as gps tracking and social media, allows people to pop out from their home or workplace to cheer on a racer as they pass. It also gives the opportunity for supporters in other countries to follow the race and offer encouragement. Our facebook page now has fans in 45 countries! So if you get the chance this year, please do your best to get out and cheer on some of the racers. It may not seem like a lot to you but it could have a very profound affect on the racer and even be the difference between finishing and not. And to all the racers and crew, as the above picture shows, just because your fans are not always visible, it doesn’t mean they’re not there.
- A to Z: E is for Efficiency
- A to Z: G is for GPS