If you're allowed, be sure to do a follow-up post!

With all the seemingly-justified whining about how WTC never does anything about drafting, it would be very interesting to hear from the other side of things. To hear most post-Ironman "waah waaah drafting" threads, it sounds like a draft-buster could be handing out penalties continuously for 3 hours straight.

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STAC Zero Trainer - Zero noise, zero tire contact, zero moving parts. Suffer in Silence starting fall 2016

I'm very VERY anti-drafting and am probably over-cautious about drafting in all my races (have never been busted as a result :-) ) so my main issue is whether to go hard on all offenders and make myself unpopular or start off by giving warnings to those who were just caught out and then monitor closely for repeat offenders. Anyone have an opinion about whether I should concentrate on the sharp end of the field, the middle order or even the tail enders who may never have done a 70.3 before??

Right off the start.. . . if you are worried about your popularity you might be in the wrong gig.

I would prioritize. The tail end of the field would not be the area of greatest concern if you have to make a choice.

I've marshaled, and I remember my concerns the first time I did it. I worried about how hard I try to ride clean as an athlete, and didn't want to ding anyone trying hard. When I got out there as a marshal, I found plenty of people who were obviously trying to draft to make it an easy job, it made me mad. For example, if you are in the draft zone and stop pedaling to stay behind someone, that's a dead giveaway. That person is trying to draft, not pass. Moto drivers make a big difference, you need to work together. Good luck, have fun!

Good call, thanks for that one! Freewheeling in the draft zone #1

Has the RD given you any input on how aggressive you should penalize? That could be a starting point. The RD may not want Judge Dread level enforcement although he/she may not simple "play fair" warnings either. It's part rule enforcement and part athlete morale (on both sides of the issue... bust those cheaters, but wait, not me because i was just getting ready to pass, etc). I'm all for rule enforcement of drafting, but you can't be everywhere though. Warnings to riders and monitoring those warnings would seem difficult to really make it effective over the course of the day. My 2 cents would be to give honest consideration between blatant drafters and the lesser evil. What I mean by that is not being anal toward bike spacing of tail enders coming up a hill while some duo/tri is really working together on the flats. Hit people where benefit seems obviously being made. Bust a few people in the front if there is blatant drafting. The riders coming through the penalty tent area and seeing their comrades there will know there is marshaling going on. An empty tent doesn't mean clean racing. Give warnings when you feel the person was in the fringe of the zone but not when they are sucking a wheel. It will be challenging to police the spread properly. So as another poster said, it would be nice to hear back after the race on how it went, your strategy, and what you would do differently the next time.

Above all, thank you for taking the time to be a road marshal for the event. It's something we probably all should do. We often complain about drafting and how we would enforce it if we were there... but few of us probably take that step and volunteer to be out there policing the course.

Pat0, thank you for your comment- I've got a pretty thick skin (comes with being brought up in the north of England!) and the fact that I resent drafters/cheaters will make my job easier.

Thick skin. Doesn't sound like it. Your first sentence was something about worrying about being unpopular as a draft marshal. No offense meant.

I would think if someone was concerned about popularity it might not be the right gig. Are referees popular?

BTW I hate drafters too. And I was concerned that if someone is thinking about their popularity then they might let some slide.

Everyone knows the rules, EVERYONE; the draft zone is clearly explained. I wouldn't give warnings to anyone freewheeling in the draft zone. If it looks like they are making an effort to pass someone but keep coming up short I would give them a warning and then penalize them the second time. As far as where to go, I usually see a lot of drafting in the upper half of the field.

Hi Stomponafrog, great points, thank you! We will be having a marshal's meeting in the next few days and I'm sure that they will give us guidance about level of tolerance/aggression for penalising and which riders should be given more leeway for minor or subjective misdemeanours.
I like the idea of having a few bad eggs in the penalty area tent to serve as an example to riders who were doing a bit of sneaky (or otherwise) further down the field. I've seen blatant drafting in races and completely empty boxes........
And thank you for your acknowledgement of me doing my bit! -though it wasn't purely the result of philanthropy. I raced the Dubai Marathon on the 22nd and didn't feel quite up to giving the 70.3 my fullest attention.

....well the proof of the pudding will be in the eating Pat0. Let's see how many cheats I pull.

Its more than being a draft Marshal :-)-- your Head Official should tell you where in the race he/she will want you - and if you follow WTC and or USAT guidelines - it makes decision making a lot easier.

Have fun and enforce the rules.

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Graham Wilson
USAT Level III Elite Coach
http://www.thewilsongroup.biz

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Thanks Graham- as you can see I'm taking this job very seriously but looking forward to the experience very much too. It's great to be able to give something back to the sport I've loved for so many years.

I would follow Graham!s suggestions. Don't go out there with any "plan" other than enforcing the rules. Purposely setting a few "bad eggs" I the penalty box is looking to insert your own sense of right / wrong into the race, IMO.

Follow the RD's direction, enforce the rules and just do the job. Don't look to make a statement.

Just my $.02.

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Chicago Cubs - 2016 WORLD SERIES Champions!!!!

"If ever the time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin." - Samuel Adams

Yep, point noted, thank you. I will keep personal opinions out of the picture as much as possible and go with facts.

Do you have any say over the type of motorcycle you'll be on? It always kills me to see draft marshals on Harley Davidsons that you can hear a mile away. Get on a Goldwing if you can and at least have a little chance at sneaking up on the cheaters.....

Good luck and I'd also love to see a report on how it went afterwards.

Cheers,

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thechromedome
http://www.favoritefinishlines.blogspot.com
http://www.cupcakecartel.org
My 20% off code for 2018 FS Series races: tricred18
"there are no drafters in heaven" - C Bonner

Heh heh heh, I have no idea what the bikes will be but there is quite a big H.O.G. Chapter here in Dubai. Hmmmmm........maybe they don't call themselves that in the UAE :-) But I agree, a quiet machine would allow for a more stealthy marshalling technique. Bit out of my hands I'm afraid.
I will certainly try to post some comments on my experience when it's all over so watch this space!

What training / certification did you get/hold.

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2020 National Masters Champion - M40-44 - 400m IM
Canadian Record Holder 35-39M & 40-44M - 200 m Butterfly (LCM)

Have a read back though this post and you'll get the picture realAB.

Watch out for the macho men who come out of the saddle as they are about to be passed (especially by woman) and cause blocking penalties to everyone around them.
And be nice to the old geezers (like me) who run out of gas half way up a hill and have to back off when the person they were about to pass gets up and honks up the hill.

And thank you..

As others have said. Get the guys who are obviously drafting to gain an advantage sucking someone's wheel etc. They are normally easy to spot and shoving a stick into their front wheel is probably more appropriate than a warning.

Riders that end up stuck in patches with too many riders on the road or end up inside the draft box a few extra seconds while overtaking or having been overtaken are not the big problem.

I'm no spring chicken myself phog....we've all made the mistake of overestimating our abilities and underestimating the terrain. Dubai's pretty flat on the whole but there are a few overpasses which can catch out the occasional rider.
Thanks for the heads up on the blockers. That's a particular dislike of mine- their actions actually put others into an illegal position through no fault of their own.

Another good point joafr339- while the race isn't fully subscribed the roads are going to be busy and there's bound to be some bunching. I think it'll be a question of watching out for the guys gaining an advantage from that and trying to appear 'innocent'. Presumably this will be more of an issue further back down the field.

You know this already as an experienced tri-guy but remember you are there for more than drafting. Littering or lost equipment, keeping right, yellow line violations, passing on the right, etc., are all a big part of the job. As is safety. I spent 30 minutes with an injured triathlete calling for transport, talking to his wife about his condition and hospital destination, coordinating his bike transfer back to transition, working with EMTs to help the assessment. You are part of the review of the race, as the head ref should be asking what you saw and your review of how it went. Document your calls well. Not just number but color of jersey/shorts/club logo, gender, bike brand, etc, can all be useful to the head ref if someone challenges the call you made. Particularly if you show a card and the person does not stop in the tent. Just having the number and the violation in your book may not be enough for the head ref to win the argument. Be very clear with your calls and your cards, make eye contact and get acknowledgement from the racer when making your call.

Off the top of my head, that's my basic list from racing and reffing.

ars

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Alan Stewart