A planning checklist compiled from experienced event directors, designed to catch the details that can get lost between seasons.
This checklist assumes your event date and location are already locked in and works backward from race day to help structure everything that follows. It is designed to serve as a working reference you can return to season after season, whether you are refining a well established event or planning one for the first time.
Use it as a gut check, a planning reset, or a place to document the details that matter most to your event so nothing gets lost in the shuffle.
12 Months Out:
Event Operations
- Connect with local tourism board or town staff to align on permits, road closures, community impact, and promotional support
- Confirm permits and land use agreements
- Review insurance requirements and coverage
- Lock in timing and scoring partner
- Revisit your event budget and revenue goals
Registration
- Set up your registration platform
- Define required participant data and waiver language
- Confirm pricing structure and planned price increases
Marketing
- Refresh event branding if needed
- Confirm website or event landing page
- Put together an event promotion strategy
9 to 10 Months Out:
Event Operations
- Identify key leadership roles and operational leads
- Begin high level course planning and review access points
- Flag long lead time rentals or equipment needs
- Confirm timing and scoring requirements
- Secure hotel room blocks or lodging partnerships
- Design event shirts, medals, and merchandise and confirm production timelines.
Registration
- Build and test registration flow
- Set up confirmation and receipt emails
- Confirm promo codes, referral options, or early access logic
- Decide which merchandise will be offered during registration and set up pre-order options.
Selling Merch? Generate additional revenue with strategic event merchandise
Email communication
- Save the Date email
- Past participant re-engagement email
- Early registration or loyalty email if applicable
Marketing
- Create an “I’m Registered” image athletes can easily share after signing up
- Establish a light but consistent content cadence
6 to 8 Months Out:
Event Operations
- Confirm course permits and approvals
- Secure medical provider
- Begin volunteer recruitment planning
- Confirm vendors for food, equipment, rentals, and PA system
Marketing
- “Registration is Open” email
- Social announcements
- Sponsor or partner cross promotion
Sponsors
- Finalize sponsor packages
- Sponsor outreach and fulfillment planning
4 to 5 Months Out:
Event Operations
- Finalize course layout and confirm any remaining approvals
- Confirm aid station locations and staffing needs
- Revisit emergency action plan and identify any gaps
- Confirm equipment, fencing, and infrastructure needs
- Open volunteer registration
- Assign leadership roles and key captains
Email communication
- Price increase reminder emails
- Course preview email
- Travel, parking, and lodging information
Marketing
- Confirm sponsor deliverables tied to promotion (emails, social, on-site)
- Identify feature moments worth highlighting (course updates, experience, community impact)
- Work with clubs, community organizers, ambassadors to help promote
Medical and safety
- Confirm aid station locations
- Draft or revisit emergency action plan documentation
2 to 3 Months Out:
Event Operations
- Confirm vendor delivery timelines
- Order bibs, medals, shirts, and signage
- Finalize volunteer assignments
Email communication
- Participant logistics email
- Gear expectations and weather guidance
Marketing
- Highlight participant experience details (aid stations, swag, scenery, community)
- Promote deadlines and capacity milestones
- Share behind-the-scenes or build-up content to maintain momentum
- Align sponsor promotions with registration pushes
Medical and safety
- Review emergency action plan with medical team
- Coordinate with local emergency services
1 Month Out:
Event operations
- Confirm vendor commitments and delivery windows
- Finalize volunteer assignments and leadership roles
- Prepare staff and volunteer communication plans
- Review emergency action plan for accuracy and updates
- Confirm course marking plan and signage inventory
- Schedule final course walkthrough or ride
- Review transportation, parking, and venue flow
Email communication
- Send participant information email outlining key dates and what to expect
- Share preliminary race weekend schedule
- Introduce packet pickup details, even if timing is not final
- Set expectations around weather variability and gear planning
Marketing
- Continue registration promotion
- Share final price increase or registration closing reminders
- Highlight course features, aid stations, or event experience
- Encourage athletes to share registration posts and event excitement
- Create and organize on-site and post-event assets to promote next year’s event
Event Week:
Event operations
- Mark the course and confirm signage placement
- Test timing and scoring equipment
- Confirm PA system, power access, and announcer logistics
- Finalize packet pickup setup and staffing
- Prepare staff and volunteer check in materials
Email communication
- Send race week logistics email with final schedule, parking, and arrival details
- Share packet pickup reminders and cutoff times
- Communicate weather expectations and gear guidance
- Provide clear instructions for race morning procedures
Registration
- Download and organize complete registration data for check-in and troubleshooting
- Decide on bib number assignment strategy and prepare your system
- Identify and follow up on unsigned waivers
- Set up and test event day check-in tools
- Assign volunteer access levels and confirm connectivity plans
- Prepare to track finishers for safety and accountability
One week out? Here’s your pre-event registration checklist
Medical and safety
- Conduct emergency action plan briefing with staff and key volunteers
- Confirm medical team locations and communication protocols
- Review weather contingencies and decision making authority
- Share emergency contact information with leadership and operations leads
Event Day:
- Volunteer check in and briefing
- Course monitoring and issue escalation
- Medical coordination
- Results verification
- On site problem solving
Post Event:
- Results and photos email
- Thank you email to participants, volunteers, and sponsors
- Post event survey
- Early interest or waitlist for next year
Commonly missed even by experienced teams:
- Updating emergency contact sheets from last year
- Reconfirming power access and PA needs at the venue
- Assigning a single owner for volunteer communication
- Creating social share assets early to help with promotion
One Last Thing:
This checklist is meant to be a living resource.
If there is something you write down every year because experience has taught you not to skip it, we would love to hear it. Our goal is to keep this list shaped by your real-event experience.
