Volunteers at a water station holding out cups as runners approach

Home/Volunteer

Give A Morning

The loudest job on the course.

Roughly one volunteer for every twenty runners. That ratio is the whole difference between a 5K that feels like an event and one that feels like a group jog.

Two to four hour shifts Shirt and coffee Done before lunch
Sign up for a shift See the roles

Why Bother

Four hundred people will thank you.

A runner remembers two things about a small 5K: whether the course was obvious and whether anyone cheered. Both of those are volunteers. The chip, the mats and the arch are our job. Everything that makes race morning feel like a town showing up for itself is yours.

Every race we run benefits a nonprofit partner, so the morning you give is directly attached to whichever cause that race is carrying.

  • Shifts run two to four hours. Most people are home by eleven.
  • Volunteer shirt, coffee and breakfast on site, and a place to leave your bag.
  • Written position brief the week before, so nobody is guessing on the day.
  • Volunteer perks are announced per race.
  • Student service hours signed off the same morning, no chasing.
  • Groups welcome. Companies, churches, running clubs and school teams can claim a whole station.
Volunteers unloading water jugs and cones from the back of a pickup truck before dawn Setup, before light

The Roles

Pick your spot.

Tell us which one suits you. If you have never done this before, take water station. Nobody has ever regretted water station.

Volunteers handing race packets and numbered bibs to runners at a pickup table Packet pickup
Aerial view of a race course following the Trinity River at golden hour Course marshal posts
A grandfather and grandson crossing the finish line holding hands The finish chute
01

Packet pickup

Friday 4 to 7 PM, or race morning 6 to 7:15 AM. Hand out bibs, shirts and safety pins. Answer the same five questions kindly, four hundred times. Indoors, seated, and the easiest place to start.

02

Course marshal

One corner, one radio, one job: point runners the right way and keep the turn clear of cars and dogs. You will be alone for stretches, so bring a jacket and somebody to text. Standing, outdoors, two hours.

03

Water station

Pour, stack, and hold the cup out at arm's height as runners come through. Then do it again on their way back. Loud, fast, drenched by the end, and the most photographed job on the course.

04

Finish chute

Medals over heads, water into hands, and telling every single finisher they did well. Especially the last one, who will need it most and deserves it just as much. Three hours, on your feet.

The Four Jobs

A course marshal in a high visibility vest pointing runners through a turn Course marshal
A young volunteer at a water station holding out a cup to a passing runner Water station
A volunteer handing a runner a race packet beside bib boxes sorted by number range Packet pickup
Finish festival with runners hugging, a volunteer handing out water and the results tent behind Finish chute
A race director in a high visibility vest at dawn beside cones, a bib table and an inflating start arch Where you check in
An announcer placing a medal around a young girl's neck at the awards stand Why people come back

Demo imagery.

Open Shifts

Where we need hands.

Demo counts. Pick a cell and it fills in the sign-up form below.

Packet pickupCourse marshalWater stationFinish chute
Fort Worth Dawn 5K
Autism Awareness Run-Walk
A firefighter in full turnout gear running past a line of flags at sunrise September
Tunnel to Towers 5K
Fort Worth Turkey Trot
Jingle Bell Run

A sunrise start pack under the race arch with the Fort Worth skyline behind Before the horn
A family pushing a jogging stroller along the river trail during a 5K Families on course
A corporate team of eight wearing finisher medals with the Fort Worth skyline behind them Groups welcome

Sign Up

Claim a shift.

Pick a race and a role. We will email the position brief and the meeting point the week before, and text you the morning-of details the night before.

Demo build. Nothing is submitted anywhere yet.

Volunteer Questions

How early do I need to be there?

Course and finish roles check in ninety minutes before the gun, so 6:00 AM for a 7:30 start. Packet pickup on the Friday is a 3:45 PM check-in. We send the exact time and meeting point in the position brief the week before, and again by text the night before.

Can I volunteer and still run?

At a 5K, not really. The shifts overlap the race itself. What people do instead is volunteer at one race and run the next. If you want both on the same day, packet pickup on the Friday evening pairs with running Saturday.

Can I bring my kids?

Yes, and we love it. Packet pickup and the finish line are the two best roles for younger helpers. Course marshaling is not, because that position is genuinely alone and next to traffic. Anyone under sixteen needs an adult on the same station.

We are a company or a club. Can we take a whole station?

Please do. A water station takes six to eight people and is the single most fun group assignment in road racing. Put your group name in the notes field and we will assign you a station together, banner and all.

What if it rains?

If weather forces a hold, we restart when it clears. We will text you either way. Bring a rain shell and shoes you do not mind ruining, and expect the finish line to be the best atmosphere of the season.

Do I get service hours signed?

Yes. Bring the form, find the volunteer captain at your station, and it gets signed before you leave. If your school uses an online portal, email us the link and we will confirm from our side the same day.

Or Run Instead

Find your next start line.

Five chip-timed 5Ks a year in Fort Worth, every one of them for a cause.

See the 2026 season Join the crew