A Day In The Life of a R4W Volunteer…
Thinking about volunteering with the Extra Milers this year? We know that it can be daunting trying something new, so read on to understand more about what Extra Milers do on event day and what to expect when volunteering with R4W.
We can’t put on our events without the support of volunteers from the community and we know the particpants are so grateful for the cheers, assistance and congratulations on event day. Here’s just a few of the many fantastic comments we received from the 2025 Cardiff Half runners about the Extra Milers who gave their support on event day.
“The Extra Milers were terrific all the way round. They worked really hard to distribute drinks, food and t-shirts. All done with good humour and a smile!”
“All the volunteers were amazing. Many cheered me by name which was a huge boost. Thank you all!”
“The Extra Miler volunteers worked so hard to keep us going all the way round. Their energy was infectious. Thank you!”
So what does being an Extra Miler involve? First things first, you choose what you do on event day! Descriptions of all the volunteering roles are available on our webpage with full details of what to expect. Our key event day roles are helping on the finish line, supporting a water station, being a course marshal or chatting with the runners in the bag drop tent. The Extra Miler team also includes cycle marshals, volunteer photographers, race pacers and back markers (who walk at the back of the race).
“I really enjoy being part of the finish line team. I get to see runners of all abilities finishing their race and achieving their goals.” CDF 10K 2025 Extra Miler After you register as a R4W volunteer on our Rosterfy volunteer system, you’ll be able to see all our events and the volunteering roles available. Just sign up to the event and role you’d like to do. If you’re volunteering with a friend, make sure you sign up for the same role.
We are proud to have the support of many different community groups, some of who have been volunteering for over 10 years! If you’d like to volunteer as part of a group, email our volunteer team for information about the group sign-up process. We welcome volunteers aged 14 and over, when accompanied by an adult or group leader.
“Our team of volunteers from Wales Millennium Centre love volunteering at the Cardiff Half each year. It’s a fantastic opportunity to come together outside of our usual theatre environment to spend a morning having fun together while supporting the runners and the R4W team at the Norwegian Church water station! We love getting involved and can’t wait for next year!” Laura from WMC
You’ll receive a detailed Event Information Sheet around a week before the event. This is emailed to you (check your junk folders!) and is also available on your Rosterfy volunteer dashboard by clicking on Notifications. It contains everything you need to know about race day, including where to park, what time to arrive and who your supervisor will be. We even include a photo of your supervisor so you know who you’re looking for. All volunteers receive free parking on event day.
No matter which volunteer team you’re in, you’ll have the support of an experienced R4W supervisor who is your go-to person on the day. They’ll sign you in on arrival, answer any questions and carry out a welcome briefing before you begin any tasks. Many of our supervisors started out as an Extra Miler volunteer so they know what it’s like being new to an event.
“I really enjoy welcoming the volunteers on event day. There’s always new faces among the regulars and it’s great to meet new volunteers and show them what we do to contribute to the race, then see them getting involved and having fun” R4W Supervisor 2025
If you’re volunteering on course (course marshals and water station teams) you’ll likely meet your supervisor at your volunteering location. They’ll have your volunteer kit and lunches. Otherwise you’ll sign in at the Volunteer Welcome Area, usually a large marquee near the start-finish area. Your supervisor will meet you, take your name and ask you to pick up an Extra Milers t-shirt to wear, a branded drawstring bag for your belongings and a lunch pack. Help yourself to a hot drink and a Welshcake while you wait for everyone else to arrive!
Your supervisor will then gather everyone together and walk with you to your volunteering location, for example the finish line. There they’ll carry out a role briefing explaining the day ahead as well as covering some important health and safety information. Feel free to ask any questions at this point or, of course, at any time during the day.
“I always have a great day and meet someone wonderful people. The volunteers and supervisors always have such a positive energy.” Newport Marathon Festival 2025 Extra Miler
Now the fun begins! If you’re in the Bag Drop runners will be starting to queue to drop off their bags, while the finish line team will begin hanging medals and unboxing t-shirts. Out on the course, the water station team will be unloading thousands of bottles of water while the course marshals test out their megaphones.
“The friendly nature of all involved, the atmosphere was amazing and I was genuinely touched by how grateful the race participants were – so many thank yous!” Porthcawl 10K 2025 Extra Miler
Many Extra Milers are regular volunteers, so there is always someone experienced who can show you the ropes. Some are aiming for the Extra Miler Extraordinaire award, where volunteers receive a lovely event merchandise gift bundle at the end of the year as a little thank you for supporting every R4W event that year. We also invite you to try the Extra Milers Role Challenge. Come along to four events but try out a different role at each event. We’ll give you a tasty Welsh foods goodie bag as a thank you.
After every event we ask you complete a volunteer event feedback survey. It’s really important to R4W to hear more about your volunteering experience and what we can do to improve it. There’s also the opportunity to post your event day photos on social media. We choose our favourites and you can win a free R4W race entry or a shopping voucher.
We hope we’ve given you a little insight into event day volunteering. The 2026 event calendar is now confirmed – view it here. You can also follow our Facebook page, Instagram page or X (formerly Twitter) channel for all the latest event updates. Volunteer sign-up generally starts 6 weeks before each event.
If you have any questions about volunteering with R4W or if you are part of a group who would like to volunteer at an event, just send an email to our friendly volunteer team volunteers@run4wales.org
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