Press Release - Road Runners Club of America - 5/1/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RRCA Encourages Precautions at Road Races in the Wake of Swine Flu Outbreak 

Arlington, VA – The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) encourages race 
directors to take extra precautions as part of their risk management 
responsibilities at their events over the coming weeks in the wake of the 
Swine Flu outbreak.  Event directors should contact their local health 
departments to learn about any special community health alerts, precautions 
or instructions that may affect their event permits and take action 
accordingly.
 
The recommended extra precautions include sending home event volunteers 
that appear to have symptoms of the flu or place them in positions where 
they will have minimal contact with people participating in or assisting 
with the race. 
 
All volunteers handling food and fluids should be flu symptom free, should 
be provided with hand sanitizer and gloves, and follow safe food handling 
procedures.  Volunteers handing out water or energy drinks must be 
instructed to hold the cups from the bottom, not the top.  Volunteers 
should refrain from touching the mouth of a cup at all times.  Hand 
sanitizer should be available near the port-a-potties, at aid stations, and 
at the race expo or packet pick-up.
 
Runners with flu-like symptoms should stay home from an event.   

"Bodily functions are a fact of life during a race," explains Jean Knaack, 
RRCA executive director.  "Runners participating in events should take 
responsibility for practicing good hygiene on the run.  If you need to 
spit, blow your nose, or relieve your bladder during a race, move off of 
the race course to take care of your needs and wash or sanitize your hands 
at an aid station to minimize the likelihood of someone coming into contact 
with your bodily fluids."  

Detailed RRCA Runners Etiquette advice can be found at 
www.rrca.org/programs/education/etiquette.pdf 
 
The RRCA encourages everyone in the running community to follow the CDC's 
advice.
-Stay informed 
-Take everyday actions to stay healthy
-Follow public health advice 
-Develop an emergency plan 
 
Visit http://www.CDC.gov for more information.

About the RRCA:
Founded in 1958, the RRCA is the national association of running clubs, 
running events, and runners. The mission of the RRCA is to promote running 
as a competitive sport and healthy exercise. The RRCA achieves their 
mission by promoting the common interests of its members by providing 
educational opportunities, programs, and services. The organization’s 
membership consists of over 988 running clubs and events that represent 
over 180,000 running club members in the US.

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