About the UCSF Race Medical Volunteer Program

Why volunteer?

We want to be part of and give back to the community. The Bay Area is one of the best places in the world and a great place to race! We want everyone to be safe and have a great race experience.

UCSF wants to support race organizers and charities who are raising money for great causes.

We want to provide the top level care at race events. We have so many skilled experts at UCSF and the community that can be brought together to form a great, organized medical team.

How to join the team:  It’s easy as 1-2-3

Email us your interest in helping at marathon@orthosurg.ucsf.edu so we can put you on an email list for upcoming volunteer opportunities.

Learn about the program at our next volunteer meeting.

3. If you’d like to help at a race, register to volunteer 

Note:  Volunteers will be taken to a third-party Web site to create login to register (www.iracesafe.com); here, select medical button on the far right top of the page.  If a race is not posted, please check any emails for specific race links or contact us at the email below.

Questions?  Send an email to marathon@orthosurg.ucsf.edu.

History

UCSF Sports Medicine has been organizing event coverage of large races in the Bay Area for 15 years. In 2016, UCSF Sports Medicine has served as official medical care provider for several of the Bay Area's big races, including premiere events in the Bay Area: the SF marathon, Escape from Alcatraz, the Rock N Roll races (San Francisco and San Jose), JP Morgan Chase 5K Corporate Challenge, the US half marathon and the Berkeley half marathon. At each race, a multidisciplinary medical teams between 30 to 120 medical volunteers from UCSF and community participate including Orthopedics, Family Medicine, Pediatrics, Internal medicine, Emergency Medicine, Physical therapy, and Anesthesia.

How do I get involved?

Once you join the team, you will receive an email about this year’s coming events and how to sign up.

• You can sign up just to volunteer at one of this year’s events.
• You can volunteer to get more involved in the team’s planning activities for each race.
• For each race we will need a specific number of volunteers. The sign up will be on a first come first serve basis for each race. Details will be on the email.

What does the Race Medical Team do?

With each race, our team recruits volunteers, trains them, organizes the team, and provides the care on race day. There are different stations like the finish lines, med tents, aid stations along the course and sweep teams. We need volunteers to take on different roles, from skilled critical care in the medical tents to active non-medical volunteers helping take care of runners. As part of the Race Medical Team you will learn a lot of skills for race medicine. Try out all the different roles on the medical team. We need both medical trained and non-medical volunteers. All volunteers and skill levels are welcome.

Volunteer Benefits

1. BE PART OF THE TEAM: One of the most significant incentives for lending a hand is the sense of camaraderie. By joining us, you become an integral part of a team dedicated to assisting participants and families in achieving their goals while ensuring the safety and enjoyment of community events.
2. LEARN ABOUT RACE MEDICINE: Dive into the realm of Race Medicine through hands-on experience. Whether aspiring to become a race director or simply contribute to the team, you'll acquire valuable skills and knowledge. Our club will host three team meetings featuring dynamic speakers who will delve into various aspects of Race Medicine.
3. GET INVOLVED IN PLANNING THE CLUB: Share your expertise and shape the future of the club by joining one of our specialized working groups. Opportunities include volunteer recruitment, designing rewards and apparel, business strategizing, organizing orientation meetings, managing medical team operations, and updating our website.
4. REWARDS: As a token of appreciation, volunteers will receive exclusive UCSF Race Medicine Team apparel. From long sleeves to t-shirts and hats, our volunteers can gradually amass an impressive collection of UCSF Race Medicine Team merchandise as we regularly introduce new items.
5. BID LOTTERY: For avid runners among our volunteers, we offer the chance to participate in specific events as running volunteers, including coveted races. Each race entry grants an entry chance into our bid lottery for upcoming races. While the opportunity is yours to enjoy, it cannot be transferred to another individual.
6. CERTIFICATE: In recognition of your volunteerism, we will present you with a certificate and a letter of acknowledgment addressed to your department chair or supervisor. This serves as a testament to your dedication and contribution to our cause.

Meetings

These are group meetings for the anyone helping with the UCSF Race Medical Team.  The meetings are geared for educational, social and skill-building purposes.  Dinner and drinks are provided.  It’s a great way to meet your teammates, learn new tricks in medicine and be prepared for upcoming events.  We’ll also have educational speakers to stimulate discussion and new ideas to improve our care.

Thank you

Thank you for your time and dedication to volunteer talent to care for runners in our community. Your role in helping at these big community events make a HUGE difference to helping keep people safe in such happy events.