S1 TRAIL — VOLUNTEER TEAM
You make our races happen
Refreshment points through the night, time barriers out on the Karst, finishers to cheer home. Every year 450 people make our races possible. You can be one of them, even for just half a day.
Who we’re looking for
No experience required. You don’t have to be a runner. Aged 16 and over; under-18s need a parent’s consent.
When
Five events in twelve months, from August to June. Shifts of 4–6 hours. You can do just one.
What you get
A volunteer race pack, a meal and drinks during your shift, and insurance. Do six hours or more and you also get a free bib or your expenses reimbursed: your choice.
How to apply
Fill in the form, and we’ll call you back within a week. No commitment until you confirm your shift.
A race is made up of people, each standing at a precise spot
A trail race looks like it’s all trails and bibs. In reality it’s made up of people, each standing at a precise spot, often at night, often with the bora blowing, waiting for a runner they’ve never met, ready to fill their cup and tell them it’s not far now.
It’s not a figure of speech: without those people the race cannot be authorised, cannot be made safe and cannot be run. There are 450 of them in a season, and every year we need new ones. That is why, for us, the volunteer team comes before everything else.
The teams
You tell us what appeals to you and we do our best to make it happen. We can’t always guarantee the station you ask for, but we try to put you somewhere you’ll be happy.
Refreshment points
The most sought-after station, and the best of all. You prepare, pour, slice, fill bottles and cheer runners on. You’re the memory every runner takes home with them.
Course
You staff a junction, a crossing or a critical spot. You point the way, keep an eye on everyone going past and alert race management if something isn’t right.
Start and finish
Start pens, entry gates, timing, medals, the finish refreshment point, applause. Fast-paced, with lots of people.
Bibs and race office
Handing out bibs, checking entries and mandatory kit, giving out information. If you have an eye for detail and enjoy talking to people, this is the place for you.
Life base
Long races only: a hot meal, showers, drop bags, runners who sleep for twenty minutes and head back out. The heart of the race at night.
Logistics and set-up
Before and after: loading and unloading, gazebos, barriers, boards and signs. The work nobody sees, but without it nothing gets going.
Course marking and take-down
You mark the course in the days beforehand and bring back every last bit of material afterwards. Not a single strip of tape is left on the Karst: it’s a commitment we’ve made to the area.
Floater
Not sure where you’d fit in? We send you wherever you’re needed, whenever you’re needed. It’s the role for anyone who wants to see the race from several angles.
One shift, a weekend, whatever you can manage
A standard shift lasts 4–6 hours. You can do just one or stay with us for the whole weekend: you tell us when you apply, and we can still adjust things up to a few days beforehand.
Our long races also run through the night, so there are night shifts. They’re the toughest, but also the best: if you’re up for it, say so on the form — anyone who covers the night has our eternal gratitude and gets priority when it comes to rewards.
If you’re coming from further afield, we won’t leave you stranded: if you’re travelling more than 50 km, we provide a bed for the night and a contribution towards your travel costs, plus, where the role calls for it, reimbursement of expenses against receipts.
Race pack and meal, then a bib or your expenses back: your choice
We don’t pay you — you’re a volunteer, and we’re an amateur sports association. But we don’t want you to be out of pocket, and we want you to come back. You always get the volunteer race pack, a meal during your shift and insurance, right from the start, even if you only do one shift. And since a good many of our volunteers don’t run, once you reach six hours a free bib isn’t the only option: you can have your expenses reimbursed instead. Hours add up across the whole season, not race by race.
- Volunteer race pack
- Meal and drinks during your shift
- Insurance
- Certificate of participation
- Volunteer race pack, meal, insurance and certificate
- A free bib for a race of up to 30 km or your expenses reimbursed
- Volunteer race pack, meal, insurance and certificate
- A free bib for a race of your choice, including those over 30 km, or your expenses reimbursed
- Volunteer race pack, meal, insurance and certificate
- Two free bibs for races of your choice or your expenses reimbursed
What about out-of-pocket costs?
We assess them case by case, depending on the role and the circumstances: if your role involves frequent travel, long hours or several shifts, we offer reimbursement of expenses against receipts — also available instead of accommodation, if you’d rather sleep at home. This applies whichever of the rewards above you choose.
Races count as short races if they’re up to 30 km, and as long if they’re longer. If you run, your bib is valid for any of our races the following season and is transferable: you can even give it to anyone you like. If you don’t run, we reimburse the expenses you’ve incurred instead.
Come along with your club
Do you belong to a sports club, a section of the Italian Alpine Club (CAI), a Pro Loco (local community association), a school or a voluntary organisation? Bring the whole group along. It’s the best way to do this kind of work: you stick together, you get through it faster and you have a lot more fun.
- We assign you all to the same station, rather than scattering you along the course
- We work out shifts and times with you, depending on how many of you there are
- We give your organisation a financial contribution to support its activities, in proportion to the number of volunteers and the hours covered
- Individual rewards still apply: each of your volunteers gets the race pack and a meal, clocks up their own hours and chooses their own reward — a bib or their expenses reimbursed
No special skills needed, just turn up
- You must be at least 16; under-18s need a parent’s consent
- You don’t have to be a trail runner: a good many of our volunteers have never run in their lives
- Student, working or retired: it doesn’t matter, we can fit the shifts around you
- All you need is clothing suitable for a few hours outdoors and a willingness to lend a hand
If, on the other hand, you do run and want to stay at the heart of the race even when you’re not racing, bear in mind that the course opener and sweeper roles are reserved for people with the legs and the head for trail running.
What happens after you apply
You fill in the form.It takes five minutes: who you are, which races you’re interested in, which team appeals to you and when you’re available.
A real person gets back to you.Within a week we’ll write to you or give you a call so we can work out together where to place you. No commitment until you agree.
You get your shift.About two weeks before the race you’ll receive everything: your station, times, how to get there, who your team leader is and what to bring.
On race day.You report to the volunteer meeting point, collect your race pack, and your team leader explains everything on the spot.
Afterwards.We’ll send you your certificate and, if you chose a bib, the code to redeem it.
Five events in twelve months
Five different ways to be in the thick of it. You can apply for one, some or all of them.
Sardon Run
Villaggio del Pescatore island. The Karst dropping straight into the Adriatic, five distances, a finish by the sea.
Čaven Run
Čaven, Slovenia. Vertical and trail races, autumn across the border.
Corsa della Bora
Gulf of Trieste. The biggest of them all: night-time racing, a life base, a border crossing. This is where we need more hands than anywhere else.
Alpe Adria Ultra Trail — Winter
Julian Alps. Snow and cold, with short, well-covered shifts.
Alpe Adria Ultra Trail — Summer
Val Saisera and Val Dogna. Three days, nine races, three borders.
Questions we always get asked
Do I need to belong to a club or hold a membership card?
No. We only ask for the details we need to cover you under our insurance.
Can I come with a friend, my team or my group?
Yes — and nothing makes us happier. Mention it on the form and we’ll put you all at the same station. If you’re a club or a sports group, write to us directly, because in that case we also make a financial contribution to your organisation.
I’m under 18.
You can volunteer from the age of 16, with a parent’s signed consent. We’ll give you daytime shifts, always paired with an experienced volunteer.
I’m not from Trieste, or I don’t speak Italian.
No problem — we’re a cross-border race: on our team we speak Italian, Slovene and English. Tell us which languages you speak; at some stations they’re a real advantage.
How long will I be on my feet? I’m not particularly fit.
There are stations for everyone, including seated and sheltered ones. Just mention it on the form — that’s no problem at all.
What if I apply and then can’t make it?
It happens — just let us know as soon as you can. No penalty, no hard feelings: we’ll reorganise.
What should I bring?
Comfortable shoes, a windproof jacket and, for night shifts, a head torch and something warm. We’ll provide the rest.
Are you in?
Fill in the form below: it takes five minutes and doesn’t commit you to anything. We’ll call you within a week and talk it through with you before anything is decided.
Got a question before you apply? Message us on WhatsApp at +39 040 411341 or ask our assistant in the bottom right-hand corner.