Land Crews
Land crews are vital to provide the proper support for their paddlers. It is important, therefore, that land crews clearly understand their role. Being part of a land crew on the Marathon sounds easier than paddling, but in many ways land crews have as much work to do as paddlers.
The land crew must be up before their paddlers each day; manage the catering arrangements; tend to paddlers' aches and pains; arrange safe transport of canoes to and from the river; and set up camp each night. A well-organised land crew makes an enormous contribution to the paddlers' successful arrival at Swan Hill after five days' paddling.
The land crews are not left without support. Along the way they can rely on assistance from the Camp Management Team (Red Shirts) and Traffic Management Team (Blue Shirts) in particular, and the officials at checkpoints.
The Marathon Support Network
The Marathon Safety Network comprises the of Chief Safety Officer, Health Support Team, Land Patrol, Water Patrol, Communications Team, Traffic Management Team (Blue Shirts) and Camp Management Team (Red Shirts).
The Chief Safety Officer
- Has the responsibility for ensuring that the Marathon is conducted in a safe manner including the progress of all Marathon canoes and vessels on the river, movement of all associated vehicles between the various Marathon sites, and safety at camp sites and checkpoints.
The Health Support Team
- Consists of qualified and experienced First Aiders and masseurs.
- They work at camp sites, start and finish points and at checkpoints on land and water.
The Land Patrol
- Made up of members and friends of the Land Rover Owners Club of Victoria.
- They manage the Land Checkpoints on the river bank, provide the Forward Survey Team and the Tail End Charlie (TEC), who checks all the canoe numbers as they pass through the start gate in the morning and then reconciles this record with those of each checkpoint and the finish.
The Water Patrol
- Provided by members of the Royal Volunteer Coastal Patrol. All boats carry a First Aider and Radio Operator.
- They clear the River in front of the first canoe, set up halfway points between the land checkpoints, and open the river for other users after the last canoe has passed.
- The responsibility for overall water safety is delegated from the Chief Safety Officer to the Water Safety Officer, part of the Water Patrol.
The Communications Team
- Consists of members of the Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network (WICEN).
- Their radio network is essential for providing effective communication between all points along each day's Marathon route (if you've been on the Marathon before, you'll know that mobile phones do not provide reliable communication along the river).
Traffic Management (Blue Shirts) and Camp Management (Red Shirts)
- Blue Shirts manage traffic movements and parking at the start, finish and checkpoints each day.
- Red Shirts manage all aspects of the camp sites, including layout, traffic movement, information, lost property and hygiene.
The Race Group
- Responsible for formulating and administering race policy and rules and regulations.
- Members manage the start, and record the start and finish times, which provide the daily and overall results.
The Computer Crew
- Are members of the Micro-Computer Club of Melbourne (MICOM).
- They process the information provided from the start and finish times to produce the printed reports each day.
- They also manage the database of Marathon participants
The Media Team
- Responsible for generating publicity about the Marathon in the media both prior to and during the actual event.
- Their aim is to raise awareness about the event in the community, leading to increased entries and helping raise money for Australian Red Cross
- The details you record on you publicity form during registration help this team put together stories about the Marathon - they won't know unless you tell them! Also, look out for them at the Marathon - it you've got a story, let them know.
Volunteers
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please contact:The Red Cross-Herald Sun Murray Marathon
Australian Red Cross
PO Box 9949
NORTH MELBOURNE VIC 3051
Ph: +61 3 8327 7706
Fax: +61 3 8327 7900
E-mail: events@vic.redcross.org.au
