The year ahead!
2023 is done, on to 2024!
Having done a round-up of the year that has gone it seems right to do a look forward to 2024.
Don’t worry, the plan is to keep the tried and tested formula effectively the same, but to tweak bits to keep things fresh and interesting! Some of you have done A LOT of my events so I can’t have you getting bored!
I love putting these events on and with so many people giving such good feedback and returning I feel I must be getting something right. The feedback I’ve had to the questionnaire that’s been sent out is rather amazing too. As I sit here and type there are over 400 responses with lots of great positive and constructive comments (I don’t mean that as a euphemism for negative either – I mean really helpful comments!!). A massive thank you to everyone who has left feedback, I’ll properly digest it all next week.
I’m hoping 2024 is going to be a big year for Big Bear – for so many reasons everything has been so up and down since 2020 that it feels like this is the first year we can hit the ground running and continue – hopefully without to many outside forces spoiling the fun! I’m so excited to be putting on the new TrailFest events too. TrailFest – Salcey Forest is already well on track to be our biggest event ever. It’s going to be awesome!
I just wanted to hihglight a few little tweaks for 2024 that are hopefully going to add to your experience too! Nothing too groundbreaking but a little sprinkle on top!!
Dates on medal ribbons!!! It sees very minor, and some of you may never even notice, but since Covid I’ve not been putting dates on ribbons. Throwing away hundreds of ribbons due to cancelled events was sad for many reasons and I didn’t want to repeat that. We’re passed that though (touches wood!) so the vast majority of ribbons will have dates and locations on them. (I told you they were minor changes!!)
The race bibs have had a redesign, by which I mean they have an actual design on them! When we first started I had the big 25cm square bibs, with big numbers and small bits of branding on them above and below. I thought it was “the way” but quickly realised half the runners folded them right down so just the number was visible – so I thought I’d just give out smaller (cheaper!!) numbers. However, I’ve realised over the last few months that I can still give out smaller numbers but make them a bit jazzier! If you’ve done an event you really want to cherish and your bib is a nice design it makes it even more valuable to go alongside your medal. Don’t worry though, they aren’t huge ones!
On-demand events. This is a bit new… you may have seen I’ve been working with the team at Skamper on some different things over the last few months. The app is great and it’s early days and I’m really excited to have got in early on something I think could be a big hit. The idea of on-demand events is to offer anyone who wasn’t able to get to the in-person event a chance to run the course (via the app) and earn a medal for themselves. A bit of a mash-up of virtual and in-person events. It won’t be for everyone – nothing is – but if you couldn’t make an event or you’d like to encourage a friend or family member to get involved it could be a great way of getting them started. I also have plans for a Skamper-based in-person event for later I the year, more details to follow on that one!
I said they weren’t ground-breaking changes!! I’m sure things will come up during the year too but I do want to really emphasise some of the things we’ve already been doing. The Big Bear Brigade, the milestone patches, the patches for 1st half/marathon/ultra and the pin badges for the distance covered are a few things that spring to mind. I have a habit of starting new initiatives and then forgetting to tell everyone! I want to try to celebrate the stories and victories of those who have found Big Bear to try and help more people find us! I’ve got a few from people that you’ll see on socials soon but if you’ve got a good/interesting origin story into Big Bear let me know! To be clear, it doesn’t need to be magical – that is sort of the point I’m trying to make - you don’t need a magical start to join the Big Bear world!
So, no major changes at all. If it aint broke and all that! The events work, the venues are great and those who come to the events tend to like them. I don’t want to put on events with 500 people on the start line. That isn’t Big Bear and it is very unlikely to ever be that. Big Bear Events will always be small enough that you’ll get your name called out on every lap but hopefully big enough that you don’t feel like you’ve gate-crashed a family gathering! They’ll also be mostly midweek. I know that doesn’t work for everyone but I think there are enough of us that it does work for and there are enough weekend running events to keep everyone else busy! There will be a few more weekend bits though and the Owl Challenge is from 6pm on a Friday night too… I’m trying to please everyone!!
That’s all a long way of saying… 2024 will be more of the same. If you’ve enjoyed the previous 6 years you’re going to love the 1 we’ve just started! I hope to see you many times in the next 12 months!