The Tribune

By Local Organising Committee

IAAF World Relays

Bahamas 2017

A MAJOR sporting event such as the IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2017 can only be successful with the integration of volunteers.

For this year’s event the LOC is expecting more than 800 volunteers who will give of their time and talent to make the 2017 edition the best edition of the world event.

The hundreds of volunteers have been busy ironing out the logistical details for the relays including accreditation, attachés, translators, helpers and the like.

“An event of this magnitude just doesn’t happen,” said Jerome Sawyer, IAAF World Relays communication director.

“It is an intricate dance where many different partners and volunteers are a major participant in this dance. Without them we can’t have a successful event.”

Many of the volunteers are never seen and some are never at the track.

“There are volunteer translators in the four major languages for the event - Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch - who will only be at the host hotels assisting athletes and will never be at the track and their service is just as important as the volunteers who run the athletes’ clothes baskets around the track,” Sawyer added.

Many of the volunteers will be outfitted by the athletic equipment company ASICS which is the new uniform sponsor for volunteers.

The company’s name is actually an acronym for the Latin phrase “anima sana in corpore sano,” which translates roughly as “a healthy soul in a healthy body.”

“We have ordered a full complement of uniforms for our volunteers,” said IAAF World Relays volunteer coordinator, Tarahan Mackey.

To make sure there they have everything needed for the IAAF World Relays Bahamas 2017, the LOC will use the Bahamas High school relays March 18-19 as a test event for the World Relays Bahamas 2017.

“It will be a test to see if we have the full complement of our volunteers, staff and then we know we are going to work and how it will run functionally,” Mackey added.

There will also be four classes for volunteers leading up to the main event in an effort to streamline the functionality of the volunteers.

“We are hoping that the classes are filled,” Mackey said. “Hospitality is the only thing that we have, we have to be proponents of great and excellent service.”

The 2017 programme for the IAAF World Relays includes heats and finals for the 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m, and the 4x800m for both men and women over the two days of competition.

Runners will also contest a mixed gender 4x400m event. The 2017 Relays are also included in the IAAF World Athletics Series of events.

The single session ticket prices for general admission is $15. Costs for the Silver section is $50, Bronze is $40 and the Gold section is $70.

Tickets are available for the relays online at NSA-Bahamas.com and at the box office at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.