Taking pictures at 5k and 10k runs - How to cover course

[truetifoso]

I'm taking pictures this weekend of a 5k run and a 10k run.

I'll be the only photographer there, but I have no idea how I can cover multiple locations.

Attached is the map of the course. I could drive to the different locations, but this is risky because of traffic and parking. Riding a bike is out of the question because I just had knee surgery.

View attachment 58744


Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[ronlane]

Golf cart, 4-wheeler of some kind. I was going to say run really fast but the knee surgery pretty much kills that idea.

 

[lambertpix]

You're not going to be able to cover everything, so think about the shots you really want, and figure out how to get those.

A few random observations:

* Everyone has to cover the area from S/F to the 5K turnaround, but only the 10K runners go on from there, so if you're past the 5K turnaround, you won't see *any* of those guys at all.

* Runners will be tightly-packed near the start, and very spread out at the end. Do you want shots with lots of runners in them, or isolated shots?

* Water stops can have little flurries of activity -- find out where they are, if you can.

* Pay attention to backgrounds -- no matter how many runners you have in the frame, you don't want to wind up with all sorts of distractions in back.

* Emotion, to whatever extent you see any at all, will probably happen near the end.

* You might see some interesting "lifestyle" shots before and/or after the race as runners & volunteers mill about near the S/F line.

I think if it were me, I'd scout out a spot or two with great backgrounds not too terribly far from the S/F line, get some shots before the race, then get to a spot to shoot the start of the race. Get some crowded shots on the way out, then maybe catch runners one at a time on the way back. If you think there's a chance there will be any sort of crowd at the finish to cheer the winners, that might be interesting, too. With any kind of event photography, the more you know about the event, the better you'll be able to capture the emotion in your photos.

Think of it like a TV commentator doing a ball game -- you want to listen to someone who knows the game, because they'll have relevant thoughts to contribute. That's your job -- get to where the relevant stuff is going to happen before it happens, and then get the shot. No sweat, right?

 

[texkam]

You can't cover everything. Expect the 5K leaders to finish in 15:00 or less. You will not be able to be out on the course if you expect to shoot the 5K finish. As mentioned above, choices must be made and expectations need to be understood by the client.

 

[Fox_Racing_Guy]

Motor scooter, most of them have a ton of under seat storage and they are small enough to be unobtrusive, park any place.

 

[jaomul]

With your injury its just not possible. I was going to suggest a 40-6000mm tele, but seriously, even with a bike I covered 4 locations on a 10 mile run and was able to cut across points and I was under pressure. Is it safe to assume the start is near the finish?. If so cover the start and finish, if you have any friends with any camera ask them to go about half way into the race and get the runners there.