I spent Bank Holiday weekend (runs up to last Monday in August in UK, except Scotland), marshalling on Adidas TERREX adventure race in Lake District, north west England. It's not called the wettest part of the UK for nothing...
I finished work on Thursday afternoon, ready to drive alone to Keswick. Before leaving home, the technical leader phoned to tell me I'd have to head off to Eskdale on Friday morning, taking all ropes & equipment for a major abseil on Esk Buttress, also called Central Pillar, Sca Fell (on OS map). Drove north through very heavy rain, while racers were competing in Prologue, in dry conditions - except for one from each team who had to swim. At Keswick Football Club, I was given new Adidas TERREX waterproof jacket (unfortunately, a woman size 12, despite asking for male size medium, but amazingly, I could fit to it, as long as I didn't wear more than a thin fleece underneath!), technical T shirt, hooded fleece and trail shoes. I met my partner who was competing with 3 others - first time he'd met any of them, although I'd met the woman a few years earlier, when she came to our house to interview me for her PhD research into expedition leadership. Then pitched tent for a sleep before the race for real. Racers set off at 0500 for coach travel to Morecombe Bay; I didn't get up to see them off.
Collected all ropes, climbing kit, and one passenger (friend of race planner) from Football Club, plus a rucksack for passenger and climbing harness & helmet for me from house of father of race planner. Headed over Wrynose and Hardknott Passes, which was fine until a very steep slope with no possibility of run up, so had to unload passenger and ropes, get car up slope, then reload. Waited at Woolpack Inn, Eskdale for other members of team, the rope technicians. Eventually sorted kit into rucksacks and all set off in one vehicle to drive to a farm, a bit closer to buttress. 8km walk in with heavy packs, but lovely weather conditions & scenery (scenery wasn't a surprise, but sunny weather was!) Recced buttress, found good camping spot for the night, cooked, ate and drank red wine. Despite comments about age of my tent (did I get it from Rheged mountaineering museum? no, bought it second hand in 1988, and it's still fine, thanks)
Next morning, carried ropes up for technical team and moved my tent closer to base of buttress, where racers would check in after completing buttress. All 3 others pitched tents at top of buttress. Later, 2 others hiked in to bring more light sticks, one with tent & kit, the other with nothing like that - he had a very cold night shivering in a tent with one other person.
First team, consisting of 3 members of 2009 AR world champion team plus 1 other, so, not surprisingly, the eventual winner of this race, arrived about 2000, before dark and before bad weather set in. A further 10 more teams arrived through the night, the last being my partner's team about 0330. By then, ropes were too worn to use, having been buffeted by winds and rubbed on rocks , so abseil had to be abandoned. Then we finally got some sleep, before getting up at 0630 to strike ropes and carry out all kit.
This time, I had an extra passenger, so decided to drive round the coast road back to Keswick. We reached Keswick in late afternoon, and some loitering Football Club members opened up early, so we could have showers, before heading across River Derwent into town for fish & chips.
An early night meant I woke early enough to see winning team soon after they reached the Moot Hall in Kewsick (it's also start / finish point for Bob Graham Round), then watch a couple more finishers, before walking to north end of Derwentwater to see following teams finish the canoe stage. Having passed a stand with retired greyhounds and their humans (I've got a soft spot for greyhounds - if I ever have a dog, it would be a retired grayhound who wouldn't chase our cat) at the base of slope leading up to finish, I briefed those completing their canoe voyage to "start running when you see the greyhounds".  A racer later told me, they thought I'd meant "start running when you see the greyhound pub" (it's a common pub name in UK)
When my partner's team finished, I walked to finish to join them,  and then headed off to a cafe recommended by a football club member who used to fellwalk lots, but is now reliant on a mobility scooter, but still has a great interest in mountains and a wicked sense of humour. One of the team fell asleep, but head didn't actually fall into remains of his all day breakfast. All packed up ready for watching the prize giving, packing up car and driving home with 2 sleepy & smelly racers. They'd been able to leave home sooner, so had hired a car one way up.
Race organiser just phoned to thank me for help - he and his wife (who looks after volunteers before & after races; staffs transition areas during races) have been away on well-earned holiday on Isle of Man. They'd already thanked us and paid expenses, but it was still appreciated, and part of the reason why he had no trouble getting volunteers to help on his races.
Race website is www.adidas-ar.com
Next race is London Rat Race urban adventure race - just to watch and catch up with friends. Then, train to Carlisle, to walk Hadrian's Wall in 5 days to reach more friends in Newcastle upon Tyne, then train back home. Solo walk, as no-one else was free, but solo walks are good, too.