The leaves have been changing in New England for a few weeks and as a sure sign of fall, the 17th Annual Boston Athletic Association Half Marathon was run on the second Sunday in October. Since 2012, AMI Graphics has provided complete event signage services for the B.A.A. Half Marathon including print production services, logistics, installation and removal, and storage.
2017 saw the addition of three new branded signage elements to the race in addition to the event signage that has come to be a staple at B.A.A. running events. This includes signage items like sponsor a-frames, event mesh banners covering metal crowd control fencing with race branding and sponsor logos, truss signage for the start and finish lines, feather flags for an easy to see family meeting area, a custom break tape, and various types of operational signage.
The largest new signage element for this year’s race was a new entry way to the track for the runner’s to pass through at mile 13 as they dig deep to finish the last tenth of a mile of their race. The existing permanent entry way was bolstered with branded event mesh banners along the metal corral fences, while the gates were covered with custom branded signage, and a large vinyl banner transformed the chain link fence above the gate. Rather than cross through a blank gate to reach the finish line, runners now receive a needed boost from the visually enhanced entry way to push through to the finish line.
To improve the runner experience, a new amenity was added that allowed runners to scan their bibs to find out their official race time and place. Branded signage was added surrounding the screens and scanners to draw attention to the new feature while also promoting the B.A.A. and their title sponsor for the race.
The final new element for the 2017 race was the addition of pennant style flags featuring the B.A.A. initials to bring a pop of color and branding to the plain white rental tents that wouldn’t have otherwise had any operational signage on them.
Planning a road race of your own but aren’t sure where to start with signage? Take a look at our comprehensive Road Race Signage Planning Guide that walks you through each general area of a road race while suggesting potential signage applications that could be applied to your specific event.
