How to crew a 100-mile race

By Henry Howard

For ultra runners, each race represents an opportunity to learn from what worked and what didn’t. Part of my journey has included selecting, working with and trusting crew members for my 100-mile races.

This past weekend I completed my fifth 100-miler, the Burning River 100 in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. It was the revenge on the race I needed after a bad day in 2023 when I stopped at mile 50, accepting an official 50-mile finish. Later that same year, I had my only 100-mile DNF when I dropped at mile 74.

The 2025 Burning River was incredibly challenging as a string of rain and thunder storms pounded runners early in the race, which also led to the first blister I’ve ever encountered. Additionally, my stomach went south and I was unable to keep food down and finished the last 40 miles on little to no calories.

There were a lot of factors that propelled me to finish — solid training, determination to just keep moving, etc. — but the biggest factor was my crew. It was an honor to be crewed by Michael Drazer, Chad Prichard and Mark Vega, each of whom had been on my crew at least one previous time.

Tips on how to crew a 100-mile race

1. Selection process: Obviously, you need to be comfortable with them and vice versa. If someone is going to be squeamish about cleaning your feet and putting socks on you at mile 75, they may not be the best fit — unless they take on a different role. Crew members who have previously crewed or at least run ultras generally make good options.

2. Forming a team: As you reach out to ask them, be clear about your expectations. What do you want this specific person to do — just handle crew duties, only pace you or a combination? Also think about their skillsets and how they align. My crew members, who have all run ultras, included Drazer, a doctor who has served as medical support at major races; Prichard, a nurse who has been with me on most of these 100-milers; and Vega, who is excellent at logistics and organization. Even though each of the three could have paced me, I asked Vega to take on the role of crew chief so one person would focus on that and not have to also handle pacing duties.

3. Planning before the race: The four of us all live in different time zones, and two had to fly to Ohio for the race. Since it was impossible to meet in person for pre-race planning, we did a Zoom call and identified responsibilities, created a shared Google doc that served as a guide and bonded. The race doc was a way to communicate in one easy place. Among the items on it were a list of reminders of what I would need during the race, an outline of who was bringing what items, and a chart showing my projected times to aid stations and more.

4. Organizing on race eve: As the team comes together the night before the race, make it a goal to get all the logistics set before it’s time to head to the race. Questions to address include how best to organize the items for aid stations to make transitions easy, how the crew is transporting items from the vehicle to the aid station, what will the runner want to start with and more.

5. Trust and listen: On race day, you are going to be tired, going through lots of emotions and physically drained. Let the crew do their jobs, just be clear about what you need. When I hit a dark place during this year’s Burning River and openly said something about quitting, Drazer replied, “There is no medical reason for you to drop.” He was right and I needed to hear that.  

6. Assess and adapt: There will be times when the plan needs to be adjusted. This reflects back to your pre-race call when you may have had questions come up about “what happens if …” The crew must be in sync with the runner on what his or her goals are before the race. While goals may shift, the crew can adapt and put their runners’ needs first, know what their wishes were.

And for the runner, remember above everything else to thank them, express gratitude and reward them. Covering their hotels is appropriate, as well as buying them dinner or a post-race celebration meal. I’ve also given little goodie bags of items related to running to my crews.  

What’s next

The year is just over halfway over and I have enjoyed my three races so far. In addition to Burning River, I did the Canyons 50K in April and the Night Owl Trail Marathon in early June.

Right now, there are no races on the calendar. But there are a few I have my eyes on. For now, it’s time to recover, keep my fingers crossed for the Western States drawing in December and continue to work with my athletes so they can achieve their goals.

I’m also open to picking up some more athletes who are looking for a coach. It would be an honor to be along for the ride on your athletic journey to a marathon, ultra or any other goal. Feel free to reach out for a free no-obligation consultation to see if we are a good fit.