#15 - Alex Rodriguez: what it means to be a RUNNER within the PRODUCTION and LOGISTICS of an event
As the name suggests, a RUNNER at an event is a guy you'll see running from side to side... but who doesn't wear a race number or see a Finisher sign at the end of the event. Even the most prepared event has unexpected events, and that's where the runner comes in. Are runners born or made? Alex explains.
Run, but without a bib: the Runner, the hidden hero of the events.
The Runner in Events: The Hero Who Saves the Unexpected
At every event there is one uncontrollable element: last-minute chaos. No matter how well planned everything is, there will always be a problem to solve at the least expected moment. And that's where the Runner comes in.
This episode of El Desmurphybrilador , the Marca Condal podcast for creative minds at disruptive events, takes us into the role of these event all-rounders. Alex , a Runner with years of experience, tells us real anecdotes that show why this figure is key to event production.
What does a Runner do in events?
If you think that a Runner is just a messenger, you are wrong. This professional is responsible for:
Resolving unforeseen events in record time : from finding personalized bags for a prize to getting artificial snow when the supplier fails.
Working under extreme pressure : there is no room for error when time is against you.
Dealing with all kinds of situations : from dealing with the police so that buses can park, to coordinating the evacuation of an injured person in the mountains.
True anecdotes: when chaos becomes history
Alex shares experiences that seem straight out of an action movie:
✅ The axe murder at a Game of Thrones event : a guest ignores safety instructions and ends up with his head split open… 70 stitches later, he returns to dinner as if nothing happened!
✅ The snow that never arrived : When a supplier fails, you have to improvise. The solution? Creating snow with crushed ice and white spray for an event in the mountains.
✅ Snowmobile evacuation : At an event at an altitude of 2,500 metres, a guest suffers a serious fall. The Runner coordinates her transfer on a stretcher through the ski resort, in a race against the clock.
Are runners born or made?
In this episode, Alex reveals the answer. And, in the process, he makes it clear that not everyone is made for this job . If you like challenges, adrenaline and improvisation, the world of events has a vacancy for you. If not… it's better to keep enjoying yourself from the sidelines.
📢 Listen to the full episode of El Desmurphybrillador and discover the secrets of the Runner, the invisible link that makes every event possible.