Volunteer
Valkyrie is a seven-sport relay that takes over a whole corner of Durango for a single day. Trail runners leave in the dark. Paddlers cross Lake Nighthorse in the middle of the morning. The last runner comes up the river trail in the evening. None of it happens without the people standing at the corners, the tables, and the water edge.
Why people come back
See the parts nobody else sees
Spectators watch a finish line. Volunteers watch a swimmer come out of the lake, find their bike, and go. You get the whole machine, from the inside.
One day, one job, done well
You are not signing up for a season. You are giving one block of one Saturday to something your town does once a year.
Meet the people who make it work
Race crews are small and the same faces come back. It is a genuinely good way to know your own community better.
Seven sports. One day. One team at a time.
A Valkyrie team hands off from one discipline to the next, all day, across trails, roads, a lake and a river. Every one of those handoffs happens in front of a volunteer.
A day that starts before sunrise
Shifts are built so that nobody has to cover the whole thing. Most volunteers work one block and are done.
Ways to help
Some roles want you in the middle of everything. Some want you at a quiet corner with a radio and a good view. Both matter.
Race and expo logistics
Setup, teardown, signage, course marking, and keeping supplies moving between venues.
Traffic management
Directing parking and guiding people safely across trail and road crossings.
Race safety
Course sweeps, radio relay from the remote sites, and getting help to where it is needed.
Expo event services
Packet pickup, bib and bracelet issue, merchandise, and the expo floor.
Athlete services
Aid stations, hydration, nutrition, gear bags, and the finish area.
Transition zone referees
Witnessing and recording every handoff. The role the results depend on, and the one with the most training.
Social media agents
Capturing the day as it happens, from all six venues.
Photography and videography
Shooting the venues, the transitions, and the finish.
Event hospitality
Volunteer check-in, the break tent, and looking after staff, sponsors and guests.
Come on your own, or bring everyone
On your own
Most volunteers arrive not knowing anyone. You will be put with a small crew under one captain, told exactly what your post covers, and looked after all day.
As a group
Teams, clubs, student groups, service organisations and workplaces are some of the best crews a race can have — people who already know each other, covering a venue together. Group details will be posted here once the 2027 programme opens.
Lead a venue
Captains are the backbone of race day. A captain owns one venue or one stretch of course, runs a crew, and is the person their volunteers actually turn to. It asks more than a single shift — a walk-through beforehand, training, and a long day — and it is the most interesting job on the course. If you have run crews before, in any setting, we will want to talk to you when recruiting opens.
What you can expect from us
A real job, clearly explained
You will know your post, your hours, your supervisor, and what to do if something goes wrong — before race day, not on the morning.
Training before you are needed
Nobody is handed a task they have not been shown. Roles that carry more responsibility carry more training.
Never out of your depth
You will not be asked to do anything you are not trained and permitted to do. That boundary is fixed.
Looked after all day
A check-in, a break, somewhere to get out of the weather, and a named person you can reach.
What we will never ask you to do
Some jobs at this race are done by trained and licensed professionals, and only by them. In-water rescue, medical treatment, and controlling live highway traffic are not volunteer roles and never will be. If you volunteer with Valkyrie, you will be told exactly what your post covers, who supervises you, and who to call. You will not be handed something you were not trained for.
Volunteering by race
Volunteer opportunities are published race by race. Nothing is open right now.
What this is for
A race like this only works because a town lets it happen — on its trails, its roads, its river and its lake. Volunteering is the most direct way to be part of that rather than have it happen around you. We are building a way to measure what the race actually gives back, and we will publish that when it is real rather than estimated.
Volunteer questions
Can I volunteer to help the event?
Yes — the race runs on volunteers. At past races, roles included Race & Expo Logistics, Traffic Management, Race Safety, Expo Event Services, Athlete Services, Transition Zone Referees, Social Media, Photography/Videography and Event Hospitality. Volunteer sign-up for the 2027 Durango race will be announced here once it opens — or email info@valkyrierelay.com now and we will keep you posted.
Accessibility
We want this to be volunteerable by as many people as possible. Roles vary a lot in what they physically ask — some are a full day on uneven ground, others are seated, sheltered and social. When the programme opens, every role will publish what it actually requires so you can choose accurately, and there will be a way to tell us what you need.
Volunteer sign-up for 2027 pending
If you volunteered at a previous Valkyrie race, you will hear from us here first.