Packet Pick Up will be held on the Family Lawn at Bonnet Springs Park. If you are not familiar with the location of the Family Lawn, please reference our interactive Google map. 

Packet pickup is where the excitement begins, and you are the friendly faces who make runners feel like they’re part of something special. Bring your smiles, your good energy, and your LRC know‑how — you’re the first chapter of their race‑day story. Take a few minutes to look over the event website before race weekend.

What to Wear: dress for adventure!
All our volunteer magic at the Bonnets Springs Park 5k happens outdoors, which means you’ll be sharing the same weather as the runners — sunshine, breezes, surprise sprinkles, or that classic Florida “is it hot or cold, no one knows” air. Come ready for anything the sky decides to offer.

Every volunteer receives a special orange Lakeland Runners Club volunteer shirt — your badge of honor and the easiest way for runners to spot the heart & soul that makes race day possible. Pair it with comfortable shoes, because you might be standing, strolling, cheering, or hustling around for a while.

Think of it as dressing for a friendly outdoor adventure: bright shirt, comfy shoes, and whatever layers help you feel fabulous in the Florida elements.

No volunteer shirt or lanyard yet? No problem—you can grab both at packet pickup.

Packet Pickup: the fun part where everything clicks into place
Every bib has key info printed on the back — bib number, gender, age, and shirt size. Before your runner trots away, have them give it a quick check to make sure it's their information.

If you’re on shirt duty, mark off that they’ve collected theirs. And remember: runners who chose the “no shirt discount” are cheering for the environment and their wallet (but they don’t get a shirt, even if extras remain later.)

Finding Bib Numbers (aka: detective work with smiles)
Most runners arrive prepared, but if someone doesn’t know their bib number, no stress. It can be looked up using the Registration List or Registration Lookup pages.

If they have a phone, it’s perfectly fine to have them step aside and look it up themselves — it keeps the line moving and empowers them to help themselves. If a runner chose to register "anonymously" they will have to be logged into find their information.

Kids Fun Run
Kids can run in both the 5k (ages 5+) and the Kids Fun Run (ages 3 to 12). There is a special bib for the Kids Fun Run, and those bibs don't have to be picked up until just prior to the race. The shirt for the 5k and Kids Fun Run is the same

Shirt Exchange
We have two slots that extend past race start. In addition to distributing kids run bibs, you'll manage race day shirt exchanges.  Runners have to have a shirt to exchange to receive one, if they chose no shirt and received a discount, they are not able to get a shirt after the race.

If you selected a slot to be part of packet pick up cleanup, you are our sparkle squad ✨
You may not be able to run the race, but you help the race shine. You’re the behind‑the‑scenes fairies, the people who turn small details into big impressions. If something can be straightened, we straighten it (no wrinkled tent corners or tablecloths). If a tote can be tidied, we tidy it and tuck it out of sight. Every pin, shirt, and sign gets a moment of love so race day feels polished, welcoming, and unmistakably LRC.

In addition to helping with bib or shirt distribution, you’ll help with things like:
• Going through every tote, tub, and box to make sure nothing is hiding, nothing is missing, and nothing is out of place
• Tossing all trash so everything we pack up is fresh, clean, and ready for its next adventure
• Spotting what needs to be restocked — safety pins, cups, tape, trash bags — you name it
• Folding tablecloths and checking whether any need a trip through the wash
• Making sure leftover bibs get back to the race committee
• Sorting and folding shirts so any remaining inventory can head into storage neat, tidy, and ready for its next life
• Giving every stray item — even that random pen — a proper home

It’s thoughtful, it’s satisfying, and it’s the kind of behind‑the‑scenes magic that makes runners think, “Wow, this event runs like a dream.”