TCS Sydney Marathon: A centralised volunteer program to support multiple events

Introduction

The TCS Sydney Marathon, presented by ASICS and organised by Pont3, is one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, attracting participants from around the globe. As the event grew in popularity and scale, the volunteer program needed to expand quickly to meet demand.

From streamlining coordination and boosting efficiency to empowering volunteers through training, Pont3 has scaled its volunteer program by 500% since adopting Rosterfy. The platform enables a centralised approach to volunteer management, delivering consistent experiences across the Sydney Marathon and Pont3’s smaller events.

The Challenge

Prior to Rosterfy, Pont3 faced several operational challenges in managing volunteers:

• Volunteers were limited to single-event participation, with no cross-promotion between events, making recruitment difficult and confusing
• Manual assignment of volunteers to shifts using spreadsheets and paper-based methods
• Lack of clear reporting, both pre- and post-event, with external custom reporting that was slow and time-consuming
• Difficulty identifying and nurturing high-performing volunteers
• Time-consuming onboarding and communication processes, delaying volunteer progression
• Managing increased volunteer demand from corporates and community partners without a centralised system
  

Scaling the volunteer program efficiently while maintaining a high-quality experience for both volunteers and community partners required a robust technology solution.

The Solution

Pont3 adopted Rosterfy to centralise volunteer management, automate administrative processes, and improve the overall volunteer experience.

Key capabilities and implementations

Centralised volunteer management

• Consolidated all events into one platform, removing silos and enabling volunteers to participate across multiple events
• Tracked repeat volunteers across events, simplifying scheduling and role assignment

Automation to save time

• Automated onboarding, follow-up emails, SMS notifications, and shift confirmations
• Provided a central hub for briefings, waivers, and certificates
• Reduced administrative workload by an estimated 50%, freeing staff to focus on volunteer experience

Volunteer empowerment and training

• Introduced shift-specific online training for roles such as operations, drink stations, and wayfinding
• Volunteers could track their training progress through the Rosterfy portal
• Administrators gained transparency on volunteer readiness, making reminders and next steps simple

Community partner engagement

• Established a Community Partner Program to recruit additional volunteers via corporate groups
• Used Rosterfy’s Group function to provide unique registration links and Group Leader access
• Enabled corporates to manage their own volunteers, reducing back-and-forth with administrators

The Impact

With Rosterfy, Pont3 has dramatically improved efficiency, engagement, and scale across its volunteer program.

Measurable outcomes

• Grew volunteer program from approximately 500 to 3,000+ volunteers in two years (a 500% increase)
• Achieved a 50% reduction in administrative time
• Centralised database enabling cross-event participation
• Shift-specific online training successfully implemented with outstanding volunteer feedback

Operational and community outcomes

• Volunteers now receive timely onboarding and communication, improving participation and retention
• Corporate and community partners can support volunteer demand efficiently
• Consistent, high-quality experiences across all events, from the Sydney Marathon to smaller Pont3 events
• Better visibility for administrators, improving scheduling, reporting, and training oversight

Legacy and experience

Pont3 now delivers a modern, scalable volunteer program that empowers volunteers, strengthens partnerships, and ensures every participant has a positive experience. Rosterfy has enabled the team to focus on impact, reduce administrative burden, and create a seamless, rewarding volunteer journey.