Host Guide

Thank you for volunteering to host for an upcoming event. Hosts are vital for keeping a marathon running smoothly for the audience and of course, to read out donations!

Discord

All voice communications during the stream take place on Discord:

• 🔊GREEN ROOM: anyone involved in the event can join this room and chat, but is reserved for preparing runners, commentators, and hosts.

• 🔊LIVE ROOM: only staff and tech volunteers can join this room, this is where the stream takes place. Runners, commentators, and hosts will be moved into this room when ready.

• 🔊HOST/TECH ROOM: this is room that only yourself and tech volunteers will have access to; you can hop into this room to speak to the audience during intermission, whilst tech volunteers will jump in here to listen for your signals in time with the stream delay 

Please ensure you are online and in the 🔊GREEN ROOM around 20 minutes before your first run as host. The setup volunteer will do an audio check with you during the runner's set-up.

The Patter

What you say, and how you say it on stream, isn't something that can be taught. It comes with experience, confidence, and practice. Please keep swearing to a minimum, think PG-13. If it naturally comes up it’s fine, but we don’t want the entire commentary filled with it. Discussions of politics, race, religion etc, and obscene or degrading content are strictly forbidden. Twitch Terms of Service must be followed at all times:

• Twitch Terms of Service

• Community Guidelines

Remember that we are an inclusive community, and we pride ourselves on welcoming all backgrounds, faiths, orientations and disabilities. Please refrain from using terms or phrases that could be seen as derogatory towards certain people.

As far as vocals are concerned for this marathon, your responsibilities will be as follows:

Intermission

You can use the 🔊HOST/TECH ROOM to talk to the audience during intermission. The mics in this room are always hot for hosts, but only active during intermission. Whilst tech volunteers also use this room, they don't have talk permissions.

This is usually the best place to introduce yourself and let the audience know roughly how long or how many runs you'll be on for. If you're both up for it, work with the previous host to do an on-air handover as they sign-off and hand the hosting seat over to you. During future intermissions, jump in here to chat, read donations or vamp for time if the next run isn't ready to go yet. Once you've finished, jump back into the 🔊LIVE ROOM.

Introduce the Next Run

Once the next run is ready to start, the tech volunteer will give you the all clear and then jump into the 🔊HOST/TECH ROOM. During the run, all comms in Discord, including your own, will come from the runner's stream; this is the easiest way to keep you all in sync with their game. The tech volunteer will listen to your comms from the 🔊HOST/TECH ROOM but in sync with the delay from the runner's feed.

Introducing and starting the next run happens in the 🔊LIVE ROOM. When you're ready to start, instruct the runners and commentators that you're going to give a clear countdown from five, you'll then speak first, and then hand over to the runner. Once everyone is quiet, start your countdown, leave a moment's pause when finished, then start talking to the audience.

Welcome the audience back to the stream and read any important messages or donations if there are any. Then introduce the runner and the run they'll be performing, and hand it over to them. Let the runner introduce their commentators.

Chat With the Runner if They Want To

This is something you should discuss with the runner beforehand, especially if they have no commentator. Their preference for commentary is also advised on the Host sheet of the Schedule Google Sheet. If you're both comfortable with it, join in with the runner, whether you know the game they're running or not. Ask questions, congratulate them on well-performed tricks, and pass on questions or messages to the runner from the chat. Just remember, it's their run, so they should still take the lead.

Read Donations and Charity Blurbs

Your runner will have moments to hand over to you to either read donations, charity information or to update the audience on the marathon. Any outstanding donation messages should always take priority, as long as they are suitable to be read out on stream. Feel free to have fun with them, react or respond to them as you see fit. 

If no donations are waiting to be read you can use these moments to talk about the stream. Some things you can advise at this point include:

• How long the marathon has been going/how long is left

• What run is coming up next or talk about upcoming runs you're looking forward to

• If there are any donation incentives currently ongoing

• How much money has been raised so far and where they can go to donate

• Where to find the Discord server, Bluesky page or YouTube channel

• Remind viewers to follow the channel, the runners and yourself

Alternatively, if one hasn't been read out for a while, you can read a blurb about the charity. These are usually provided by the marathon, but you can also check the charity's website.

Close the Run & Prepare for the Break

Allow the runner and commentators to plug their stream and socials, and they should then hand it back over to you. If you feel like they're taking too long, try to jump in, especially if we're behind schedule. Thank them for the run, advise the viewers what's next, and say we'll be going to a break/intermission. Encourage them to take a break too; get a drink, stretch their legs etc. You should check with the marathon team as to whether they play ads or videos during intermissions - you can announce these if this is the case. 

Once back in intermission you can once again jump into the 🔊HOST/TECH ROOM to chat with the audience and read any new donations. If that was your last run as host, say goodbye, plug your socials if you want to, and let folks know who to expect next.