August 29, 2022 — One of the highlights of the annual Road Race Management Race Directors’ Meeting and Trade Exhibit taking place in Hollywood, FL December 8 – 10, is the presentation of two of the running industry’s most prestigious awards – the MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Race Director of the Year Award presented by MyLaps, and the MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominations for these two awards remain open through October 18, 2022. Past recipients of the Race Director of the Year award since 1987 include luminaries such as New York City Marathon Director Fred Lebow, now-retiring Marine Corps Marathon director Rick Nealis, Bank of America Chicago Marathon Director Carey Pinkowski, and Flying Pig Marathon Director Iris Simpson Bush. A complete list of past winners appears Past recipients of the Race Director of the Year award since 1987 include luminaries such as New York City Marathon Director Fred Lebow, now-retiring Marine Corps Marathon director Rick Nealis, Bank of America Chicago Marathon Director Carey Pinkowski, and Flying Pig Marathon Director Iris Simpson Bush. A complete list of past winners appears here. The Lifetime Achievement award recognizes true “sport changers” with many years of service in the industry. Past winners include Creigh Kelley, Don Kardong, Dave McGillivray, Ted Corbitt, Jacqueline Hansen, and Julia Emmons. A complete list of past winners appears here.

Road Race Management Editor and Publisher Phil Stewart said, “Announcing the winners of these two awards is always one of the highlights at the country’s oldest race directors’ meeting. It is the perfect complement to the three days of outstanding sessions and fun-filled networking opportunities for directors of events of all sizes.”

All of the sessions and faculty members for the country’s oldest race directors’ meeting have been finalized and include:

• Race Mistakes Hall of Fame (Sean Ryan)
• Event Anatomy – Brooklyn Marathon and Half Marathon (Steve Lastoe)
• Innovative Ideas for Under $1,000 (Dave McGillivray)
• Building, Revitalizing and Restructuring Boards (Iris Simpson Bush)
• Creating and Utilizing Event Evaluation Surveys (Laurel Park)
• Technical Solutions That Can Improve a Race Directors’ Life (Ryan Morris)

In addition, Doug Thurston, the former director of the Big Sur International Marathon, will be the keynote speaker. His 40 years in the sport, including directing the 1992 Men’s Olympic Trials Marathon and publishing a regional running magazine, have given him a unique vantage point to assess how our sport has evolved. He will discuss how he knew it was the right time to step down after nine years at the helm at Big Sur, as well as look back on some high and low points of his career, explain how he dealt with adversity, and discuss his strategy for guiding and improving events. He will also talk about current challenges (inflation, supply chain, etc.) that events and their leadership face today.

The full program and schedule for the meeting are available at www.rrm.com.

Exhibitors at the meeting will include companies offering awards, competitor numbers, signs, banners, registration and timing services, apps, web services, apparel, social media services, and event photography. Representatives of running organizations and more will also be attending.

Thousands of race officials, corporate sponsors, marketing executives, sports organization representatives (RRCA, USATF, RUSA, PRRO) and others involved in organized running events have attended this annual fall gathering since its inception in 1983.

The meeting, which takes place across from the beach at the Hollywood Beach Marriott located just 6 miles from the Ft Lauderdale/Hollywood airport, offers a tranquil environment for event directors not only to stay abreast of cutting-edge topics facing the sport, but also to unwind and network in a relaxed atmosphere. Many race committees reward committee members or staff with a trip to this meeting, finding it a great way to offer a special thank you and educational opportunity while rejuvenating key workers for next year’s event.

The Road Race Management meeting is sponsored by Ashworth Awards, Gatorade Endurance, Hightech Signs, Leslie Jordan, Inc., MarathonFoto, MarathonGuide.com, Marathon Printing, MYLAPS, National Event Services, and the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic.

Road Race Management is a member-based organization that, in addition to conducting its annual Race Directors’ Meeting, publishes a trade newsletter and Organizing Running Events, a complete manual covering running event organization, along with other race director and industry resources in print and on the web.