2025 Registration Now Open
Race Directors' Meeting
Schedule
Monday, December 8
2:30pm – 5:45pm Packet Pickup
2:30pm – 6:00pm Trade Exhibit
4:30pm – 5:15pm First Timers Session
Two veteran attendees, Michelle Juehring (Director, Bix 7); and Craig Ottinger (Director of Operations, Hightech Signs), will give you some tips on how to get the most out of the meeting.
6:00pm – 7:15pm Welcome Reception
Welcome reception sponsored by John Elliott and the Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic (includes presentation of the MarathonFoto/Road Race Management “Race Director of the Year” award presented by MYLAPS.
Tuesday, December 9
7:45am – 8:45am Ashworth Awards Continental Breakfast
8:00am – 6:00pm Trade Exhibit
8:00am – 8:45am Packet Pickup
8:45am – 8:55am Welcome – Phil Stewart
8:55am– 9:55am Developing and Distributing Operations Manuals
This session will walk you through the process from development to completion, publishing, and distribution. This includes developing the basic skeleton of a comprehensive operations manual; importing graphics and tables into your narrative; publishing the document to the web using third-party apps for easy access on smartphone, tablets or PC’s; distributing the manual to your constituencies; and updating the content post-distribution.
Faculty: Sean Ryan
Moderator: Phil Stewart & Jeff Darman
9:55am– 10:20am Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Coffee Break
10:20am – 11:20am How to Celebrate Key Anniversaries
As many legendary road races turn 25 or 50 (or newer races 5, 10 or 15) the idea of how best to commemorate this staying power is on the minds of many race committees. Five-year anniversaries typically attract more runners., so celebrating them can boost participation. How do you go about planning and when should it start? Should you create a special committee? What types of activities and interesting ideas have some well-known races developed? Anniversaries can also be a good time to reassess things such as logos, committee and board structure and how to involve the local community more.
Faculty: Michelle Juehring
Moderator: Phil Stewart
11:20am – 11:40am Gatorade Endurance Break
11:40am – 12:40pm Crisis Management
What do you do if right before an event there’s a problem on the course? Demonstration, fire, accident, flooding or bomb threat? How do you prioritize multiple emergencies? What kind of plan B should be developed. What about weather issue? How do you maintain control of directing your event or when do you cede control to local authorities?
Faculty: Charlie Harr
Moderators: Phil Stewart
12:40pm – 2:15pm Lunch Break and Trade Exhibit Visits
2:15pm – 3:20pm Impact of Charged Political Environment on Sponsorship
In today’s political atmosphere sensitivity to many things now can impact relationships with sponsors, committee members and participants. Feelings about major companies can now create undesirable controversy for what is supposed to be a fun event that brings people together. How does that affect events in their recruiting and relations with sponsors? Are sponsors giving more scrutiny to an event and its policies including DEI, offering non-binary options, etc.? Are participants and committee scrutinizing sponsors more, and can it result in negative reactions?
Faculty: Bill LaForge
Moderator: Jeff Darman
3:20pm – 3:45pm Break
3:45pm – 4:45pm Great ideas and Solutions for Common Challenges
Doug Thurston, a long-time race director, will moderate a lively and fun presentation where meeting attendees share their best ideas. Thurston will work the room and share examples of great ideas or challenges from races in attendance with audience feedback. One thing Doug has learned after 40 plus years directing races and finishing more than 600 more is that we can all learn from each other.
Faculty: Doug Thurston
Moderator: Phil Stewart
4:45pm – 5:30pm Trade Exhibit Break
5:30pm – 6:30pm Race Directors’ Reception in Conjunction with Trade Exhibit
Talk with exhibitors of awards, competitor numbers, banners, timing, products, apparel, running organizations, online registration companies, apps, other web services and more. It’s a relaxed opportunity to meet fellow race directors, the faculty and exhibitors in an informal atmosphere and learn about new innovative products.
6:30pm – 8:30pm Romanelli Communications Keynote Dinner
Dave McGillivray is one of the world’s best known race director. For the last 50 years he has directed or consulted on races including the Boston Marathon, the Olympic Trials Marathon, the Asics Falmouth Road Race, TD Bank Beach to Beacon, and hundreds more. He has generously shared his knowledge with thousands of fellow race directors. In the race directing world, Dave as seen it all. Focusing now more of his time on his Charitable Foundation has given him the time to reflect on his half century in the sport. Dave will share the lessons he has learned, the people he has known and where the sport is going.
The dinner includes the announcement and presentation of the MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Lifetime Achievement Award
8:45pm – Nicks
Ask a veteran attendee if unsure about this. What happens at Nicks stays at Nicks.
Wednesday, December 10
8:30am – 9:00am Breakfast snacks and Publix Gasparilla Distance Classic Coffee Break
8:30am – 11:30am Trade Exhibit
9:00am – 10:00am Legal Review
What are things directors should be on the lookout for in contracts? What’s in the tiny fine print which could haunt you later. How can you protect yourself in the AI world? How should you craft contracts with hotels, suppliers, etc., so they are in their favor rather than the other way around? Are there common red flags to watch out for these days? When do you need to use a lawyer?
Faculty: Heidi Abegg
Moderator: Jeff Darman
10:00am – 10:30am Gatorade / Trade Exhibit Break
10:30am – 11:30am Race Communications
There are new as well as and old tried and true ways to communicate on race weekend. For some, “texting”, emails or cell calls are the primary method. For others, two-way radios are still preferred. Some races are using “apps” which turn smart phones into a two-way radios with push-to- talk functionality. Some operations and medical teams are activating GPS tracking on their two-way radios, enabling them to not only maintain communications but also monitor the whereabouts of staff and assets. This session will showcase some cutting edge tools and offer audience members the opportunity to share what their race is doing to “stay connected.”
Faculty: Sean Ryan, Roland Schmidt
Moderator: Phil Stewart
11:30am Trade Exhibit Closes