RUNNING USA HONORS INDUSTRY LEADERS AT ANNUAL AWARDS GALA
RUNNING USA
Flying Pig Marathon’s Iris Simpson Bush inducted into Hall of Champions, P3R’s Patrice Matamoros earns Women’s Leadership Award, Aaron Nemzer of DMSE named Rising Star
AUSTIN — At the Running USA Awards Dinner Sunday evening at the 2018 Running USA Industry Conference powered by ACTIVE Network, the best and the brightest in the industry were honored and $35,000 of grants were awarded to youth running programs and elite development programs.
“Our sport is filled with countless individuals doing amazing work in their communities,” said Rich Harshbarger, Running USA CEO. “Tonight we honored a trio of leaders and two organizations representing the running industry at the highest levels and inspiring runners young and old on a year-round basis.”
Honorees at the 2018 Running USA Awards Dinner, include:
Hall of Champions Inductee - Iris Simpson Bush (Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon): Simpson Bush joins the Running USA Hall of Champions having served as executive director at the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon for more than 15 years. Having grown the event from 6,600 runners to upwards of 40,000 runners, Simpson Bush has not only overseen the growth of one of the premier races in the United States, but has grown the sport of running in Ohio and served on Running USA Board of Directors, while having raised nearly $20 million dollars for local charities and bringing $10 million a year in economic impact to the greater Cincinnati area.
Women’s Leadership Award – Patrice Matamoros (P3R): Pittsburgh lost its marathon, which had been running for 19 years, in 2003. In 2008, Matamoros resurrected the local event, growing the race from 10,000 runners in the first year to a weekend hosting 40,000 runners in 2017. Over that same time, Matamoros has built P3R into one of the shining running organizations in the United States, employing nearly two dozen individuals, hosting numerous races and creating an award-winning youth running program.
Rising Star Award – Aaron Nemzer (DMSE): The inaugural award went to Nemzer, Director of Events at DMSE. A rising influencer in race directing, with an incredible understanding of course safety and logistics, Nemzer currently is course manager for the Boston Marathon, BAA Half Marathon, BAA 10K and BAA 5K, as well as being lead organizer for the Run to Remember Half Marathon and Leahy 5K.
Youth Program Award - HMF FitKids in School (Hartford Marathon Foundation): The winner of Running USA’s annual $10,000 youth running grant, HMF FitKids in School was founded in 2008 and in 2017 saw more than 2,800 students from nearly 40 schools go through one of their two annual five week training programs. With a focus on students from fourth to eighth grade, the school-based program hosts a Medal Day at the end of each training program, bringing participating runner together to be celebrated by teachers, families, fellow students and the greater Hartford area.
Allan Steinfeld Development Award - Atlanta Track Club Elite (Atlanta Track Club): Running USA supports the Olympic dreams of professional runners by annually handing out a $25,000 grant to an elite development program. This year’s recipient, Atlanta Track Club Elite, led by Olympians Rich Kenah and Amy Begley, provide support to upward of 20 athletes with an eye on qualifying at least one runner for Team USA at the 2020 Olympic Games.
To date, Atlanta Track Club Elite has sent five runners to the Olympic Team Trials - Marathon (three of those athletes were in the 2016 field and will make a repeat appearance in 2020), six athletes to USATF Indoor and Outdoor National Championships, two athletes to European Championships and one athlete to the IAAF World Championships.
Members of ATC Elite are required to act as volunteers at the Club's more than 30 events and serve as motivating ambassadors for the Club's 28,000 members, creating a bridge between the professional running world and the community at large.
To learn more about the Running USA awards, please visit: http://www.runningusa.org/awards-overview
About Running USA
Running USA is a tax-exempt, not-for-profit organization devoted to improving the status and experience of distance running and racing in the United States through collective marketing and promotions, information and communications within the industry and to the national media, services to events and industry members, and the development of American world class stars. It seeks the advancement of the sport and the provision of value to each of its members' events and businesses. For more information, visit RunningUSA.org