May 13, 2010
In This Issue
Latest News
Newsmakers
Conferences
Online Seminars
Career Opportunities
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Endurance Sports
Business News
 
Brought to you this week by Leslie Jordan Inc., Always Advancing, Mike Plant & Associates,  and Club Running magazine.
Latest News
Dorel Reports 12.5% Growth in Bike Division 1Q Sales
Bicycle Retailer
Revenue and profit grew in Dorel Industries' bike division, which includes Cannondale, GT, Mongoose and Sugoi, during the first quarter of the year as early spring weather and rebounding consumer confidence drove sales at independent bike shops and mass merchants, according to first quarter earnings results released by the company on Thursday. Revenue in Dorel's Recreation and Leisure segment, which includes its Cycling Sports Group IBD division, its mass brands and its apparel and footwear segment, increased by 12.5 percent in the first quarter-from $161.4 million in 2009 to $181.6 million this year. More
 
Utah Sees Growth in Cycling Relay Events
Deseret News
The opportunities for cyclists to participant in long distance cycling relays are increasing with two new Utah events joining existing events.  The Rockwell Relay, a 516-mile race from Moab to St. George, and the Saints to Sinners Relay, a 517-mile race from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas, NV, join existing races including the longtime LOTOJA from Logan, UT to Jackson, WY. More 
 
Bolder Boulder Modifies Qualifying Wave Standards
Daily Camera
Organizers of the Bolder Boulder have made a change they believe will produce a superior experience for more people on race day. They decided to move the qualifying standard back from 62 to 68 minutes to participate in a qualifying wave. Race director Clff Bosley said the standard had been at 62 minutes for the past eight years. It started at 56 in the early years of the race. Bosley said about 24,000 people, or a little less than half the entire field, ran sub-68 minutes last year, and getting more of those people into qualifying waves to start will probably help more people improve again. The change increases the number of qualifying waves from 24 to 32.The total number of waves also will grow this year to 88. More
lesliejordanmay6
Audi to Sponsor The Nation's Triathlon
 
Organizers of The Nation's Triathlon To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society has announced that Audi has signed on as the official vehicle of the  September 12 race in Washington, D.C.  Audi will also serve as the sponsor for the D.C. Cup, which is presented each year to the fastest male and female D.C. residents.
 
USA Cycling Releases Cyclo-cross National Calendar
 
USA Cycling announced that the 2010/2011 Cyclo-cross National Calendar will include eight UCI category-one events and 45 category-two competitions. The 2010/2011 USA Cycling Cyclo-cross National Calendar starts with the Nittany Lion Cross in Brenigsville, PA. on September 11 and ends on January 15 with the new Kingsport Cyclo-cross Cup in Kingsport, TN. More
 
U.S. Open Triathlon Changes Venue for 2010 Race
Dallas Morning News
Rockwall, TX will be the new home of Dallas' Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon, the championship event of the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series Race to the Toyota Cup. The October 10 event is the finale of the six-race pro series. It will start and finish at The Harbor on Lake Ray Hubbard. Race officials said they responded to participant feedback, which annually cited the logistical hassles of the event's point-to-point course, which started at Cedar Hill State Park and ended in downtown Dallas its first three years. 
 
Williamsburg Announces New 2011 Races
Daily Press
Williamsburg, VA officials have announced the creation of the Run for the Dream Half-Marathon and the Fit to Run, Fit to Dream 8K races to be run in the historic city on May 21-22, 2011. Dave McGillivray has been hired to manage the races. Organizers plan to limit the field of the first half-marathon to 4,000 runners and the first 8K to 2,000 participants, in order to work out the kinks. The long-term goal is to accommodate 15,000 runners. More
 
Nebraska's Market to Market Relay Grows, Sells Out
Journal Star
The Market to Market Relay has filled up early for the third straight year, even after organizers expanded the field. A record 230 teams will compete October 9 in the 86-mile race, which runs from the Old Market in Omaha to the Haymarket in Lincoln. Last year, 165 teams participated, which was up 15 from its inaugural year in 2008. More
 
CrossVegas Founder Works for Boulder to Host Cyclo-cross Champs
Cycling News
CrossVegas promoter Chris Grealish has parted ways with the Nevada race to pursue a bid to bring the United States of America Cyclo-cross National Championships to Boulder, CO. Grealish hopes to secure the national titles for 2012, with the Valmont Bike Park slated as a potential host venue. More
Always Advantage
USATF, RunnerSpace Create Website for USA Running Circuit
 
USA Track & Field and RunnerSpace.com announced this week the creation of USARunningCircuit.com, a website that will highlight professional road racing athletes on the USA Running Circuit (USARC). The 2010 USARC is a USATF 10-event road series featuring USA Championships from one mile to the marathon. More
 
Indiana's Geist Half Marathon Sells Out at 6500
 
Registration for both the Half Marathon and 5K race of the 3rd Annual St.Vincent Geist Half Marathon & 5K presented by Comcast closed yesterday when participant capacity of 6,500 was reached.  The Indiana race will be run on May 22 and benefits health and wellness programs at Geist area schools.    
 
Ski to Sea on Pace for Record Entries
The Bellingham Herald
The 2010 Ski to Sea race could be the biggest yet, according to the race committee. As of May 7, 424 eight-person teams have completed registration for the May 30 seven-leg relay from the Washington's Mt. Baker Ski Area to Fairhaven. That's up more than 10 percent from the 385 that were registered at this point in 2009. More
 
Colorado CycleFest Raises Funds for HS Mountain Bike League
Cycling News
Colorado CycleFest, held on May 1-2, proved a runaway success - selling all tickets and surpassing the fundraising target with a total of $25,000 to support the Colorado League for high school mountain biking teams. More
 
New Myrtle Beach Half Marathon Signs Two Sponsors
 
Continental Event & Sports Management Group, LLC, producers of the inaugural Myrtle Beach Mini Marathon and Coastal 5K, has announced signing key sponsorships from Medieval Times and Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville.  Medieval Times Castle will be the starting location for the October 24 half marathon bringing out the entertainment it is known for while Margaritaville, located on Broadway by the Beach will be the entertainment and finish line party sponsor. 
 
Triathlon Rescue Boat Swamped by Swimmers
Boston Herald
Firefighters operating a boat rescuing swimmers competing in a triathlon had themselves to be rescued when their vessel was overcome with distressed athletes. Ashland fire officials tell The MetroWest Daily News that the swimmers participating in the New England Season Opener triathlon in Hopkinton State Park on Sunday had to deal with high winds, choppy waters and cold temperatures. More
 
Alabama Park to Host Mountain Bike, XTERRA Events
 
Oak Mountain State Park in Shelby County, AL will be the site of mountain bike and XTERRA races over back to back weekends in June. The Turn and Burn 360 mountain bike race with $3000 in prize money, the 16th Bump N' Grind mountain bike race on the park's 21.5 mile Red Trail loop, XTERRA 5K and 10K trail runs, and the XTERRA Southeast Championship off-road triathlon complete the schedule of events the park will host. More
Mike Plant
Newsmakers
 
Don Ceppi, a 12-year veteran of sports event marketing and sales has joined Craig Mintzlaff and Endurance Event Marketing Group as Managing Partner, the company has announced.  Endurance Event Marketing Group is a Boulder, CO based sports marketing agency specializing in expo management and sales, sampling, marketing and mobile retail programs, and event management.
 
Kelli Polychronis and Lori Hinton have been hired by LUNA Sport LLC, the women's cycling and athletic wear company, to be independent sales representatives. LUNA Sport is launched in January 2010 by Kit Crawford and Gary Erickson, the owners of Clif Bar & Company. Polychronis and Hinton will service independent bicycle retailers and sports specialty stores the Rocky Mountain states and the Pacific Northwest respectively.
Conferences
Conference for race and event directors in Broomfield, CO.
 
Portland Marathon Event Directors' College
(October 7-9, 2010)
Annual conference in conjunction with the Portland Marathon. 
ClubRunning
Online Seminars
Organization: Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council 
(May 18, 1:30 p.m. eastern)
Join Bruce Rayner, founder and Chief Green Officer of Athletes for a Fit Planet, as he presents a practical and cost-effective approach to greening your event. From recycling to carbon neutrality to greening your supply chain, Bruce will share insights and ideas for how you can create a long-term sustainability plan.
 
(May 19, 4 p.m. eastern)
Learn how to recruit and manage a successful volunteer team, directly from Ironman Events Manager, Amy Lessner, herself. Amy oversees volunteer recruitment and management for over 20 Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events all around the country. She'll share with you her invaluable experience as well as tips and tricks on how you can recruit the best volunteers and keep them.
Career Opportunities
 
Peaksware has an immediate opening in our Lafayette, CO office for a Sales and Marketing Relationship Manager to join our growing team. The Sales and Marketing Relationship Manager has three main responsibilities:
Enterprise Level Business Development - Identify and develop high level business opportunities with prospects such as corporate wellness providers, health clubs and other enterprise level businesses; Lead Generation - Formulate and execute integrated, strategically-focused B2B marketing programs for new customer acquisition and lead nurturing with a primary mission of bringing the sales team high quality sales opportunities; and
Relationship Nurturing and Brand Recognition - Work with prospects and customers to build long lasting relationships and to increase Peaksware's brand awareness in the health, fitness, wellness, nutrition and sports performance markets.
 
Event Sales
Company: I Am Athlete
 
I Am Athlete is a revolutionary new registration engine and social networking site for running, triathlon, cycling, swimming and all participatory sports.  The company has quickly become recognized as a force in the sporting world and is transforming the relationship between even organizers and their participants.  People are referring to I Am Athlete as "groundbreaking" and "the platform race directors and timers have been waiting for."  I Am Athlete clients and partners include USA Triathlon, New York City, American Trail Running Association, Livestrong YTS, City of Philadelphia, Universal Sports, XTERRA and many others.
 
We are growing so quickly that we need your help.  I Am Athlete is looking for two (2) personable, highly impressive people to manage sales and encourage event organizers to utilize I Am Athlete.  This is a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor of a rising force in the sports industry. Are you reliable and responsible?  Do you have telephone sales experience?  If so, we need to talk - sooner rather than later.
The following skills are required: experience with telephone sales (fundraising and/or work on a political campaign is a plus); interest in participatory sports; self-driven, highly responsible, extremely reliable, very personable, quick to respond; excellent written and oral communication skills; proficient with popular word processing programs, including Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word; ability to learn quickly from mistakes; eagerness and excitement to participate.
 
The following experience is not required but elicits bonus points: proficient with Salesforce.com; previous participation in running, triathlon, cycling and/or swimming events; experience as an organizer or volunteer for sporting events; knowledgeable of all major participatory sports websites
Resumes should be sent to Jobs@imATHLETE.com.
 
Course Manager
Company: Philadelphia Marathon
 
The course manager will be responsible for all course related operations and logistics for all races of the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend.  This position will require regular time in the marathon office upon initiation of contract through November 5, 2010 and on a full time basis thereafter up until the marathon weekend. Post-race the consultant must report to the office regularly until all contractual obligations have been fulfilled.  Consultant will work directly with operations staff, report progress and submit all plans to the Operations Director for approval.  Duties include creation and execution of course management plan, necessary layout diagrams, production schedules and budgets; direct and manage race day course operations to secure and maintain a safe, accurate, and quality race course; monitoring and reporting on course integrity four-months out to race day; meet and work with city services agencies to discuss and fine tune race day logistics including meetings with police and EMS to provide necessary course security and medical coverage needs; and utilizing existing and forging new relationships with volunteer groups, vendors, consultants, and relevant city agencies.
 
Please submit proposals to Kyle J. Lewis, Operations Director, Philadelphia Marathon, 1515 Arch Street, 12th Floor, Philadelphia, PA  19102, kyle.lewis@phila.gov 215-683-2074. 
 
Operations Coordinator
Company: Competitor Group
 
The overall objective of the Operations Coordinator is to lead event operations projects and logistics for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series including: permits, course maps, event diagrams, signage, timelines, equipment rentals, contractor and vendor negotiations, insurance management, etc. The Operations Coordinator will be involved in all races in the series, working/traveling approximately 15 - 20 weekends a year as part of the race week set-up crew. Many events will require travel for up to one week. Various other duties will be included as assigned. This position will closely with all of the Operations Managers, but will report directly to one of the Operations Managers. For more details, or to apply for this position contact jobs@competitorgroup.com
 
Operations Manager
Company: Competitor Group
Lead an operations team for a group of 5-8+ Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series running events, with a focus on course design and implementation.  The Operations Manager will guide and oversee all operational aspects of the race, including start line, finish line, band sites, water stations, cheer sites, medical stations, etc.  This will include designing all band sites, cheer sites and medical stations which requires a keen sense of direction and understanding of the scope of the event. The position will include high-level coordination and direct interface with city special events offices, police, traffic control, local contractors, vendors and management of staff to aid the successful execution of the event, and as such will require a significant amount of travel, often for up to a week at a time.
The position will also require the ability to work in a high-pressure, deadline-oriented environment with the added ability to multi-task.  All this must be done in a professional manner with the ability to work well in a team atmosphere. This is a "Hands-on" and "High-energy" position. . This position reports directly to and works closely with the V.P. of Operations.  For more details and to apply, contact jobs@competitorgroup.com.
 
Event Coordinator, Endurance Events
Company: Anthony Travel Inc.
 
This position will be primarily responsible for coordinating operational and sales efforts related to our various endurance events.  Key characteristics that this individual must possess include strong organizational, communication and customer service skills.  This individual must have strong computer skills, including knowledge of Microsoft Excel.  This person must also have an impeccable attention to detail and the ability to work with a team toward common goals.  This person must possess the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects.   This person should be sports-oriented, demonstrate a desire to learn and grow, and offer ideas and suggestions to streamline processes/events.  Past experience within the travel/sports industry is preferred.  This position will demand a moderate amount of travel, including some travel over weekends and holidays during events. 
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