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Dr. Aaron Baggish and Dr. Jonathan Kim, leading researchers in sports cardiology, chatted with Leah to discuss findings from their recent study, RACER 2, which analyzed cardiac events in distance running over a 13-year span. The study found that while the rate of cardiac arrests during races has remained stable, the survival rate has significantly improved—nearly 70%—largely due to better emergency preparedness, such as widespread use of AEDs and CPR training. Drs. Baggish and Kim emphasize that running does not eliminate heart disease risk and advocate for regular medical checkups for runners. They also stress the importance of emergency action planning, especially for smaller races, and call for better data collection and reporting to help improve future outcomes.

​Trisha Drobeck serves as the Executive Director of Run Wild Missoula and the Race Director for the Missoula Marathon, bringing a wealth of experience and passion to the organization. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, she moved to Missoula to attend the University of Montana, where she majored in journalism. After graduation, she embarked on a career in sales, where she worked for 15 years  before transitioning to nonprofit leadership in 2021.​ Drobeck's journey into running began post-college when a friend encouraged her to train for a marathon. Her dedication led her to break the three-hour marathon mark in 2011, qualify for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, and win the Missoula Marathon four times. Notably, she set the women's course record in 2015 with a time of 2:46:54 . As Executive Director, she focuses on fostering an inclusive and welcoming running community in Missoula, reflecting her deep commitment to the sport and the local community.

Running USA looks forward to bringing the 2026 Industry Conference presented by haku to St. Louis, Missouri, from Feb. 1-3, 2026. To learn more about the city, its running scene and the Greater St. Louis Marathon, which will run its 25th edition in two weeks, we caught up with Mona Vespa, Executive Director of GO! St. Louis, who has dedicated her career to the organization. Watch the video to get to know Mona and learn more about what St. Louis has in store for us next year!

Running USA held its annual Town Hall meeting for members via virtual meeting on Tuesday, April 1. The meeting covers updates to the membership structure of Running USA, Board of Directors elections, the 2026 Industry Conference, 2025 Global Runner Survey and more! Links referenced in the video: Membership benefits: https://www.runningusa.org/membership/member-benefits/ Strategic plan: https://www.runningusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Running-USA-Strat-Plan-FINAL.pdf Conference registration: https://register.hakuapp.com/?event=04958b1fee4e66e9ebcf Apply to speak at conference: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSclTR1WbC6cp4r_NNDmEUWSSqlBhSz8A1_mJ8S45426SuxoYA/viewform HR and PR services: https://www.runningusa.org/running-usa-services-human-resources-consultation-and-press-release-creation/ AED rentals: https://www.aedbrands.com/running-usa-aed-rentals/ Take 2025 Global Runner Survey: https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8158751/2025GlobalRunnerSurvey Boston event signup: https://in.njuko.com/2025-running-usa-and-rrca-spring-industry-reception?currentPage=select-competition  

Running USA announces new member benefits and updated membership tiers effective April 1, 2025, reflecting the evolving needs of the running event industry. This marks the first membership update since 2019, offering expanded benefits across six new tiers. See all benefits here. The new benefits are responsive to feedback from Running USA members, including expanded opportunities for networking and industry connection, the addition of professional services, expanded conference discounts and much more. “Running USA serves event organizers, vendors and brands of all sizes including large event companies, family-owned business, nonprofits and for-profit organizations,” said Jay Holder, Executive Director of Running USA. “These membership levels are meant to serve everyone in and deliver the type of benefits that will educate, engage and evolve the running event industry.” Each membership level will include individual account access, with organizations able to assign multiple users depending on their type of membership. Existing memberships will transition at the end of their current billing cycle, ensuring a seamless upgrade transition beginning April 1, 2025 and continuing through April 1, 2026.