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Meet Aaron Velthoven, the passionate Race Director behind the Detroit Free Press Marathon. In this video, we take you behind the scenes to learn how Aaron helps bring one of Detroit’s most iconic events to life—uniting runners from around the world with a unique international course, rich local tradition, and unforgettable race-day energy.

Volunteers are the backbone of every successful running event, but finding and retaining dedicated individuals can be an ongoing challenge. Running USA held an insightful webinar focused on effective strategies for recruiting, managing, and engaging volunteers in the endurance event space. Join us for a dynamic panel discussion from industry leaders designed to help you build a dedicated and engaged team of volunteers for your upcoming races. Whether you’re organizing a 5K, marathon, or charity run, this session will provide you with actionable tips, creative recruitment tactics, and strategies for retaining volunteers year after year. Learn how to create a positive volunteer experience, streamline the sign-up process, and inspire passionate support for your event.

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!