For You

(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. (18-Jun) - After a difficult year where an adductor injury forced him to be sidelined and miss the USA Olympic Team Trials and, by extension, the Paris Olympics, Joe Klecker has begun a new phase of his career where he is focused on road racing.  The 28-year-old, who trains with the On Athletics Club in Boulder, Colo., had never run a road race longer than a mile until this January.  But since the beginning of this year he has run five, highly-competitive road races and will do a sixth, the Boston 10K, on Sunday.  It's a transition that he and coach Dathan Ritzenhein had planned for a while, even if the timing had changed. "The big picture was always in the off-year after Tokyo (2025 World Championships), make that transition," Klecker explained to Race Results Weekly in a telephone interview on Tuesday.  "Then I got injured, pretty significantly, and we kind of thought that this might be the right time to push it up a year." Klecker had a complicated injury involving the intersection of his left adductor, a muscle on the inside of the thigh, and his abdominal muscles.  He announced in May, 2024, that he could not make it to the starting line for the Trials where he had hoped to make his second Olympic team in the 10,000m.  What he didn't know at the time was that the injury would take the better part of a year to heal, and still lingered into January, 2025, when he made his half-marathon debut at the Aramco Half-Marathon in Houston. "It was an interesting injury," said the always-thoughtful Klecker.  "I would say it lingered until about December, or January, around the time of Houston.  I would say I was 90% healed, but it was the type of thing that after a hard effort, you'd still have some awareness of the injury. But, for the last three months, since February or March, it's been completely gone." The Houston event was a road racing baptism by fire.  It's America's fastest half-marathon, and on a cold morning the pack went out at 14:02 for the first 5K and 28:01 for 10K.  That was too hot for Klecker whose splits were a more reasonable 14:13 and 28:38.  He ran a very solid 1:01:06, but finished 18th, nearly two minutes behind the winner.  It was at that moment that he realized that there was going to be a bigger learning curve than he thought to master the roads. "The original plan was just to do Houston and then go into a track season," Klecker said.  "But once I did Houston I just kind of saw the level that the roads were at.  I was like, wow, this is going to be a bigger transition than I thought."  He added: "Those guys were ripping." Ritzenhein was on the same page. "That injury he had in spring of '24 was tough to miss out on his second Olympic team," Ritzenhein told Race Results Weekly in a text message.  "But I'm amazed how dedicated he was to the transition to the roads after that. It's been a longer process than we thought." Klecker decided to do another half-marathon in early March, the USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta.  That was a completely different kind of race, held on a hilly course with a lot of turns and with no pacemakers.  He ran a similar time, 1:01:34, but had a better competitive experience. "That one I was ready for the punches, early," said Klecker, who finished eighth in an all-American field.  "That one, Hillary Bor really fartleked that race.  We took it out in about a 4:20 mile, and we were running very fast for the first, eight to ten miles of that course.  We were just ripping."  He continued: "I was very proud of a lot of stuff in that race.  It was very close to being a great day.  It was just around ten miles that I lost the pack." But Klecker was getting more comfortable racing in 40mm stack-height road shoes and managing the varied terrain and surges of road racing.  When he went into the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10-Miler in Washington, D.C., on April 6 (another USATF Championships), he was ready for the hard, early miles.  He was with the leaders at 5K in a very fast 13:58, and just a few seconds back at 10K in 28:12, effectively setting a new road PB for that distance. But the course has several sharp turns, including a 180-degree turnaround after the 10K mark.  Klecker fell back on those turns forcing him to surge in order to catch up, using valuable energy.  He finished ninth in 46:08.  More lessons were learned. "I learned a lot from that one," Klecker said.  "I knew it was going to be fast and I wanted to kind of sit in the pack, but... there are a lot of turns.  If you sit in the back of the pack, a pack of like ten people, can really string out around these turns.  And then you really have to work hard to bring it back together.  With how fast the pace was I was really putting in a lot of energy every turn." With plenty of miles in his legs and all of the learning from the first three races, Klecker put together his best road race at the USATF 25-K Championships in Grand Rapids, Mich., on May 10.  He not only wanted to win that race, but also wanted to use the race as a marathon simulation because, in practical terms, 25 kilometers is the longest an athlete can race in the United States without doing the full marathon distance. Competing against Casey Clinger and Hillary Bor, the trio split the half-marathon in 1:01:14, essentially the time he ran in Houston back in January, but now he had another four kilometers to run. "I was leading for probably 14 miles," Klecker recounted.  "I didn't have so much of a plan, but during the race I know Hillary would probably want to throw in some surges.  To kind of play the mental game, whenever he tried to throw in a surge I would counter with my own surge.  I could sense him getting a little bit frustrated during that race, which is some of the fun aspect of the battle that we had." Clinger set a national record of 1:12:17 to get the win, and Klecker finished second in 1:12:32, also well under the previous national record.  Things were starting to click for Klecker. "I was actually able to feel like I was racing, versus trying just to hang on to a pack, which is how it felt in Atlanta and at Cherry Blossom," Klecker said.  "I was really just reacting and trying to hang on, versus really feeling like I'm breaking my competitors, or trying to break them with moves and surges.  It's really empowering." As a former University of Colorado Buffalo, Klecker thought it was important to run the high-altitude BOLDERBoulder 10K on Memorial Day, even though it was only 16 days after the Grand Rapids race.  His legs were not fully recovered, but it was thrilling to enter a packed football stadium where the race finishes.  He placed a solid sixth in 29:13. "After Grand Rapids Dathan came up to me and said, look, this is going to take a lot out of you," Klecker recounted.  "We really need to think if we're going to do Bolder Boulder still.  It's so hard to pass up a race of that caliber which is literally a ten minute drive from my house." Klecker passed up the USATF 4-Mile Championships last Saturday in Peoria, Ill., so he could be fully rested and prepared for Sunday's 10K in Boston.  He's looking forward to a high level of competition, but also a mostly-flat, sea level course. "Dathan always says that the number of miles the race is, that's how many days it takes until you start feeling good again," Klecker said.  He continued: "We took the 4-mile championship off the calendar so that we made sure we got in three weeks of good training.  Last week we started resting-up, then this week more rest.  I told Dathan going into this one I want to make sure I'm on fresh legs." From Boston, Klecker may be headed back to the track.  Or not.  He's eyeing the 10,000m which will be held at the Prefontaine Classic on July 5th as a possible return to the track (the race will be the Kenyan Trials for the World Championships).  If he runs there and has a great day, he might do the USATF Track and Field Championships at the end of July and try for a team spot for Tokyo. Maybe. "I'm not holding too firm to any plans because my most important race is always my next race," Klecker said.  "Tentatively, I want to run the 10K at Pre and see how that goes, then maybe put a 5K on the calendar."  He continued: "Depending on what I run at Pre, if I run 27:10, no.  If I run 27-flat, maybe.  But I think the faster I run at Pre that would set the gauge for do I want to run at the Trials and try to make Tokyo.  It's not the focus that it was in years past." For the fall, Klecker is keeping his options open.  He might make a marathon debut, or do a slate of shorter road races.  Moving up to the marathon is the main goal, but he and Coach Ritzenhein are flexible on the timing, and on the specific race. "Since Grand Rapids went really well, we'll consider one this fall," said Klecker.  "We haven't committed to anything yet, but it's definitely on the table to do a debut this fall."  He continued: "I think getting the experience earlier is very valuable.  That's kind of what Grand Rapids showed me, that everything with the training is trending in that direction." PHOTO: Joe Klecker competing at the 2025 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile in Washington, D.C. (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

NEW YORK (06-Jun) -- There may not be lights, but there will be cameras and plenty of action. The 53rd edition of the Mastercard New York Mini 10K, scheduled here for Saturday at 8 a.m. in Central Park, is really an extension of this city's famous theater district about one mile to the south.  It's a big production, with stars, a supporting cast, an audience, and thousands of extras. "The sense of joy and camaraderie at the Mini is unlike anything else," said New York Road Runners board chair Nenna Lynch at a press conference today. She's right.  The Mini, along with the TCS New York City Marathon and New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile, is one of New York Road Runners' three signature events with a long history.  The Mini was founded in 1972, just three weeks before the passage of Title IX.  There were no road races for women then and the Mini changed that forever.  Seventy-two women finished the first edition of the race which was won by 17 year-old Jacki Dixon, who covered the then-six-mile course in 37:02. "I was just hanging on the last five miles," said Dixon, who is now the mayor of Loveland, Colo., under her married name of Jacki Marsh. Like women's running, the Mini grew slowly.  It wasn't until 1978 that the race had over 3,000 finishers, and it didn't hit the 5,000 mark until 1985.  L'eggs, a brand of women's hosiery, sponsored the race from 1978 through 1990, then Advil took over from 1991 through 1997.  The current title sponsor, Mastercard, didn't come on board until the 2021 race (the first edition after the COVID pandemic shutdown), and this will be the fifth year that the credit card company will have its name on the race.  New York Road Runners officials expect over 10,000 women to finish the race (there were a record 9,688 finishers last year). Of course, some of the greatest female distance runners have won the Mini, including Norwegians Grete Waitz (five times) and Ingrid Kristiansen (twice).  Kenya's Tegla Loroupe won five times, as did Dutchwoman Lornah Kiplagat.  Another Kenyan star, Mary Keitany, won the race three times. This year's race features a superstar cast of Olympians and other fast women, like Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon champions Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi of Kenya; like American Olympians Weini Kelati, Emily Sisson, Emily Infeld, and Dakotah Popehn; and American up-and-comers like Taylor Roe, Emma Grace Hurley and Amanda Vestri.  Each of them would love to become a Mini winner. But the real stars are the nearly quarter million women who have finished the Mini since the race's inception.  Fast and slow, black and white, young and old, these women have come from all places and walks of life to celebrate the joy of running, to have a race they can call their own.  This is just as true now as it was back in 1972. "I absolutely love all-women's races," said women's running pioneer Marilyn Bevans who, at 75 years-old, will run the Mini for the 14th time.  "I absolutely love it." And if you're a man, the Mini has a place for you, too.  Get over the Central Park tomorrow, find a spot along the course, and cheer for these active women.  It's one of the greatest off-Broadway shows you can see, and admission is free. PHOTO: New York Road Runners chief commercial officer Christine Burke (left) with women's running pioneer Marilyn Bevans (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)  

(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. NEW YORK (05-Jun) -- Halfway through the 2024 Mastercard New York Mini 10K here in Central Park, Amanda Vestri quickly took stock of her position.  She was running in fourth place and the three women who were just one-second ahead of her --Senbere Teferi of Ethiopia, and Sharon Lokedi and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya-- were among the world's best road runners.  It was time to test herself. "My goal was to be top American in the race," she told Race Results Weekly a year ago.  "So, there was a moment in time when it was either stay back with the chunk of the Americans or go ahead with the faster women at the front." Vestri, now 25, stayed cool as the three Africans eventually pulled away.  She went into grind mode and pushed through the second half alone.  Somehow, she managed to achieve a negative split (15:40 for the first half and 15:37 for the second), and finished fourth in a personal best 31:17.  She earned $7500 in prize money, a hugely important payday for a runner who was part of a well-established training group but had no shoe company sponsorship at the time. "That's probably one of the first things that my coach (Pete Rea of ZAP Endurance) mentioned to me after the race," Vestri said in a telephone interview yesterday when asked about that negative split.  She continued: "Obviously, the goal is the same this year, just to go faster." Vestri --along with another 10,000 women-- will race the 53rd edition of the Mini here on Saturday, the world's first-ever road race for women, founded in 1972 by New York Road Runners.  She is part of an incredible elite field which includes some of the very best American distance women, like Olympians Weini Kelati, Emily Sisson, Emily Infeld, and Dakotah Popehn.  Abbott World Majors champions Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, and Gotytom Gebreslase are also in the field (Teferi will not be back to defend her title). Vestri comes into this year's Mini as a completely different athlete from a year ago.  Working with her agent Josh Cox, she picked up a sponsorship with Brooks Running (based, at least in part, on her Mini performance), and has been stacking up months of quality training under Coach Rea and his deputy Ryan Warrenburg. "I just feel like the consistency that we had built throughout the last summer of 2023, after I graduated, and then into 2024 started compounding," Vestri explained.  "Month after month, I just felt like I was getting better and better, and training seemed to be getting better every month, even every week." After her Mini success, Vestri has achieved extraordinary growth as an athlete.  She took fifth in the USA Olympic Team Trials 10,000m last summer just three weeks after the Mini, beaten only by Weini Kelati, Parker Valby, Karissa Schweizer, and Jessica McClain.  She got second at the USATF 6K road running championships, and sixth at the USATF 10K road running championships. A year earlier it seemed unlikely that she would be a factor in those races, but her run at the Mini changed all that. "It just kind of all culminated at the New York Mini," Vestri said.  "That's why this race is so special to me.  I don't know; it just kind of gave me a different confidence as a runner."  She added: "I'm excited to be back." Vestri wanted to try the half-marathon distance last fall, and Coach Rea was all-in.  She had planned to peak for the Valencia Half-Marathon at the end of October, but a little injury forced her to push back her schedule.  Instead of taking the long trip to Spain, Vestri went to Florida and ran in the low-key OUC Orlando Half-Marathon last December.  She popped a solo 1:08:12 in her debut making her the fourth-fastest American for 2024. "My coach and I always wanted to go up to the half this past fall," Vestri said.  "The plan was to do the Valencia Half-Marathon because we were just like, we want to run fast.  We want to go as far under 67 minutes as we can, and when I had that hiccup, that little injury, in October we were like, OK, we have to re-route now.  So, I took a few weeks off, and I'm actually the one who brought up the idea of doing Orlando just as a rust-buster, not for a good time.  I went into that race going, if I run under 70 minutes I'm going to be stoked.  So for me, it came as quite a shock that I came across the line close to 68 minutes.  I guess I didn't realize how good it was at the time." She ran even faster at the Aramco Half-Marathon last January, arguably the most competitive half-marathon in the United States.  She finished fourth in 1:07:35 after smoking through 10K in 31:40 and ten miles in 51:17.  Remarkably, Vestri wasn't satisfied with that performance because her expectations had risen. "We started thinking better numbers in Houston because we know how stacked Houston is," Vestri said.  "Houston is another one of those races I feel, and my coaches feel, was an under-performance day.  I kind of grade myself on effort and performance outcomes after the race."  She continued: "Houston should have been a 67-flat day, or under.  That's where my fitness was at at the time." Vestri would run one more half in that training cycle, the USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta on March 2, part of the Publix Atlanta Marathon Weekend hosted by the Atlanta Track Club.  On a raw and windy day, she took third on a hilly course in 1:08:17 behind Taylor Roe (1:07:22) and Emma Grace Hurley (1:07:35).  She qualified for Team USATF for the (now cancelled) 2025 World Athletics Road Running Championships. "Atlanta was just a grind fest," Vestri lamented.  "I felt really, really bad the whole way.  That one was all heart.  There was no good feelings for me in that race, physically." Since then Vestri has raced three times, from the mile to 10,000m.  She was happy with two of them, but the third was a big disappointment for her.  At The TEN in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., on March 29, she finished 18th in 31:56.56, nowhere near what she had hoped for. "That race was one of the ugliest races of my life," Vestri groaned.  She continued: "When me and my coaches sat down after that race, we all think that what happened is that the three half-marathons, which was a new distance for me last year, in the span of three months that I did it in was just too much on my body and I did not give myself a chance to recover after them.  We were asking my body a little too much at that point." Vestri's most recent race, a 5000m personal best at the Sound Running Track Fest in Los Angeles on May 24, went much better.  She finished fifth in a personal best 15:01.22.  That came on the heels of a 4:47.8 road mile in North Carolina, a race she did for training.  Those two races stimulated a different part of her aerobic system, part of her quest to be a more complete athlete. "We're going to dip down now," said Vestri, who explained that she needed to also work on her speed.  "It's not going to be comfortable; it's going to feel like you're sprinting.  But, at the end of the day that's only going to help your 5K, which is going to help your 10K, which is going to help your half-marathon, which is going to help your marathon.  That's kind of the approach that we took for that one." Reflecting on the past 12 months, Vestri has learned a lot about professional running and about herself.  She's learned to trust the key people who are in her corner, she understands better the business end of the sport, and she's learned not to worry too much about the approval of others.  She's also trying not to be so hard on herself. "Because I take my workouts so seriously I do have those high expectations for myself," she said.  "It's me putting those expectations on myself, it's no one else.  I just feel like that's always how I've been.  I think that's ingrained in a lot of runners.  We're always, like, type-A, I feel.  I envy the type-B runners.  I know some type-B runners and I'm like, I wish I was you." The 2025 Mastercard New York Mini 10K will be broadcast LIVE and FREE on four different platforms on Saturday beginning at 7:45 a.m. EDT: . WABC-TV . ESPN+ . abc7.ny.com . NYRR Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@nyrrvideo) PHOTO: Amanda Vestri after finishing third at the 2025 USATF Half-Marathon Championships in Atlanta on March 2 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. ALBANY, N.Y. (31-May) -- Through a lashing rain and several ankle-deep puddles, Molly Born of the Puma Elite Running team cruised to victory at the 47th Delightful Run For Women 5K.  Despite the awful weather, the 25-year-old former Oklahoma State athlete ran a surprisingly fast 15:31, finishing six seconds ahead of her teammate Jessica McGorty.  Born's time was a personal best and the fastest here in 11 years. "I'm just excited to get back out racing pushing it, making it hard, getting the most out of it," said Born, who hadn't run a race since last November because she was recovering from a stress fracture. Born made her intentions known early.  She and McGorty led key rivals Amy Davis-Green (Hansons-Brooks ODP) and Anna Kostarellis (Asics) through the uphill first kilometer.  The wind and rain were hitting them directly in the face, but both Born and McGorty looked composed.  Born was embracing the bad conditions. "The headwind was really bad in the first, like, K," Born told Race Results Weekly.  "But, I kind of like the bad weather, too." As the leaders turned left into Washington Park where the course goes up and down several short hills, Born used the first downhill to open a gap on McGorty.  She split the first (mostly uphill) mile in 5:17, two seconds ahead of McGorty, a 1500m runner with a powerful kick. "Jess is so fast, I needed to make the race hard," Born said of her strategy.  "I just felt good the first mile." Born ran the up-and-down second mile in a very fast 5:00, increasing her lead on McGorty to 20 seconds.  She shot one final glance back over her left shoulder before plowing through a huge puddle at the park's exit.  When she made the final right turn onto Washington Avenue for the long straightaway to the finish, she was greeted by applause and shouts of encouragement from the runners at the back of the pack who were running in the opposite direction. "All the women were just going crazy on the other side of the street," Born said.  "It was amazing.  They were so, so excited and cheering me on.  It was great." McGorty, who also set a personal best, wasn't surprised that Born got the win today. "I would have liked to stay with her longer, but Molly's tough," McGorty said.  "She's strong and has been having some really good workouts, so the fact that she's out there grinding by herself was not a surprise to me at all.  I'm very happy for her." Davis-Green, who finished second last year, was able to stay close to McGorty in the middle section of the race, but fell behind in the final kilometer.  She finished third in 16:04.  That mark was slower than her 15:45 last year, but was still remarkable given that the 2:28 marathoner is 12 weeks pregnant. "To run almost sub-16:00 I was really pleased with," the rain-soaked Davis-Green said.  "That was really nice." Kostarellis, who like McGorty grew up in Upstate New York, finished fourth in 16:28.  Standing at the finish line with the back of her Asics uniform splattered with mud she said, "That was brutal." The top four women earned $3000, $2500, $2000 and $1500 in prize money, respectively.  When a reporter mentioned to Born that she now had some extra money for end-of-year holiday shopping she smiled. "It will probably go to rent," she said. PHOTO: Molly Born winning the 2025 Delightful Run for Women 5K in a personal best 15:31 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

Running USA Executive Director Jay Holder sat down with Nathan Nicholas of Nicholas Hill Group to address updates and improvements to the Running USA insurance program, a foundational member benefit. With market-driven changes taking place, this discussion shed light on what members need to know moving forward. You can view the entire conversation in the video above, and highlights are summarized below. Why the Change in Insurance Carriers? Nicholas Hill Group, a longtime insurance partner for Running USA, recently transitioned the program to a new carrier after Everest Insurance exited the market at the end of 2024. This unexpected development, announced around the holiday season, required a swift response. “We didn’t see it coming,” Nicholas explained. “ We had to pivot quickly and find a new home that aligned with our priorities—stability, simplicity, and affordability.” Despite the challenges, Nicholas Hill Group secured a new carrier that maintains the program’s core benefits while enhancing its accessibility and operational efficiency. What's Staying the Same—and What’s Changing? Same: Rates per participant: The per-participant fee structure remains unchanged, offering continuity in pricing. Simple online platform: Members can still complete the entire process—quote, purchase, certificate issuance—in minutes. Coverage scope: From small charity walks to large ultramarathons, all events continue to be covered under the policy. Changes: Minimum Premium and Additional Insured Fees: These upfront costs have increased slightly. Events with fewer than 100 participants may see higher base costs due to the new carrier’s state-filed rates. Policy Length Limitation: Organizers can currently only insure events up to April 1, 2026. This is a temporary structural constraint based on the one-year term of the master policy and will be extended as the program renews. Broader availability of optional coverages: Enhancements like liquor liability (for events where alcohol is sold or served by the organizer) are now available in more jurisdictions than before. Optional Enhancements and Built-In Protections Nicholas highlighted several optional add-ons that members can use to tailor coverage: Liquor Liability Insurance: Now available in more locations, this add-on is essential if your event includes alcohol sales or direct service. Non-Owned Auto Coverage: For events involving volunteer or rented vehicle use. Participant Accident Coverage: Included automatically, this helps with medical expenses if someone is injured at the event. Event cancellation coverage—still available—remains a separate offering. Due to increasing weather-related disruptions, it’s more relevant than ever. Nicholas strongly recommended organizers consider it and noted that Running USA has resources to help members evaluate this option. The Importance of Critical Mass Why should more Running USA members use this insurance platform? Nicholas explained: “The more members participate, the more leverage we all have to negotiate better rates and enhanced coverage.” With increased participation comes increased bargaining power—essential for influencing future policy changes, such as addressing coverage gaps for common issues like service animals at races. "This is your program," he emphasized. "It belongs to Running USA members. The more people who use it and share their experiences, the better we can make it." How to Sign Up or Learn More The good news is that the Running USA insurance program has emerged from transition stronger and more capable than ever. With stable pricing, familiar processes, and added flexibility, the program remains a cornerstone benefit for event organizers across the country. To learn more or secure coverage for your events, visit this webpage. For additional questions, contact membership@runningusa.org.  

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved ALBANY (01-Jun) -- As expected, former USA marathon record holder Keira D'Amato won today's 46th Delightful Run for Women 5-K in 15:41, but not without a fight.  The 39 year-old from Midlothian, Virginia led from gun to tape, but the entire way she was shadowed by three athletes from the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project --Amy Davis-Green, Jessie Cardin, and Anne-Marie Blaney-- who kept it close.  D'Amato tried to stay cool and stick with her plan, but there was an unexpected wrinkle. "The plan was to go out and run every mile faster," D'Amato told Race Results Weekly.  "Somewhere in the first mile I tweaked something, kind of in my upper (left) quad.  I was like, OK, I'm going to have to just chill and conserve so I can kick.  I wasn't planning on kicking so hard, but these women were on my heels pushing me." D'Amato split the first mile just past the entrance to Washington Park in Downtown Albany (which is mostly uphill) in 5:15.  The Davis-Green/Cardin/Blaney group was three seconds behind.  They were running close together, supporting each other. "I think for Anne-Marie, Jess and I it was all just to work together," Davis-Green said.  "Keira, just going out in the front knowing how great of a runner she is, I think we were like, as long as we don't lose contact with her we're going to be able to run really fast." The race's second mile is a bit of a roller coaster, going down, up, and down again with several turns.  D'Amato didn't have time to notice the park's lovely evergreens and tranquil lake as she covered the second mile in 5:09.  Her three-second gap on the Hansons-Brooks team stayed the same, but she was concerned about her leg, despite the extra steps she took to get ready for such a short, fast race. "I did a longer warm-up, I did much longer strides and sprints and I got myself ready to run fast right from the gun," D'Amato said.  "My body doesn't move that quick anymore without getting warmed up, so I definitely have to respect that." As athletes exited the park, and turned right for the long --and ultimately downhill-- straightaway to the finish on Washington Avenue, Blaney had drifted back into fourth place leaving Davis-Green and Cardin to chase D'Amato.  Davis-Green dug deep and got within one second of D'Amato at the three-mile mark (15:16).  She thought, maybe I can catch her? "I was trying," said Davis-Green whose mother, Nan Doak-Davis, was the USATF 5000m champion in 1987 and 10,000m champion in 1989.  "I've been trying to work on my closing speed.  It was so fun having somebody to chase down, and just practice that." In the end, D'Amato put four seconds on Davis-Green, who had to settle for second in 15:45, eight seconds faster than her mother ran here in 1989 when she finished third.  Cardin, a marathoner like D'Amato, got third in 15:51, and Blaney --who was third here last year-- finished fourth in 15:57.  D'Amato earned $3,000 in prize money today, and $2,500 went to Davis-Green, $2,000 to Cardin and $1,500 to Blaney.  Overall, the race will pay out $24,050 in prize money to both individuals and teams. Before the race D'Amato said how much she had always wanted to run this race, formerly called the Freihofer's Run For Women, but could never fit it into her schedule.  She said she was delighted to join the other 2091 women who had started here today on a picture-perfect, sunny morning. "I finished strong; it was a fun race," D'Amato said.  "I loved being in a run for women.  It's so important for our sport to continue empowering, to give women the opportunity to participate in stuff like this.  When we came in and registered they gave us a loaf of bread and some cookies from Sara Lee and the Delightful brand, and I was sold on the race ever since." PHOTO: Keira D'Amato wins the 2024 Delightful Run for Women 5-K in Albany, N.Y. in 15:41 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission. (29-May) -- Even elite athletes have bucket list races, and for former USA marathon record holder Keira D'Amato the Delightful Run For Women (formerly the Freihofer's Run for Women) has been high on her list.  The 39 year-old D'Amato has wanted to do that classic all-women's 5-K in Albany, N.Y., for years, and this Saturday she'll be on the starting line for the first time.  It will be the 46th edition of the race which was founded in 1979. "I am so excited," D'Amato told Race Results Weekly in a telephone interview from her home in Virginia.  "I've had this race on my radar for years."  She continued: "I've always wanted to do it and it finally worked out this year." D'Amato, who dropped out of the 2024 USA Olympic Team Trials Marathon last February after 20 miles, is using the Delightful Run as part of her preparations for the USA Olympic Team Trials - Track & Field next month in Eugene, Ore., where she'll run the 10,000m.  She and coach Scott Raczko had already planned for her to do a fast three miles this weekend, and D'Amato thought that doing it in a race would provide her with an extra level of motivation. "I was going to have to do, like, a quick three miles this weekend," D'Amato explained.  "So, it's really easy to substitute that for a race because that would have mirrored what I would have simulated in training.  To me, it's much more fun to do it in a race."  She added: "Training has been going well, workouts have been going well.  I feel like my speed has been coming back."   Moreover, D'Amato would love to get a win.  She hasn't won a race since last October when she won the Abbott Chicago 5-K --held the weekend of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon-- in 15:51. "This year I don't have a lot of wins under my belt," D'Amato observed.  "My coach and I were like, Keira, you're having the most fun when you're racing.  I think going to a race and just competing, and getting back to the core of what I love about running, I think that would be really good for the season." D'Amato is coming off a DNF at the Highgate Harriers Night of the 10,000m PBs in London 11 days ago.  She had hoped to hit the Olympic Games qualifying standard of 30:40.00, or at least run well enough to raise her ranking in the World Athletics points system.  However, the conditions weren't to her liking, and about three quarters of the way through the race she decided to step off the track. "It was warm and it was humid and I realized about four miles in that I wasn't going to hit the time I was going for, and it wouldn't help my ranking," D'Amato said.  "To be really honest, track is a lot harder on my body than the roads.  It takes me a lot longer to recover from a track race than a road race.  When I realized I wasn't hitting the time I wasn't going to risk something going wrong with my body.  I really thought I was in shape to hit the Olympic standard." The Delightful Run for Women should also help D'Amato sharpen up for the Mastercard New York Mini 10-K which takes place in New York City a week later.  D'Amato will face a loaded field there, including the 2024 USA Olympic Marathon team of Fiona O'Keeffe, Emily Sisson and Dakotah Lindwurm. "Before a fast 10-K next week, hopefully running something a little bit faster this weekend will just help my body get ready to go out hard in that 10-K," she said. Looking ahead to the race in Albany --where her top competitors will be Anne-Marie Blaney, Jessie Cardin, and Amy Davis-Green of the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project-- D'Amato has studied the fast, out-and-back course.  The overall event record is 15:12 by Kenya's Emily Chebet set in 2010, and the fastest time ever by an American is 15:25 by Marla Runyan in 2003.  The race had served as the USATF 5-K Championships for women from 1993 through 2004. "I've seen that you kind of climb a hill, run around a lake, and climb back down," said D'Amato, who delivered that line like a stand-up comic.  "It seems like a course where experience running it will be helpful.  I'll go around Friday and run it just to make sure I know what I'm doing."   PHOTO: Keira D'Amato finishing fifth at the 2023 Mastercard New York Mini 10-K in 31:23 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved PHOTO: Josh Kerr winning the Bowerman Mile at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly) EUGENE (25-May) -- Making a bold push to the front with about 600 meters to go, Britain's Josh Kerr held off both Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway and Yared Nuguse of the United States to win the Bowerman Mile at today's Prefontaine Classic in a world-leading 3:45.34.  Kerr, the reigning world 1500m champion, also broke Steve Cram's British record which had stood for nearly 39 years, and gave fans at Hayward Field a preview of what the Olympic 1500m final might look like in Paris in August. "I was available for whatever pace it was," the bearded Kerr told reporters.  "I didn't ask for any certain 800 splits, or anything like that.  I just rolled with the punches a little bit and raced it like a championships race." Kerr, 26, who won the World Athletics Indoor Championships 3000-meter title 84 days ago, demonstrated his mastery of tactics today.  He ran in the pack behind pacemaker Abe Alvarado through 800m in 1:52.8, then surprised his main rivals by moving brusquely to the lead in the third quarter of the race.  It was a risky call, but there was no time for self-doubt. "Because I thought it was a dumb decision," he said when asked why he surged so early.  "I knew if I thought it was a dumb decision then it probably was, and that was going to scare myself and everyone else around me.  Just testing myself early-on in the season." Both Ingebrigtsen and Nuguse reacted, as did Kerr's fellow Scotsman Jake Wightman, the 2022 world champion.  The field stretched out and Kerr just kept pressing. "Today it was like, how can I win this race, and if I'm going to win this race it's probably going to be under 3:46," Kerry continued.  "So, it was a good day." Ingebrigtsen, who told reporters yesterday that his winter training "wasn't perfect," demonstrated excellent speed for an athlete who had just come off of altitude training and hadn't raced since last September.  He clocked 3:45.60, comfortably ahead of Nuguse (3:46.22).  The always-combative Ingebrigtsen was satisfied with his race which demonstrated that his fitness was headed in the right direction. "I feel that it was a pretty good performance," said Ingebrigtsen.  "It's a pretty good start.  I'm not a fan of the mile event by itself because it has nothing to do with my culture --it's definitely something British and American which I'm not that familiar with. It's a very good start.  I have lost quite a bit of training this winter, and for me I perform out of consistency, more or less." Nuguse, the USA mile record-holder both indoors and out, was also satisfied with how he ran. "I still feel like I'm in a good position strength-wise to keep with them and stick in a place that I wanted to be," Nuguse said.  "I think now it's just working that last little 100 bit that I usually have a little stronger."  He continued: "It's a really good start for the meat and potatoes of the outdoor season." Wightman ended up fifth in a personal best 3:47.83, bagging his 2024 Olympic Games qualifying mark (3:50.40 or better).  He was passed by another Scotsman, Neil Gourley, who finished fourth in 3:47.74.  Australia's Oliver Hoare, the 2022 Commonwealth Games 1500m champion, finished ninth in 3:49.11, also getting a Paris qualifier. As exciting as the mile was, the meet started in the morning with a pending world record in the 10,000-meters by two-time world cross country champion Beatrice Chebet of Kenya: 28:54.14.  The 24 year-old was trying to secure her place on the Kenyan Olympic team by finishing in the top-2 here (Athletics Kenya had designated the Prefontaine Classic as their Olympic Trials race for the 10,000m).  Latching on to Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay for 22 of the 25 laps, she surged into the lead in the final kilometer and ran laps of 68.4, 68.1 and 63.7 to get the record. "We did not come for a world record," Chebet told reporters, looking a little stunned.  "For us, Kenya, we came for Trials for Paris.  When Gudaf asked for world record, then for me I decided to say, let me try to go with her to see how the body is."  She continued: "When I see Gudaf drop a bit I decide to push to see how it goes." Chebet broke the existing record of 29:01.03 set by Ethiopia's Letesenbet Gidey in Hengelo in 2021.  Tsegay, who finished second here today, got close to that mark, running 29:05.92. "My target is I try for world record," Tsegay told reporters in English.  She continued: "Sometimes it's like that.  No problem.  Congratulations for Chebet; very fast time." Third place Lilian Rengeruk (29:26.89) locked in the second Kenyan team berth (the third athlete will be picked by committee).  She finished just ahead of Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi, who clocked 29:27.59 and also has a chance of being named to the Kenyan team. The men's 10,000m, which also served as the Kenyan Trials, saw the win go to Daniel Mateiko in a personal best and world-leading 26:50.81.  In a thrilling four-man sprint, Mateiko beat Nicholas Kipkorir (26:50.94), Benard Kibet (26:51.09) and Edwin Kurgat (26:51.54).  Kurgat was actually the race leader coming off of the final bend, but faded in the last 20 meters. "I wanted to give myself a chance," said Kurgat, who competed for Iowa State University during his collegiate career.  "I knew we were four and they only needed two as the one who would be chosen."  He continued: "I have no regrets.  I'm really, really happy." Daniel Ebenyo, the 2023 World Championships silver medalist in the 10,000m, fell and finished eighth. Also happy was Britain's Keely Hodgkinson in the women's 800m.  The 2021 Olympic silver medalist launched her long drive for home with about 120 meters to go and swept past reigning world champion Mary Moraa of Kenya, 2024 world indoor champion Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia, and 2019 world champion Halimah Nakaayi of Uganda to get the win in a world-leading 1:55.78.  She karate-chopped the tape with her right hand in triumph. "I decided to hang back and test my speed at the end," Hodgkinson told reporters.  She added: "But you have to think on your feet, see what's going on around you, and make your decision right there." Moraa finished second in 1:56.71 and another Briton, Jemma Reekie, came from behind to take third in 1:57.45.  American Nia Akins got fourth in 1:57.98. "To feel that good running a 1:57 is new territory for me," said Akins. In the three remaining distance events --the women's 1500m, 3000-meter steeplechase and the 5000m-- there were also excellent performances.  Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji ran a very fast 3:53.75 to win the 1500m over Australia's Jessica Hull.  Hull, who competed for the University of Oregon during her collegiate career, took second in a national record 3:55.97.  Elle St. Pierre, the newly-crowned world indoor 3000m champion, took third in a personal best 3:56.00.  That made her the second-fastest American of all-time. "One of my strengths is my strength," said St. Pierre, who ran a personal best 14:34.12 for 5000m one week ago in Los Angeles.  "I think that 5-K reflected that and gave me more confidence that I could hang on to a faster pace for longer." In a two-woman battle Peruth Chemutai of Uganda beat Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya in the women's steeplechase, 8:55.09 to 8:56.51.  Chemutai's time was a world leader and national record.  Americans Valerie Constien (9:14.29), Courtney Wayment (9:14.48), Gabbi Jennings (9:18.03), and Kaylee Mitchell (9:21.00) all ran under the Olympic qualifying standard of 9:23.00. Finally, in the women's 5000m Tsige Gebreselama and Ejgayehu Taye battled right to the line and Gebreselama got the win, 14:18.76 to 14:18.92. Ethiopian athletes took the top-6 positions.  Back in ninth place, American Weini Kelati got the Olympic standard (14:52.00 or better) by running 14:35.43.  However, she said she was likely to stick with the 10,000m for the USA Olympic Trials next month. "I was really comfortable," said Kelati, who competed for the University of New Mexico during her NCAA career.  She added: "I'm leaning kind of the 10K.  We'll see." *  * Next year's Prefontaine Classic, the only stop of the Wanda Diamond League in the United States, will be the meet's 50th edition.  

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission. EUGENE (24-May) -- As Phil Collins famously sang: "We wait and we wonder." That's the mood here less than 24 hours ahead of the Bowerman Mile at Saturday's Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field, the fifth stop of the 2024 Wanda Diamond League.  Tomorrow's race features the world's three top-ranked 1500m runners according to World Athletics: Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway (Nike), Yared Nuguse of the United States (On Athletics Club), and Josh Kerr of Great Britain (Brooks Beasts Track Club). Ingebrigtsen is the reigning Olympic and European 1500m champion and is also the event record holder (3:43.73); Nuguse is the reigning USA 1500m champion and the American record holder for the mile (3:43.97); and Kerr is the reigning world 1500m champion and the 2021 Olympic 1500m bronze medalist.  It's a match-up so good that even sprinters are excited about it. "Yah I'm very excited to see this race!" reigning world 100m and 200m champion Noah Lyles posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.  "Idc if it's fast.  I just want to see who will win." That seems to be the opinion of the three protagonists who spoke to the media this afternoon at a press conference.  All three hope to mount the top step of the Olympic 1500m podium in Paris in August, and are looking at tomorrow's race more as a means to that end.  For an Olympic track season, it's still early. "For me, I've never run the Pre Classic or anything," said Kerr, who won the world 3000m indoor title last March in Glasgow.  "So, I wanted to add that to the list of races I wanted to go after that I wanted to win.  It fit in the schedule really well this year, and I'm just excited to open up my mile/1500m debut of the 2024 season." At last year's event --which was held in September and served as the Diamond League Final-- Ingebrigtsen ran just steps ahead of Nuguse, and the pair posted the third and fourth-fastest mile times in history.  But this year's race could be more tactical as all three men have to meter their effort prior to the Paris Olympics.  While Ingebrigtsen burned the last of his end-of-season fitness at last September's race, this year's is more of a rust-buster.  He hasn't raced in 251 days. "Winter's not been perfect which is why I have not been in cross country or indoor," Ingebrigtsen told reporters. "But, I'm definitely going to show up and try to do my best.  I think that's a big part of this sport is to not be only showing up when you are one hundred percent, or whatever.  I think a big part of the sport is to do what we all love, which is to run, compete against each other." Nuguse, who set the world-leading times in the mile this year both indoors and out (3:47.83 and 3:51.06, respectively) is sure that his world lead will be broken, but he didn't seem terribly concerned about putting up a super-fast time like last year.  He said that tomorrow's race will give him a preview of the Paris Olympics and act as a confidence builder ahead of the nerve-wracking USA Olympic Team Trials which will take place here in Eugene next month. "I feel like this race is really important because it's kind of like in a place where I have a lot of my world's best competitors that I'm going to be facing," Nuguse said.  "I feel like once you face them, I feel like that... makes (the Trials) feel a little more manageable, I think.  Being able to come out and race against these guys will give me a lot of confidence going into the Trials." Perhaps lost in the emphasis on the Big Three is the depth of the field.  Fifteen men will be on the track (plus pacemakers) including 2022 World 1500m champion Jake Wightman of Great Britain (a Scotsman, like Kerr), 2022 Commonwealth Games 1500m champion Oliver Hoare of Australia, reigning world indoor 1500m champion Geordie Beamish of New Zealand, and reigning world road mile champion Hobbs Kessler of the United States.  Any one of them could win the race, something that was not lost on Kerr. "You've got to give it up to the Pre Classic for being able to pull this together," said Kerr.  "That's what I'm excited about." * * * Athletes in the Bowerman Mile can also get credit for Olympic Games 1500m qualifying marks based on their mile times.  The Olympic standard for 1500m is 3:33.50, but is 3:50.40 for the mile.  Neither Hoare nor Wightman have the standard yet.  Hoare had hoped to get it last Sunday in Los Angeles, but only ran 3:34.73. PHOTO: Yared Nuguse, Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen at a press conference in advance of the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene Oregon on May 24 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

Running events are more than just races; they're showcases of athleticism, community spirit, and logistical precision. Behind the scenes of every successful marathon, half marathon or 5K are the unsung heroes – the volunteers. From assisting with packet pickup to handing out water at aid stations, volunteers are the lifeblood of these events, ensuring unforgettable experiences for participants and an invaluable assist to operations personnel. To uncover the secrets of effective volunteer coordination in the realm of running events, Running USA’s Leah Etling had the privilege of sitting down with four seasoned experts in the field. Donna Finney, the Director of Volunteer Operations for the New York Road Runners; Samantha Furlong, Manager of the Volunteer Program for Chicago Event Management; Kristin Lide, Senior Manager of Community Engagement and Volunteers for Atlanta Track Club; and Alivia Nelson, Program Director for Grandma’s Marathon, graciously shared their insights and expertise during our hour-long conversation. Recruitment, retention, communication, and coordination emerged as recurring themes throughout our conversation. These pillars form the backbone of any successful volunteer program, and our panelists offered invaluable perspectives on how to strengthen each aspect. Editor’s note: transcript has been edited for clarity. View the full conversation video here. Leah Etling: What are some tested and effective strategies for recruiting and managing volunteers for events like road races? Kristin Lide: We have a plethora of events at Atlanta Track Club. And one of the largest ones is the AJC Peachtree Road Race, which has about 50 to 55,000 participants. We need about 3,000 volunteers for this specific event. One of the things that we like to do, of course, people do it altruistically, but we like to say thank you and give additional incentives. We have special t-shirts and merchandise through our partner adidas. We also partner with several colleges around the Atlanta area. A lot of folks like to come out and serve their hours, whether it's through work, through school, or any extracurricular things that they're doing. A lot of it is just touching base with the community. Figuring out who it is that we're wanting to touch base with and getting them out on race day, getting them all signed up and making sure they're ready to do what we need to do for race day. Donna Finney: At New York Road Runners, our biggest event is the TCS New York City Marathon, and we will have 10,000 volunteers for one week. Our biggest recruitment strategy is opening up marathon registration the day after the marathon. We call it Marathon Monday, and we all have pins that say: “Sign up on November 4.” In other words, we're ready to go. We've been planning for months before even other people even think about the marathon. And it's a really successful strategy for us.Another process that has been really super-efficient for us is our volunteer surveys. Of course we want to make sure that we're getting the feedback from our folks, whether it's good or bad. But we do ask them: Are you excited? Are you looking to get more involved? aFrom that we were able to plug in people that are looking to step up into a leadership position or join one of our community volunteer programs. Those are two of our most successful volunteer recruitment strategies. Alivia Nelson: At Grandma's Marathon, we need about 4,000 volunteers for our event weekend. Duluth is a city of about 85,000. And so just when you talk about percentages and how you're going to find that many people kind of in a smaller area, I always say to cast a pretty wide net. We always look for volunteer groups -- it's always easier to fill those slots with a club or a sports team instead of going one by one. I'm always shocked sometimes about the different groups that are interested in volunteering, so don't assume that a group wouldn't be interested before you even ask. We always also like to use our existing network of volunteers to kind of do some of that outreach. They're probably your best ambassadors, they come back year after year and have a great time and can kind of speak to other people. I always say the best way to get a volunteer is just to ask, and so never count anybody out. Samantha Furlong: I would agree with Alivia in that one of our most effective recruitment strategies is to work with volunteer groups. You can put that responsibility on your group leader to recruit their groups, monitor group registration, and manage expectations with their volunteers while communicating with just that group leader. So that definitely alleviates some of the volunteer recruitment.At the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, we work with about 200 volunteer groups, we work with some groups that are as small as 10 volunteers, and some as large as almost 200 volunteers. And they can come from high schools, college universities, nonprofit organizations, or run clubs. And we do offer a post event donation to groups of 20 or more to help incentivize group registration at our events.How do you ensure that volunteers are adequately trained to handle various tasks, such as course marshaling, aid station support, and packet pickup? Donna Finney: Oh my gosh, I love training. It's a big focus of ours in 2024, actually. Two things that we utilize: last year for the New York City Half Marathon, we were faced with super, super cold weather, and we wanted to over educate people on how to make the best out of their day. And from that we brought out what we call ‘What to Expect on Race Day.’ This is a virtual seminar that is offered to all of the volunteers. We break it down from what to expect in terms of communication, how they've been checked in, and even very detailed orientation regarding their role, then, of course, on the race side, they're going to get that additional training, but it really sets them up for success. And we found that to be a really successful model. Additionally, in our communications, we send out a race day FAQ.We truly believe that an informed volunteer is a happy volunteer. We put together all of the questions or the runners are going to ask, ‘where's the start line?’ to ‘how do I check my bag?’ to ‘how do I find my family and friends?’ All that information is shared with them in email communications as well as provided on site for them. Those are two ways that we've been trying our best to train and educate our volunteers. Alivia Nelson: I think that repetition is really key just because different volunteers want to get their information in different ways. Some really want to read an email ahead of time and find out everything before they get there. And some people maybe don't have the time for that or would like to just learn on site.I think the more you can repeat it, it's really helpful for them. Another thing we're trying to focus on at Grandma's Marathon is training those captains who are maybe helping you in an area and delegating some of those tasks, not just how to manage the water station, but also what some of those best volunteer practices are, just because it's probably overwhelming for them to just like how it's a tricky thing for all of us and making sure those captains know what the best practices are in terms of check in in terms of informing volunteers and giving them breaks to. Samantha Furlong: Here in Chicago, we practice ‘just in time’ training with our volunteers. To be able to successfully do this, we spend a lot of time training our leads in advance of race day so that they are well prepared before their volunteers arrive and ready to learn about their role on race morning. And then we also create an information guide that gets emailed to all of our volunteers in advance of race weekend, encouraging them to review it. It does contain some high-level event information and maps, but the volunteers can still expect to receive that specific ‘just in time’ training when they arrive on event day. And while we do all this, we realize that there's an opportunity for our team to enhance our training materials and find more ways to make our volunteer workforce feel prepared when they show up on race day. Kristin Lide: Donna, I love that saying, that an informed volunteer is a happy volunteer. That is so true.Like every organization on this call, we definitely focus on communication. If volunteers don't know what to do, if they don't know where to go, we are going to be in a kerfuffle. We focus highly, on creating that volunteer information webpage that Samantha was just talking about with connecting with our crew chiefs, which are, you know, our lead volunteers in the area, making sure that they distribute the information that's needed. We have calls with our expo volunteers and will have a specific call for our start and finish course volunteers. It's just communicating as much as possible to inform them about what to expect on that day.Also, everybody knows Atlanta is hot. We try to do as much as we can to keep them cool on our course, or during the wintertime, providing hand warmers, those kinds of things. Leah Etling: Let's discuss some of the measures that each event takes to make sure that there is diversity and inclusive inclusivity among the volunteer teams, that really reflects everybody who's participating in the race, and also the communities where the race is taking place. Samantha, I know that Chicago Event Management works really hard with the neighborhoods along the routes of your events to make sure that there's inclusivity and participation. Why don't you kick us off on this one? Samantha Furlong: We have put a lot of effort into not only looking at our participant database, but also our volunteer database, to make sure that people that are coming to our events are representative of the communities that our events run through. And we've actually done that by adding some additional questions to our volunteer form, which is a really simple way to be able to look at your volunteer data and be able to analyze who your volunteers are, where they are coming from, just by adding an field for your address, asking about race, race and ethnicity, asking for gender identity, and making sure that you have a really diverse volunteer pool for your events, and setting some goals and how to enhance that if you're not quite there. That's been a big focus of ours.At the Shamrock Shuffle, just a couple of weeks ago, we had the opportunity to work with the Special Olympics as a volunteer group at packet pickup. It was a really great opportunity to get some neurodivergent athletes involved with not just running our events but volunteering for them as well. And we're able to set up some time with them to understand their needs for the event and create a really positive environment for them to come join us in a volunteer role. Kristin Lide: We really try to reach out to a lot of the community. A lot of it is through word of mouth. We have partnerships with Black Men Run, Black Girls Run, Latinas Running and other organizations that can reach into their network and create that diverse pool within the volunteer network itself.We oftentimes find ourselves at different conferences, and sometimes literally just going onto the streets. We will visit areas of Atlanta that might not have heard about any of our races or run clubs and talk to local leaders to pull for both our participant and volunteer base. Donna Finney: Something I love about New York City is it is just such a diverse city. We are very grassroots when it comes to our recruitment of volunteers for the marathon recruiting locally at each fluid station.One thing that we have been doing in the past several months in communications is taking reasonable requests. We're educating ourselves and understanding what our volunteers are needing because they are already here, and also falling in line with ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) needs. Someone might let us know that they need a guide or a translation, or it could even be light sensitivity, so they need to be put in the shade. We don't know until they tell us what they need. We're definitely learning in this area, and we're really focused on and doing better. There's a lot of learning moments on how to best support everybody so that they can be out there having just as much fun as the person next to them. Alivia Nelson: A few things Grandma's Marathon is doing is just looking at some of those barriers that exist for different groups, whether it's transportation, or the timing of our events, or how long maybe our volunteer shifts are. Depending on what your job is, it might not allow you to participate, or depending on where you live, it might be a 30-minute drive from your house. We are looking at what we can do to make volunteering more accessible.I think sometimes just taking a step back and saying, is there something that is difficult? It benefits everyone when you look at those barriers, and it diversifies your volunteer base, but it also makes your existing volunteers happier and improves their experience too.