Sam Browne Sits Down With Mike Nishi on Legacy, Community, and Why He’s Never Seen Other Race Directors as Competition.
Let’s Do This’s Pioneers podcast releases its latest episode this week, sitting down with Mike Nishi, COO and President of Chicago Event Management, and General Manager of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
The episode centres on Nishi’s 35-year partnership with Pinkowski, who hired him to the Chicago Marathon team back in 1990 and who Nishi credits with opening the door that built his entire career. “We’ve been together more than either of us has been married,” he says of their working relationship, built on trust, transparency and a shared purpose to expand the boundaries of human potential.
That same instinct shapes how Chicago Event Management treats the rest of the industry: rather than guarding what they’ve learned, Nishi talks openly about sharing their playbook with race directors he could easily treat as competitors, because, in his words, “why not help other people get there faster” growing the whole sport rather than just Chicago’s share of it.
That same generosity runs through how Nishi talks about community and legacy.
The Chicago Marathon’s course is built deliberately through 29 of the city’s neighbourhoods, and the race’s charity work including a dedicated Entries for Equity programme reflects a philosophy he returns to throughout the conversation: that legacy isn’t something you build for yourself.
With the marathon’s 50th anniversary approaching in 2028, he’s candid that what he and Carey are building and investing in now, is what will set up their team to lead this iconic event series into the next generation for decades to come.
‘What struck me most is how little ego is in any of this,’ said Sam Browne, Co-founder and CEO of Let’s Do This, and host of Pioneers. ‘Mike talks about Carey, the community and the wider industry with more admiration than he ever gives himself. This is a real look at what servant leadership actually looks like, day to day.’
The episode is available now and follows Pioneers’ previous conversation with Paula Radcliffe on Getting Off Social Media and Focusing On What Matters.
Watch now on [YouTube], or listen on [Spotify] and [Apple Podcasts].
About Pioneers: Pioneers goes behind the curtain of the greatest experiences in sport, speaking to the people who designed them and built the experiences and moments we all remember.
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