Michael Nishi and Kathleen Titus return, Samira Shah, Chief Legal Officer for New York Road Runners, joins for first term
Dec. 8, 2025 – Running USA today announced the results of its 2025 Board of Directors Election. A slate of three candidates was elected by designated membership voters to three year terms beginning January 1, 2026 and concluding December 31, 2028.
Elected to the Running USA Board of Directors for the first time is Samira Shah, Chief Legal Officer of New York Road Runners (NYRR). At NYRR, Shah advises leadership and oversees governance, compliance, risk management, sponsorships, event production and government relations. Previously, she held major legal leadership roles at WWE and Moda Operandi and earlier practiced litigation at Cravath and O’Melveny.
A Columbia Law School graduate with more than two decades of experience, Shah brings deep expertise in organizational governance and strategic growth. A dedicated runner, she is committed to strengthening NYRR’s mission and the broader running community.
Returning to the Board for second terms of service are current officers Kathleen Titus (Board President) and Michael Nishi (Board Vice President).
Nishi is the COO of Chicago Event Management, where he oversees event production with a focus on operations, emergency response and sustainability. He played a pivotal role in growing a 6,000-runner local race into the world-class Chicago Marathon, which saw more than 54,300 finishers in 2025. Nishi also founded the Race Management Program to strengthen industry knowledge-sharing and currently serves as Co-Chair of NCS4’s Marathon & Endurance Events Advisory Committee. An avid runner and cyclist, he remains active in his Chicago community and serves on several local boards.
Titus is the Owner and Race Director of All Fitness Events, which she founded over a decade ago, and also serves as Race Director for the Philadelphia Marathon Weekend. A former corporate executive, she used her destination-marketing background to help more than 100 events enhance their digital presence and participation. Before becoming Philadelphia Marathon Race Director in 2021, she supported the event’s marketing, PR and elite athlete programs while engaging closely with local running clubs and charities. The event sold out in record time in 2025 and had over 17,000 finishers. Titus is also a certified running coach, race director and yoga instructor.
View the full Running USA Board of Directors here.
About Running USA
Running USA is a non-profit that serves as the leading trade organization for the running industry in North America and hosts the nation’s preeminent industry conference annually. Through education, research, best practices and data, Running USA is committed to supporting and facilitating growth, diversification and excitement in running communities everywhere. We promote networking and idea-sharing between event organizers, sponsors, vendors and athletes. Running USA is a member of a global alliance of organizations focused on the betterment of the global running community including the Running Industry Alliance and European Athletics. For more information, visit runningusa.org.