US Trail Running Conference Launches Race Director Mentorship Program

Initiative announced at 2024 Conference in Knoxville, TN

The US Trail Running Conference, presented by Marathon Printing, Inc., announced an innovative Race Director Mentorship Program at the 2024 event, held October 23-25, 2024, in Knoxville, TN. The initiative invited race directors to complete an online application ahead of the Conference to apply to either be a mentor, a mentee, or both. The initial cohort comprised 9 mentees, and 8 mentors.

Mentors and mentees were assessed by event organizers ahead of the Conference, and then assigned mentor or mentee roles based on responses to the online application. Both mentors and mentees were then introduced at the Conference on the first day, and were encouraged to meet up during the lunch break on day two of the Conference, and to organize future meetings and begin to plan the content and timing of the support program.

Program member, Kimberly Aubuchon; Photo credit, Peter Maksimow

Both mentors and mentees were each given a Race Director Mentorship Program Guide, a document that had been created to act as a framework for all participants in the program. The guide outlines suggested best practices for the USTRC Race Mentorship Program. The guide content was generated from a recent survey completed by Race Directors and Event Organizers who expressed an interest in participating in this new program. It also contained input from experienced Race Directors who have been both a mentor and mentee in their career.

Mentors included in this program are: Peter Downing, Suffer Better; Dale Garland, Hardrock 100; Mandy Mullen, run.Windsor Race Series; Paul Jurasin, EmPathIze Innovation; Kimberly Aubuchon, Prickly Pear 50k; Steven Aderholt, Cocodona 250; and Jamie Nott, Iron legs Mountain Races.

Mentees included in the program are: Ron Mackenzie, Eco Racing Northwest LLC; Kim Levinsky, Sassquad Trail Running; Katie Wallace, Over the Rainbow Runs; Samuel Hartman, TINAR Race Series; Heidi Quinn, AKtive Events; Jamie Nott, Iron Legs Mountain Races; Mechella Lara, Chingona Race Productions; and Aimee Kohler, The Running Kind.

Program member, Jamie Nott; Photo credit, Peter Maksimow

The program members will meet on a quarterly video call to share individual progress and ideas to organically develop the program. It is also planned for as many program members as possible to attend the 2025 Conference, and report back as a group to the other Conference participants. The program vision is to provide the necessary resources to sustain ongoing growth of the program membership.

Conference organizers have announced that the US Trail Running Conference will return to Tennessee for the 2025 event. Dates are set for October 15-17, 2025, with the event moving to the University of Tennessee Conference Center in downtown Knoxville. Registration is open now for race directors and event organizers.

Program member, Kimberly Aubuchon, had this to say about the program: “I’m super honored to be contributing to the inaugural USTRC Race Director Mentorship Program, and believe it’s going to be a great outlet to share knowledge with, and help RD’s connect to resources and make a difference in their community via the sport of trail racing. I also look forward to listening, learning, and growing from RD’s as well.”

Program member Jamie Nott added: “I am excited to be a part of the first edition of the USTRC mentorship program, being able to collaborate with other RD’s is invaluable in becoming a better race director. It does not matter if this is the first year of being a race director or the twentieth, there is always something to share and learn.”

Program member, Heidi Quinn; Photo credit, LinkedIn

Program member, Heidi Quinn, further commented: “As an RD in Alaska, this mentorship program is an exciting way to connect with other RD’s to learn more about what is working for them and what trends or patterns they are seeing with their races and participants. We can often feel a bit out of the loop up here so any opportunity we have to network and collaborate with others in the industry, I consider a huge win.”

Nancy Hobbs, ATRA executive director, said this of the program, “Mentorship is a powerful tool that contributes greatly to individual successes and growth. By offering the mentorship/mentee pairing, US Trail Running Conference organizers have filled a need in the race director space which will reap rewards for the participants in the program, and will build community and enhance our sport.”

Event Director, Terry Chiplin, commented, “We are very excited to have initiated this innovative and important program for race directors and event organizers. The Conference has had informal mentorship relationships develop in recent years, and we are thrilled that introducing a formal program has been so well received by these program participants. We heard from many race directors that they often feel like they are operating in a vacuum, and this program was designed to break through the isolation and create a connected community of race directors and event organizers. We look forward to maintaining momentum and growing this program to include more race directors and event organizers as word spreads. We also look forward to hearing updates from our program members in Knoxville as part of an exciting and inspiring event in October 2025.”

Definition of terms

Mentor – an individual who provides support for a Race Director or Event Organizer.
A mentor can provide support for more than one mentee during an agreed period.

Mentee – an individual who seeks the support of a mentor. A mentee can also have more than one mentor for their race or event.

More info:

For details on the US Trail running Conference and to register, go to https://ustrailrunningconference.com/

Contact Event Director, Terry Chiplin for further information, terry@ustrailrunningconference.com, or +33 (0)6 79 76 31 53

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About the American Trail Running Association

The American Trail Running Association, ATRA, was formed in 1996 as a Colorado not for profit corporation.Their mission is to represent and promote trail running, mountain running, and ultra trail running. They offer individual, club, race and corporate memberships. One of their primary benefits is their quarterly newsletter, Trail Times. ATRA offers numerous resources, timely articles, an event standards program, and has a robust online searchable events calendar.

About the US Trail Running Conference

The US Trail Running Conference, presented by Marathon Printing, Inc., provides education, inspiration, and unique networking opportunities for trail race directors, trail runners, brands and fans of the sport. The Conference is held in partnership with Visit Knoxville Sports Commission and the American Trail Running Association. The annual Conference is supplemented with ongoing education from the RD Master Class monthly webinar series. The mission of the US Trail Running Conference is to lead, educate, connect and empower an inclusive family of trail runners, race directors and industry leaders working to share best practices with the trail running community.