FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ASICS LA Marathon Selects Nationally Recognized Road Racing Executive
Tracey Russell As Chief Executive Officer
The Atlanta Track Club, Including the Atlanta Marathon and
AJC Peachtree Road Race, Flourished Under Her Leadership
LOS ANGELES, June 21, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- After a highly successful
sold-out 2013 race, the addition of a new title sponsor and increased
international recognition for the event, the ASICS LA Marathon is on a
roll.
To help propel the race even further on a global stage, LA MARATHON LLC
announced that Tracey Russell, Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club
(ATC), will join the ASICS LA Marathon as its new chief executive officer.
The ATC manages the AJC Peachtree Road Race, the Atlanta Half Marathon and
the Atlanta Marathon.
Russell joins the LA Marathon with nearly two decades of race management
experience. At ATC under her leadership, both annual sponsorship revenue
and the organizational budget doubled over the past six years, and more
than 15 new running and youth events were added to the ATC's portfolio. She
tripled the club's membership to more than 19,000 runners and significantly
enhanced the charity and youth outreach programs throughout her tenure.
Prior to her time at ATC, Russell spent 12 years with the Metropolitan
Richmond Sports Backers, which owns and produces 13 different sporting
events annually.
In Los Angeles, Russell will have responsibility for the ASICS LA Marathon
and other LA MARATHON LLC properties, with the goal of increasing
participation, viewership, charitable donations and sponsorships for all
races, while branding the marathon worldwide. Russell was selected after an
extensive national search.
"Tracey is a true leader in the road racing industry, and has delivered
incredible results her entire career," said Howard Sunkin, LA Marathon
Board member and executive at McCourt Group, the owner of the operating
rights to the race. In her new position, Russell will play a critical role
in forging a path for the ASICS LA Marathon and continue to raise the
profile of the race around the globe. "Our Stadium to the Sea course is
one of the most iconic and beautiful in the world," according to Sunkin,
"and we're ready to take the ASICS LA Marathon to a new level that attracts
more international runners and race partners. Tracey is the right person at
the right time to make that happen."
"I have been extremely impressed with the transformation the ASICS LA
Marathon has undergone over the past several years, and I am thrilled to be
a part of the race's bright future," Russell said. "From the introduction
of the Stadium to the Sea course to the incredible experience the race
provides each and every participant, the ASICS LA Marathon is becoming a
must-run event. I look forward to working with longtime race director Nick
Curl and the outstanding team he has assembled in Los Angeles to create an
event that brings even greater value to the people of Southern California,
to local charities, and to runners nationally and globally."
Russell will assume her new responsibilities after the July 4 AJC Peachtree
Road Race. Under Russell's leadership, the AJC Peachtree Road Race has
maintained its title as the largest 10K in the world. The 2013 event marks
a milestone in the racing world: this is the first event that will host
both the USA Men's 10 km Championship and the USA Women's 10 km
Championship.
The search was conducted by Turnkey Search, one of the sports and
entertainment industry's leading executive search and recruiting firms.
ABOUT LA MARATHON LLC
LA MARATHON LLC is a leading U.S. running organization dedicated to
transforming lives through year-round resources and events while serving
and connecting communities. LA Marathon LLC properties include the ASICS LA
Marathon, the LA Big 5K (held the day before the Marathon at Dodger
Stadium), the Santa Monica Classic 5K/10K in May and the popular six-month
LA Roadrunners training program led by renowned coach Andrew Kastor. For
more information, visit www.lamarathon.com.
###
|
