20th World Congress of AIMS in Durban (RSA) from 28-31 May 2014. – Final Programme

The 20^th World Congress of AIMS will take place in Durban (RSA) from 28-31 May 2014.

For further information see: https://www.aims2014.co.za/

  The 20th World Congress of AIMS will be the first to be held in Africa, in Durban (RSA) to be followed by the 89th edition of the Comrades Marathon.
 
One major theme of the Congress will be Africa as the home of distance runners. Speakers will include Luis Posso, founder of the athlete management company Possosports who has been instrumental in bringing African distance running talent to the fore for the last three decades. Among the many athletes he represented was South Africa's Olympic Marathon Champion, Josiah Thugwane who won in Atlanta in 1996.
 
Also speaking will be one of the first Kenyans to dominate big-city marathons, Ibrahim Hussein. Hussein won the Honolulu Marathon from 1985-1987, the New York Marathon in 1987 and the Boston Marathon in 1988, 1991 and 1992. He is now director of the IAAF Regional Development Centre in Nairobi.

 
World renowned exercise physiologist and author Dr Tim Noakes ("The Lore of Running") will speak on some of the reasons behind the great African advance in distance running.
 
As a staunch advocate for women's participation in sport, Blanche Moila will address the Congress on the challenges and obstacles to promoting participation of women in distance running, specifically from an African perspective.
 
Olympic medallist and world champion Elana Meyer, after completing an illustrious athletic career, has dedicated herself to achieving youth development through sport. She helped to establish Africa's first academy devoted to endurance sports and will give her perspective on the challenges of developing and creating opportunities for the future stars of distance running.
 
See the full programme at:  https://www.aims2014.co.za/congress-programme.htm

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Voting Procedure

According to the Articles of Association of AIMS only full members present can vote at Congress. The relevant article is:
 
5.1 Votes must be cast by the full member's race director or by a person who is a member of that race's official organization. This must be authorised in writing on the official stationery of the race and signed by the race director.
 
This means that no member may vote on behalf of another member: the person exercising the vote must be a part of staff of the member race.

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21st World Congress of AIMS

At the 20th World Congress of AIMS the venue will be decided for the following Congress, to be held in 2016. Two members have applied to host the Congress:

• Ultimas Noticias 15km, Quito, Ecuador (2-5 June 2016)
• World's Best 10km, San Juan, Puerto Rico (26-28 February 2016)

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Election of Board Members of AIMS

The following positions are due for election in the business day of the 20^th World Congress of AIMS (31 May):

• President (incumbent: Paco Borao: standing for re-election)
• Vice-President (incumbent: Martha Morales: standing for re-election)
• Treasurer (incumbent: Al Boka: standing for re-election)
• Board Members
  (incumbents:
  Fernando Jamarne: standing for re-election;
  Keisuke Sawaki: retiring;
  Guy Morse: retiring)

Nominations for any of the above positions will be accepted at the Congress, on the opening day (29 May). Nomination forms will be provided and should bear the signatures of the nominator and a seconder, both of which must be full members of AIMS. Candidates will be introduced on the morning of the second day (30 May), prior to the elections themselves being held the following day.

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Interactive Sessions at Congress

There will be two interactive sessions at Congress, dealing with subject where it is thought it could be particularly valuable for members to share their experiences and opinions. These deal with the importance or otherwise of engaging elite athletes to participate in the race and the circumstances under which it may be advisable to call off a race.
 
Attending members are asked to consider contributing to either or both of these extended discussions, particularly where they have relevant experience. Races have been called off for a variety of reasons including flood, snowfall, air quality, extreme heat, political unrest and insufficient resources being available on race day. In all such cases race organisers face many difficult decisions and consequences, from which others will be able to learn.

 

Source: AIMS