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What it means to brand a road race in 2017
As the 2017 Running USA Industry Conference approaches, we want to introduce attendees and the industry at-large to our incredible speakers and panelists.
We recently caught up with Big Sur International Marathon race director Doug Thurston, discussing his involvement in the sport, what he's seeing from a marketing and branding perspective within the sports landscape, learning opportunities for race directors and much more.
Thurston will speak at the Idea Lab titled Brand and Image Update: A Cast Study at the 2017 Running USA Industry Conference.
Running USA (RUSA): What's your current role in the industry? What does your day-to-day work look like?
Doug Thurston (DT): I’m the Executive Director and Race Director for the Big Sur International Marathon in Carmel, Calif. We have four event weekends a year with a total of about 25,000 entrants including our namesake marathon weekend at the end of April.
RUSA: How did you first get into the running industry?
DT: Like many other race directors, I began by volunteering at local road races. I was about 20 and pursuing a degree in journalism at the University of Oklahoma. There was a healthy local running scene and I ran 20+ races a year and began helping with others. As a journalism major, I began editing a local running club newsletter and, after several non-running jobs after college, eventually became the editor, in 1984, of “Oklahoma Runner,” a brand new state-wide running magazine. I then became the race director of the Tulsa Run in 1987 and 1988, then the largest event in the state. I’ve been a full-time race director ever since.
RUSA: You'll be moderating the 'Brand and Image Update: A Case Study" Idea Lab. What's one trend you're seeing in race directing right now, good or bad?
DT: How important it is to have eye-catching graphics throughout the entrants’ experience: from websites to reg platforms to apps to expo signage to the race day experience.
RUSA: Where do you believe the biggest opportunity in branding a race lies in 2017 for those in the running industry?
DT: To look beyond traditional race graphics and look more towards major events like Coachella, South by Southwest, large festivals, and maybe event things like Comic-Con. We are generally a conservative business and our event is more conservative than most. Still, we have to embrace change and challenge ourselves by listening to our younger current audience and our future audiences.
RUSA: At the Big Sur International Marathon, what's one objective you and your team are working on in 2017 to improve your race?
DT: To refresh our brand and completely revamp our website and app. This will be a huge challenge with our limited resources.
RUSA: What's your favorite part about attending the Running USA Industry Conference?
DT: Learning from both fellow veterans in the industry and new, energetic voices in our community. No matter how many years or races one has managed, there is still a lot to learn from each other. I look forward to learning from and sharing with new and long-time attendees.
To learn more about the 2017 Running USA Industry Conference and see Doug Thurston speak, please visit: https://www.runningusa.org/running-usa-annual-conference
