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In our most recent Running USA webinar, we hosted a fascinating conversation about the role of influencers in promoting, branding and growing race participation. Panelists Lauri Abrahamsen (Race Director, SF Half Marathon and Berkeley Half Marathon), Alexi Pappas (elite athlete, author, podcaster and influencer), and Liam Fayle (sports agent, Founder of Full Circle Management) joined Jay Holder, Executive Director of Running USA, for an in-depth look at the two California races and Pappas’ role. You can view the full event recording here. The San Francisco and Berkeley Half Marathons are elevating the race experience by partnering with Olympian Alexi Pappas, who serves as the race's global ambassador. Alexi's approach goes beyond traditional ambassador roles; rather than a one-off appearance, she works closely with the marathon team to infuse creativity and inclusivity into race events. At both races, Pappas has a 10K event named for her, with the Alexi Pappas SFM10K in San Francisco and the Bravey 10K in Berkeley. Alexi brings a unique, personal energy to race weekend by collaborating on aspects like race-day shirt design, creating a "glitter bar" for a festive atmosphere, and making each race special for everyone, from local newcomers to seasoned runners. This partnership was established to showcase San Francisco’s marathon as more than just a competitive race, with Alexi bringing her global presence and local roots to attract a diverse group of participants. Her relatability and warm presence encourage runners to balance the thrill of competition with the joy of the experience. Race director Lauri Abrahamsen noted that the marathon has seen growth due to Alexi’s involvement, with last year’s event reaching over 30,000 runners. Her authenticity and connection to the Bay Area help bring in local participants, while her social reach draws in runners from far and wide, making the race a dynamic, global event. This evolving ambassador role for Alexi shifts away from the typical influencer model, bringing an interactive, community-centered experience that resonates with all runners, whether they're pursuing a personal best or simply enjoying a day within a well-rounded life. In the world of race promotion, finding the right influencer fit is critical. Abrahamsen emphasized that influencer partnerships work best when they're authentic, featuring runners who are genuinely invested in the sport and have a local following. Large-scale influencer campaigns, while flashy, often fail to generate meaningful engagement if the influencers lack true connections to the race or its community.  She noted that micro-influencers, especially those who are passionate about the event and have been part of the local running scene, often generate better engagement, even with smaller follower counts. Alexi adds that a successful partnership goes beyond metrics like follower count. True influence involves building community, shifting culture, and creating a sense of belonging. Pappas, who has seen this impact in her partnerships, finds that authentic involvement with a race—especially one that resonates personally, like a "big city marathon" with an intimate feel—makes for a more rewarding collaboration. This approach allows for hands-on engagement, from designing race merchandise to participating in various race events. For her, meaningful partnerships prioritize authenticity, community impact, and a shared vision, rather than simply driving reach through numbers. The partnership between Abrahamsen's team and Pappas is a blend of structure and spontaneity, which contributes to its success. While the race marketing team incorporates Alexi’s deliverables into a structured marketing calendar, they also maintain a flexible, casual approach, often requesting posts or shout-outs as opportunities arise. This approach fosters a collaborative environment, allowing Alexi creative freedom within the broader goal of driving race registration. The partnership's authenticity is further strengthened through organic camaraderie with other race ambassadors. Pappas notes that events like the San Francisco Marathon's shakeout run, where she joins fellow athletes and ambassadors—such as her friend and half-marathon runner Molly Seidel—create genuine connections that resonate with the race community. This spontaneous, interconnected approach, where athletes organically interact rather than feeling like isolated influencers, enriches the event experience and lends credibility to the promotion. Pappas advises race organizers to embrace flexibility with trusted partners, allowing for unique ideas and cross-promotional interactions that genuinely reflect the spirit of the sport. View the full recording for more insights.

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. NEW YORK (01-Nov) -- In four starts at the TCS New York City Marathon Geoffrey Kamworor has never failed to make the podium.  The 31 year-old won in both 2017 and 2019, took second in 2015, and third in 2018.  The soft-spoken Kenyan, twice the World Athletics cross country champion, is back here for the first time in five years to compete in his favorite marathon. "New York is a special race for me," Kamworor told Race Results Weekly in an interview here yesterday.  "I have raced here four times, and I've won twice, second one time, and third one time.  So, it's my fifth time and I'm really happy to be back to New York, my favorite course and my favorite marathon.  So, I'm looking forward to Sunday." Kamworor, who also won the World Athletics half-marathon title three times, first ran New York in 2015 when he was the reigning world cross country champion.  His manager, Valentijn Trouw, thought Kamworor would be better-suited to New York's hilly terrain after running a series of flat marathons beginning with Berlin in 2012 where he made his debut.  Kamworor dropped a 4:24 mile for the 21st mile, and only eventual winner Stanley Biwott could handle that pace (Biwott ran 28:33 for the race's final 10 kilometers). "I think the first major marathon I was number two was here in New York," Kamworor continued.  "That one was really special for me, and the course is really nice, somehow the same as where we train in Kenya.  That makes it special; it's a very nice and challenging course." Kamworor skipped the 2016 edition of the race to focus on the Olympic Games 10,000m, but returned in 2017 and won his first-ever marathon.  This time he waited for mile 25 to make his decisive move, running 4:31 and dropping compatriot Wilson Kipsang.  But Kipsang battled back, and nearly caught Kamworor on the race's famous uphill to the finish line in Central Park.  In the end, Kamworor won by three seconds, 2:10:53 to 2:10:56. "I knew that I had made a decisive move and I was focusing on the finish line," said the then 24-year-old Kamworor. "So what was on my mind was that I had to believe in myself that I'm a track runner and I should have enough speed to sprint." In 2018 Kamworor ran his fastest New York City Marathon (2:06:26), but realized his lowest finish.  In the race's final kilometers, he was embroiled in a pitched battle with a pair of feisty Ethiopians, Lelisa Desisa and Shura Kitata.  Heading towards 40K in Central Park, Kamworor led Desisa by a stride, and appeared to be biding his time for a breakaway. But just after two hours into the race, Desisa made a decisive move which Kamworor was unable to match.  He was beaten by both Desisa (2:05:59) and Kitata (2:06:01). But one year later --at the last edition of the race before the pandemic shutdown of road running-- Kamworor would get back on top.  On a chilly day, he ran the 25th mile in 4:31 and won in 2:08:13.  Kitata finished fifth and Desisa, the defending champion, dropped out. "I prepared very well to run this marathon," said Kamworor that day, who was greeted at the finish line by former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, his primary training partner. "Throughout the last few meters the pace was somewhat high, and it wasn't a problem for me. That's when I decided to pull away." For Sunday Kamworor hopes that his training with Kipchoge, under veteran coach Patrick Sang, will put him in position to win.  He said that he didn't do any special training for New York's hills, but has the strength to win. "New York is somehow similar to cross country," Kamworor said.  "There is some downhill and some uphill coming to Central Park which really makes it a unique race.  He added: "I was getting enough time, training well.  So, it has been good toward this marathon and what's going to happen on Sunday." The last man to win the TCS New York City Marathon three times was American Alberto Salazar, who won in 1980, 1981 and 1982.  Kamworor hopes to become the second by sticking to his regular training program and not doing anything New York-specific. "I normally do a normal program," said Kamworor, who with his wife Joy has five children.  "So, I did that until last week, and then when I traveled here.  No special training, no extra hills." PHOTO: Geoffrey Kamworor at the TCS New York City Marathon pre-race press conference (black and white photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

(c) 2024, all rights reserved. Punlished with permission. NEW YORK (31-Oct) -- After finishing a close second to compatriot Hellen Obiri at last April's Boston Marathon, Sharon Lokedi hoped she had done enough to gain selection for the Paris Olympic Marathon.  But when Athletics Kenya announced their team later that month Lokedi had been passed over.  Former world record holder Brigid Kosgei had been given the third spot, joining Obiri and reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir.  The news hit Lokedi hard. "That day I was just broken," Lokedi told Race Results Weekly in an interview here today.  "Part of me was like, I might make it and I might not.  But then deep down, I had hopes.  After Boston I was like, maybe that was something.  For a couple of weeks I was like, it's tough." Little did she know that Kosgei would withdraw from the team in early July with an injury, and Lokedi would get the call-up as the reserve.  The 30 year-old former NCAA star with the University of Kansas had about six weeks to get ready for the most important marathon of her life. "At the end of the day I just kept training and I just kept hoping," said Lokedi, who represents Under Armour.  She continued: "Finally, like they said that this is happening when Brigid dropped and I got in last minute.  I was like, what am I supposed to do?  It was very short.  I just had to switch it; it's time to get it going.  It was like a month and two weeks of trying to get everything together." Working with her coach Stephen Haas, Lokedi did indeed get it together.  Running in hot and sunny conditions and on one of the toughest-ever Olympic Marathon courses, Lokedi got into the key break in the race just past 28 km and was one of the last five women in medal contention in the 39th kilometer.  But Obiri, Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, and Ethiopian Tigst Assefa were just too strong and Lokedi was dropped.  She finished fourth, a great performance but just outside of the medals.  Lokedi appreciated her accomplishment, but was emotionally and physically spent. "It took a couple of weeks to get back at it," Lokedi admitted.  "If anything, it was emotionally draining.  It was just excitement; I was just very excited and everything.  I went to Kenya, then I came back here.  There was a little bit going on for, like, three weeks of that.  I was like, I've got to get back to training." Back at home in Flagstaff, Lokedi began her build up for Sunday's TCS New York City Marathon, a race she won in her debut at the 42.195-kilometer distance in 2022.  Under Coach Haas --who is also her agent-- she stuck to the workout program that got her into such great shape before Boston. "We tried to keep the pattern of the long runs very similar," Haas told Race Results Weekly. He continued: "We kept the same pattern of the workouts that we did for Boston and New York.  We just tried to keep the same schedule." Lokedi prepared for Boston in Kenya and, as Haas explained, had to do her long runs on Thursdays because athletes don't run on Sundays which are reserved for attending church and spending time with family.  Haas decided to go with the Kenyan schedule even though Lokedi was preparing for New York in Flagstaff: Tuesday workout, Thursday long run, and Saturday workout. "For this build-up we decided to stay with the same schedule as we did in Kenya," Haas said.  "It actually worked out pretty well in terms of having people to be able to run with.  It's gone really well." For her long runs, Lokedi's only partner was Haas on a bicycle.  He supplied her fluids, nutrition, and encouragement. "Early on it was just conversational, but the goal of the 35-K run is to make it a really hard effort, to make it to a state of fatigue at the end, to practice fueling, have some gels, have the Maurten," Haas said.  "It got pretty hard.  At the end it got motivational." Lokedi said she arrived here confident and fully prepared.  She was visibly excited as she spoke. "You know when you are training and you're like, I can't wait to go get there?" Lokedi said, breaking into a smile.  "You start to get the race chills and like that.  It's exciting." That Lokedi won New York in her marathon debut is noteworthy given the difficulty of the course, the lack of pacemakers, and the all-women's competition format.  While her experience on the course would seem to give her an advantage, Lokedi isn't so sure. "I honestly block out during races," Lokedi said, bursting into laughter.  "Someone was like, you know the course now that you've done it, but not really." Like in Boston and in Paris, Lokedi will be racing against Hellen Obiri, the defending champion and Olympic bronze medalist.  Interestingly, Obiri is only the eighth-fastest woman in the field.  Kenyans Sheila Chepkirui, Vivian Cheruiyot, and Edna Kiplagat; Ethiopians Tirunesh Dibaba, Senbere Teferi, and Dera Dida; and Bahraini Eunice Chumba have all run faster.  Lokedi is only ranked tenth on time, but she is not intimidated. "I love it," she said.  "It's like, you don't know what to expect but you're ready to go at it.  That's what I usually do.  I'm just going to go at it.  It's just another day, another race." PHOTO: Sharon Lokedi at the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion on Thursday, October 31, 2024 (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)  

(c) 2024 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Published with permission. CHICAGO (13-Oct) -- Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich, the 2019 world marathon champion, ran an astonishing time of 2:09:56 at this morning's Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a pending World Athletics record by nearly two minutes.  Guided by two male pacemakers, the 30 year-old ran consecutive half-marathons of 1:04:16 and 1:05:41.  Amazingly, her first half split was the fastest-ever half-marathon run by a woman on U.S. soil. "It's just mind-boggling," said two-time Olympian Ed Eyestone on the local television broadcast of the race. Chepngetich, who was not selected for the 2024 Kenyan Olympic team, came out swinging today.  Shadowed by Ethiopia's Sutume Kebede, she scooted through the first 5K in 15-flat, and 10-K in 30:14.  At that point she was on pace for a 2:07:34 finish, and Kebede was only two seconds back. "This year the weather was perfect," said Chepngetich, who had already won this race twice before, in 2021 and 2022.  She added: "Like I say, I was well prepared.  World record was on my mind." After the 10K mark Chepngetich got into a sizzling and unprecedented rhythm.  For the next four 5K segments she clocked 15:18, 15:19, 15:26, and 15:32.  Kebede faded back more and more with each passing kilometer (she would eventually finish second in 2:17:32), and at various points she ran with American elite men, including Nathan Martin and Shadrack Kipchirchir. "When I looked over, I know we're running 2:07 pace and she looked great," said the top American man, C.J. Albertson, who ran close to Chepngetich during the first 10K. Her pace seemed unsustainable. Yet, after slowing slightly from 30 to 35K (15:43), she picked it up again from 35 to 40K (15:39).  When she crested "Mount Roosevelt," the small hill which begins with about 400 meters left in the race, she was able to summon a sprint to the finish and break 2:10.  She collapsed into the arms of race director Cary Pinkowski just after crossing the finish line. "Chicago is like a home," said Chepngetich, who earned $150,000 in prize and bonus money from the race, and will surely earn more in undisclosed bonuses.  She added: "This is my fourth year coming to Chicago. The fans are so motivating, pushing me." Irine Cheptai of Kenya (2:17:51), Buze Diriba of Ethiopia (2:20:22) and Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya (2:20:51) rounded out the top-5.  The top American was Susanna Sullivan who finished seventh in 2:21:56, a huge personal best. "This time a year ago I couldn't walk; I had a fractured kneecap," said Sullivan, a sixth grade math teacher from Virginia. She won $15,000 in prize money as the top American and said she might use it to do some work on the old house she and her husband recently bought in Maine. "It will certainly come in handy because it's definitely a fixer-upper," she said. Lindsay Flanagan was the second USA woman, finishing ninth in a personal best 2:23:31, and Emma Bates was the third American in 11th in 2:24:00. Chepngetich's performance overshadowed a fine victory for Kenya's John Korir in the men's race.  Korir, 27, whose older brother Wesley was the 2012 Boston Marathon winner, ran a 4:37 20th mile then 14:01 from 30 to 35 km.  That crippled the rest of the field, and allowed Korir to scamper to the finish alone and clock a personal best 2:02:44, the second-fastest winning time ever at this race. "I was excited," Korir told reporters after the race.  "I knew I was in 2:02 shape."  He added: "I knew I wanted to close the season in a PB and I did it." Out of the group of six men Korir dropped in the 20th mile, Ethiopia's Mohamed Esa did the best and finished second in 2:04:39.  Kenya's Amos Kipruto took third in 2:04:50, and two more Kenyans rounded out the top-5, Vincent Ngetich (2:05:16) and Daniel Ebenyo (2:06:04).  Ebenyo, the 2023 World Athletics Championships 10,000m silver medalist, was making his marathon debut. Albertson, the top American, ran a personal best 2:08:17, good for seventh place.  He passed compatriot Zach Panning with about a mile and a half to go (Panning ended up ninth in 2:09:16).  Albertson, who will also run the TCS New York City Marathon in three weeks, enjoyed the atmosphere of today's race, but found the flat course oddly challenging. "You just get no breaks," said Albertson, who said that hilly courses allow him to change-up his muscle usage.  He added: "The whole first 16 miles there's no break.  It's just uncomfortable the whole time." In the wheelchair divisions the pre-race favorites Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner, both of Switzerland, prevailed.  Hug won a close race over Daniel Romanchuk of the USA, 1:25:54 to 1:25:58.  Japan's Tomoki Suzuki was third in 1:26:05.  It was Hug's fifth victory in Chicago, and his third in a row. "It was a big challenge today with Daniel," he said.  "He was very strong.  I attacked many times." Debrunner caught a break when her top opponent, Susannah Scaroni of the United States, got a flat tire before the 5-K mark.  Debrunner raced the clock instead and broke her own course record by more than two minutes.  Her time of 1:36:12 generated earnings of $90,000: $40,000 for the win and $50,000 for a new course record. "I was super excited to come back here to Chicago," said Debrunner, who ended her 2024 season with today's race.  She added: "It was a really tough race, there was a lot of wind.  It's always tough when you're by yourself. I struggled quite often." Scaroni finished 12th in 1:56:20. ** Today's race was part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a World Athletics Platinum Label road race.  Race officials expected about 51,000 finishers today, but the official total will not be known until tonight. PHOTO: Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya celebrates after setting a pending World Athletics record of 2:09:56 at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)