July 2014 Issue 367 The Ever-Evolving World of IN THE NEWS Mo Trafeh Retires from Sport After Participant Photography Being Found with EPO By Jim Gerweck The Moroccan-born U.S. citizen and 8-time U.S. road champion told n the early days of road racing and photography, about the only picture LetsRun.com that he had never used from a race was of the winner breaking the finish tape, assuming it was EPO when he was found in Ia slow news day and the desk editor felt like assigning someone to shoot possession of it when stopped by the finish. USADA officials. Trafeh maintained Fast forward a century or so to the running boom of the late 1990s and that fighting the drug charges would virtually everyone in a major race, from the winner to the last place finisher, be too costly, according to Runner’s was photographed, often midrace but certainly at the finish, by a team of World Online. Trafeh moved to the shooters from one of a handful of sports photography companies. Just as U.S. in 1999 and became a U.S. your blisters from the marathon were healing, an envelope with tiny proofs citizen in 2008. Because Trafeh of you in action, cresting Heartbreak Hill or crossing the finish by Tavern passed drug tests at the events where on the Green, would arrive in the mail, accompanied by a form to order he won U.S. championships (including prints to frame and hang on your wall or put on your desk at work. the Fifth-Third River Bank Run in Jump ahead a few more years and photography underwent a digital 2013 where he set the American revolution. Film and negatives were out, replaced by pixels and memory 25K record of 1:14:18), it is likely cards, and an almost instantaneous posting of race photos on the event those marks and placings will stand. website. As you were finding your place and time, you could also order “Traditional” Running Events Up 11% commemorative prints of your accomplishment, almost before the sweat had dried on your brow. The 2013 participation figures But that digital technology proved to be a double-edged sword to the race provided by industry trade association photography companies. Cell phones were able to take pictures almost as Running USA pegs the growth of good as those produced by dedicated cameras, and social media like runners in “traditional” events Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram usurped physical walls and desks as the (excluding untimed color runs, mud preferred display location. With post-, pre- and even mid-race “selfies” runs, obstacle runs, etc.) at 15 million, becoming the photographic coin of the running realm, the race photography up from 13.5 million in 2012. Counting industry business model has undergone a significant transformation in the “non-traditional” events, the past year or so. percentage growth swells to 19%. The report estimates 23,600 A New Model organized “traditional” running events The new watchword is “sponsored images” – the same high quality, in the U.S. and 4,600 “non-traditional” professionally produced photos that previously were offered for sale to race events. Female participation increased by 1% of the total, as it has for the (Photography continued on page 3) last three years, to an all-time high of INSIDESurvey Continued on Page 3 57% (8,180,800 male finishers and Elite Athletes: Peachtree Gets Creative in Using Elites to Promote the Race 10,844,200 female finishers). The Going Green: Strategies to Keep Waste out of Landfills (News continued on page 8) The Business Page: Hoka One One Surging with Ultrasize Shoe Models www.rrm.com RRM, July 2014 Page 1 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher LETTERS Age Group Record Recognition enjoyed Claudia Piepenburg’s Signatures by the Chief Timer and with the Race Director of the USATF Iarticle How to Prepare for, Time backup timing personnel are required sanctioned event. and Submit a Performance as an Age on the form, which is best facilitated MarkWinitz Group Record. It contains valuable on race day. USA Track & Field Pacific information for RDs. I believe that (2) Certified USATF road racing www.pausatf.org there are several additional important officials, particularly Referees, are Certified USATF Official/Referee (Master points that race directors might find often very familiar with the Road Level) Association Long Distance Running beneficial: Race Recognition Application Form Officials Coordinator (1) I recommend that Race Directors and its requirements. In fact, who are unfamiliar with the USATF sometimes the Referee will oversee ave McGillivray’s column on Road Race Performance Recognition the preparation of the form, assign Dwater station layout last month Application Form, which is referenced the job of hand stopwatch timers to was very informative. I particularly in the article, download and review other members of the Officials crew liked the “drinking lane” concept. it in advance of their race. Some who are working the finish line, Perhaps a similar area in a local information requested on the form obtain the necessary signatures on watering hole could be established requires preparation and coordination the form, and submit the completed for harried race directors after their before the event. For example, the form to USATF along with full race event! form asks the race to submit three results in USATF’s requested One issue he did not mention was separate backup hand stopwatch format. the actual location of aid stations on times for the overall male winner and The article correctly states that, the course. Many races place their the overall female winner of the race ultimately, the responsibility for stations at mile marks, since it makes captured in tenths and hundreds of ensuring the completion and it easier for volunteers to know where seconds, in addition to their times submission of the Road Race to set them up and participants can from the primary timing device. Recognition Application Form is better plan their hydration and nutrition needs. However, a big Now Available: Organizing Running Events: mistake is to place the station BEFORE 2014-16 RRM Running Industry The Complete Guide to Staging the mile point. This creates two Resource Directory a Successful Road Race potential problems. First, in all the activity around aid This completely updated publication is This A to Z Guide is a single-source, loaded with contact information for over complete overview of race directing, stations, runners may not see the 2,000 businesses, organizations and designed for beginning and advanced markers, signs or clocks for the split. running event directors. race directors of races of all sizes. Second, if they do see it, their natural reaction is to look at their watch and Details at www.rrm.com Order now at www.rrm.com check their pace, perhaps punching the split button. If they’re holding a Road Race Management Newsletter is provided to members 11 times per year. Our office is located at 4940 Hampden Ln., Suite 212, Bethesda, MD 20814. cup of water, or worse, sports drink Copyright 2014 by Road Race Management, Inc. No part of this publication may as they turn their wrist to look at the be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. ISSN: 0739-3784. Phone: 301-320-6865. Fax: 301-320-9164. E-Mail: [email protected] watch, the contents of that cup will wind up down the front of their Editor and Publisher Phil Stewart Marketing Consultant Jeff Darman shorts or on the road, and not in their Managing Editor Pam Balcke Administrative Asst. Beth Rosenthal mouth! Contributing Writers: Jim Ferstle, Jim Gerweck, Jim Hage, Dave Kayser, Moral of the story: mile split FIRST, Sheila Kayser, Dave McGillivray, Keith Peters, Claudia Piepenburg, Sean aid station SECOND. Ryan, Mark Winitz The views expressed in Road Race Management Newsletter may not reflect the viewpoint of Jim Gerweck Road Race Management, Inc. USATF Road Running Technical www.rrm.com Council Page 2 RRM, July 2014 No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher Photography (Continued from page 1) participants, but are now being given attracts more than 25,000 Options for Smaller Events away for free – with the logo, or participants. “This is the first major Whatever the model, most larger logos, of sponsors attached to the city marathon to ever give away free event photography firms are geared picture. race photos,” Lavallee said. “We toward events of 1,000 participants Boston-based startup Gameface think this is going to help change or more, leaving smaller Media has been leading the charge how participants and event directors neighborhood races to fend for into this new market landscape. see photography.” themselves in offering race photos. Founded in late 2012, Gameface Gameface’s entry and growth has Often a volunteer with photographic gave away about 1 million photos of certainly changed the way more skills or smaller local shooters can an estimated 100,000 participants traditional event photography firms perform this task, but recently races in 2013. This year, the company is are approaching the market. have been able to virtually automate expecting to give away about 20 MarathonFoto, perhaps the pre- the process through race photos million photos of 2.5 million eminent firm in for-sale race imagery, and videos linked to results provided participants, and in 2015, the has responded to the challenge by ChronoTrack Live (CTL), the online company expects to give away about presented by Gameface by registration and results counterpart 40 million photos of 5 million emphasizing its Sponsored Image of the ChronoTrack transponder participants, according to company Services program, which was timing system.