We are excited to partner with the London OH Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5K for Series Race #7. We caught up with the race founder and director Dave Mars to learn more about how the race started and what it’s like to be a race director.
How did you become a race director?⠀Ever since I moved to London, Ohio, I thought it would be funny to host a marathon so runners could say that they had run the London marathon. When I learned about raising funds for a neglected community park, I knew it was time to make it a reality.
What’s the greatest challenge you face in your role?⠀Our community and volunteers are so amazing. The biggest challenge is adapting to variables outside our control, like the weather.
What’s most rewarding? The best thing about being a race director is seeing people meet their goals and have a great time at the event.
Besides signing up for your race, how can runners support and encourage race organizers? It’s super helpful for people to sign up early. Aside from signing up, having people reach out to ask questions is also helpful. That helps a race director understand what messaging is and isn’t working.
