2011 Annual Report

Run New Brunswick - Report to Athletics New Brunswick Annual General Meeting

December 2011

Run New Brunswick is a committee of Athletics New Brunswick and is comprised of a President (Gilles Gautreau), Vice President (Brian Richard), second Vice President (to be named in 2012) Treasurer (Paul Lavoie), and Secretary Bruce McFarlane.

This was the fourth and final year in which Adam Stacey was employed in the paid position of Executive Director. At this time I would like to thanks Adam for the tremendous job he did in bring Run NB to another level. In moving forward I would like welcome our new Executive Director Jim Johnson who will be starting in 2012.

At this time we are going through an organizational structure revision with a new Constitution and By-Laws, this we expect to be completed and presented to the board in late fall.

Run NB operated in 2011 on an annual budget of approximately $28,000, and received revenue from race participants and sponsors. Funds were used to produce a yearly race booklet, maintain a website, provide liability insurance coverage for runners and race organizers, supply bibs and a race clock to events, and award prizes to competitive and recreational runners. Our funds are also used to pay for a part time Executive Director.

RunNB produced and distributed 600 copies of the Road Racing Calendar booklet, listing 51 events from March 27 to October 29, 2011. Each listing included significant information about the event, in many cases showing course record-holders.

Road races operated under the banner of RunNB in 2011 at distances ranging from one mile to 42.2 kilometers, and were hosted in 36 different communities. Saint John hosted 7 of the 51 events during the year, more than any other community.

Races attracted varying numbers of runners. Just 6 competitors participated in the Cst. Bruce Hadley Relay Half Marathon. The Legs for Literacy event in Moncton attracted 1804 runners in all events.

The season having concluded on October 29, 2011, 9300 runners have participated in RunNB events in 2011 for an average of 182 runners per event. The 2011 total of 9100 compares with total numbers from previous years as follows:

2010 - 8426
2009 - 7900
2008 - 7200
2007 - 7500
2006 - 7400
2005 - 6500
2004 - 5300

In 2011 RunNB completed the second year of a three-year sponsorship contract with the Running Room, and continues to explore opportunities for additional sponsors for its programs.

The "Super Series", under which runners accumulate points within their age category, is updated after each race on the website, and has proven to be a significant motivation for many runners. RunNB also encouraged competitive runners in the "Timex" series of 6 races. The top three male and female finishers in each Timex event earned entitlement to funds to compensate them for attending the National Road Racing Championships. In 2011 as in 2010 the top female in the Timex series was Paula Keating, while Dean Strowbridge was again the winner in the men?s standings.

Provincial Championships in the 5K, 8K, 10K, 21.1K and 42.2K distances took place in 2011 for the sixth consecutive year. The top three finishers overall in each of those five events received prize money, with the male and female winners being crowned provincial champion. A total of $1800.00 in prize money was awarded in 2011 to provincial champions.

The "Kids Live Well" series of races was sponsored in 2011 by Irving Oil. The program is geared towards youth participation in the road races that take place during the RunNB season and encourages race directors to hold events for boys and girls 14 years of age and under, at distances from one kilometer to three kilometers. RunNB supplied race bibs and finisher medals, free of charge, to all races hosting a "Kids Live Well" event.

RunNB continued its partnership with the Miramichi River Runners (MRR), a club that has been organizing its own running series for over 27 years. The MRR organized 21 events over the course of the year totaling an additional 815 runners that now fall under the RunNB banner. A similar partnership was formed with le Demi-marathon de l?Acadie, which has run a half-marathon every month of the year since November 1987. This event takes place in Tracadie-Sheila and has attracted mostly local runners, but since joining RunNB, organizers have indicated that the number of participants has increased to a record high 299.
Both the MRR and le Demi-marathon experienced growth in 2011 from 14% in Miramichi to 25% in Tracadie-Sheila.

Moncton in 2009 hosted the first Run NB awards banquet where just over 100 took part in the ceremony that also saw two members inducted into our Wall of Fame. Since then we have held our annual awards in Saint John in 2010 and Fredericton in 2011.
Next year the MRR have accepted the invitation to host the year end ceremony. The 2012 event will be on November 17 at the Miramichi Golf and Country Club.

Many thanks go to each of our committee members, who continue to devote many volunteer hours to help RunNB better serve the NB running population. Also, at the heart of running in New Brunswick are the many race directors and numerous volunteers who make each race possible. RunNB acknowledges and expresses its appreciation to all of these volunteers, who make it possible for road racing to thrive in New Brunswick.