2012 Annual Report

Run New Brunswick - Report to Athletics New Brunswick Annual General Meeting
November 2012

Run New Brunswick is a committee of Athletics New Brunswick and is comprised of a Chairperson (Gilles Gautreau), Vice-Chairpersons (Brian Richard) and Sylvio Bourque), Treasurer (Paul Lavoie) and Secretary (Bruce McFarlane). Our Executive Director is Jim Johnson, who began his duties in 2012.

RunNB operated in 2012 on an annual budget of approximately $27,000.00, 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, award prizes to competitive and recreational runners, and pay for a part-time Executive Director.

RunNB produced and distributed 300 copies of the Road Racing Calendar booklet, listing 51 events from March 25 to October 27, 2012. Each listing included significant information about the event, in many cases showing course record-holders. RunNB also produced and distributed 200 single-page race schedule cards including only crucial race info (date, time, distance, location, etc).

Road races operated under the banner of RunNB in 2012 at distances ranging from one mile to 42.2 kilometers, and were hosted in 31 different communities. Saint John hosted 8 of the 51 events during the year, more than any other community.

In 2012, 10,900 runners have participated in RunNB events. That is 17% increase from 2011 season, compares with total numbers from previous years as follows:

2011 – 9300
2010 – 8426
2009 – 7900
2008 – 7200
2007 – 7500
2006 – 7400
2005 – 6500
2004 – 5300

RunNB?s partners Demi-marathon de l?Acadie (Tracadie-Sheila) and Miramichi River Runners Series (Miramichi) have both seen a third consecutive increase in their participant.

In 2012 RunNB completed the third year of a three-year sponsorship contract with the Running Room.

The "SuperSeries", 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 six 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 2012 the top female in the Timex series, with 2 races remaining, is currently Paula Keating, while Lee Roy leads the men?s standings.

Provincial Championships in the 5K, 8K, 10K, 21.1K and 42.2K distances took place in 2012 for the seventh 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 2012 to provincial champions.

The "Kids Live Well" series of races was sponsored in 2012 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. This is the third of a three year sponsorship contract.

RunNB continued its partnership with the Miramichi River Runners (MRR), a club that has been organizing its own running series for over 25 years. The MRR organized 20 events over the course of the year totaling an additional 466 runners so far this season 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.

In November 2011 RunNB held an awards banquet in Fredericton, where more than 100 followers of the 2011 provincial road racing circuit enjoyed an end-of-year celebration. Leo Sheehy of Albert Mines and Billy Best of Minto were inducted into the RunNB Hall of Fame. The 2012 event will be on November 17 at the Miramichi Golf and Country Club.

Our Hall of Fame will be expanding with the induction of four new members to the hall. We will be expanding the Hall of Fame to hard copies of each person on the Wall of Fame display to be opened in Shediac in 2013.

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.