!

IN THIS ISSUE: ♦ Managing Your

Running Club

♦ 2016 Membership Renew Information

♦ 58th RRCA National Convention Preview

♦ National Running Awards Nominations

♦ And more

RRCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Cotter President

Mitch Garner Vice President

Dan Edwards Treasurer

Mark Grandonico Eastern Region Director

Sue Brown-Nickerson Central Region Director

Ron Macksoud Southern Region Director George Rehmet Western Region Director

Kelly Richards At-Large Director

Jean Arthur At-Large Director

We Run the Nation!

MANAGING YOUR RUNNING CLUB By Kelly “K2” Richards, RRCA At-Large Director and Lake Grapevine Runners and Walkers Past President (2002-2007)

Congratulations, you’ve made it to the big time! You’ve been elected to the Board of Directors (BOD) of your local running club. Now what? As a running club member, it seemed like the BOD just went to meetings and had fun, and the president sent out regular communications. Now you’re hearing things like fiduciary obligations, legal responsibilities, conflict of interest and ethics policies, internal controls, tax filings, along with what is the date of the annual holiday party.

You’re probably thinking, “What have I signed up for, and how do I know all these answers?” Don’t worry; the RRCA can help you with all of them. We can even help you determine the party date.

Most of us run for fun and serving on the board of your club can and should be fun, as well, yet it is also serious business. It comes with big responsibilities that range from creating or maintaining a certain culture, to financial and legal responsibilities, which I’ll collectively call “Managing a Club.”

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RRCA MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS OPEN FOR 2016 For the 8th year straight, the RRCA Board has elected to maintain the membership dues at the current rate for clubs, events, and event management companies. For 2016, the general liability insurance rates have not increased for organized running clubs, events, and event management companies. The Directors & Officers insurance had a very modest increase. For RRCA Certified Race Directors seeking event insurance, the program provides for a 4-6% discount on event insurance compared to rates available for events held by non-certified race directors. RRCA annual membership, including insurance coverage, begins on December 31, 2015 at 12:00 AM and ends at 11:59 PM on December 30, 2016. Clubs, events, and event management companies must renew their membership by January 31st. There is no prorating of dues or insurance for late payments and no refunds. Review the membership requirements for each member category, which includes dues and insurance rates. Start at www.RRCA.org/membership/ then select your appropriate membership category to review in detail. REMINDER: As part of our Membership Accountability Process, all members are required to attest to having read the following items posted on our website: Insurance Program Information; Guidelines for Leading a Group Run; Guidelines for Safe Events; and Race Director Code of Ethics.

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IIINNNSSSIIIDDDEEE TTTRRRAAACCCKKK Road Runners Club of America Growing the Sport of Running Since 1958

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WINTER 2015

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Dear RRCA Members,

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed their local Turkey Trots. The 3rd and 4th quarters of the year are always a busy time for the RRCA. In October, the Marine Corps Marathon hosted the RRCA National 10K Championship Event, which several RRCA Board members ran. It was an outstanding event, and we

were proud to call it an RRCA Championship Event. Thank you to Rick Nealis and his team at the Marine Corps Marathon for welcoming and engaging the RRCA Board in the event. The RRCA hosted a booth at the Marine Corps Marathon expo where we promoted our “Join a Club” message, encouraging runners to find and join their local RRCA clubs along with member hosted events. We introduced runners from around the world to our mascot, Roadie. During the October Board meeting held in conjunction with the marathon weekend in Arlington, VA, discussions were held about reviewing and revising the RRCA’s Strategic Plan in 2016, which has been in place since 2009 and was last reviewed in 2012. Membership surveys will be an important part of our updating efforts. Please take time to complete our surveys when they are sent, so we can learn how to better serve your organizations and your runners. As part of our commitment to good and open governance of the RRCA, you can review minutes from our board meetings on the RRCA website at www.rrca.org/about/governance. We encourage our members to post their meeting minutes on their websites as well to ensure transparency for their organizations. #RunSafe and stay healthy, David Cotter, RRCA President RRCA President

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

SUPPORT THE RRCA

Financial contributions to the RRCA from you, your club, or your events supports our programs.

Your financial support enables the RRCA to implement and improve programs that benefit runners and the running community.

The RRCA is a BBB Wise Giving Alliance Accredited Charity and a Gold Level Guidestar Exchange Member. This means you can give with confidence knowing that your donation will be used effectively.

Give today! Mail your contribution to: RRCA, 1501 Lee Hwy, Ste 140, Arlington, VA 22209

Give online at: www.RRCA.org/about/support/

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There are many facets to “Managing a Club.” I’m going to break them down into the following categories: • Bylaws • Policies and Procedures • Financial Management • Committees • Practices/traditions • Best Practices

Bylaws are the legally binding rules that outline how the Board of a nonprofit will operate. This includes the size of the Board, how it will function, roles and duties of directors and officers, rules and procedures for holding meetings, electing directors, and appointing officers, and other essential corporate governance matters. Bylaws may specify the qualifications, rights, and liabilities of membership. Bylaws are, in effect, a contract among members, and must be formally adopted and/or amended as outlined in the bylaws or in accordance with your state’s corporate code.

Policies & Procedures are formulated or adopted by an organization to reach its long-term goals and are typically published in a booklet or other form that is widely accessible by your board. Policies and procedures are designed to influence or determine all major decisions and actions, and all activities take place within the boundaries set by them. Procedures are the specific methods employed to express policies in action in day-to-day operations of the organization. Together, policies and procedures ensure that a point of view held by the governing body of an organization is translated into steps that result in an outcome compatible with that view. Policies and procedures should provide further guidance on business and governance practices that may not be addressed nor should be hard-coded in the bylaws.

RRCA recommends the following policies to adopt: • Conflict of Interest (IRS requirement for RRCA group members) • Ethics or Code of Conduct • Whistleblower (legally required) • Document Retention & Destruction (legally required) • Criminal Background Checks for the Treasurer and/or staff responsible for money, and anyone

working with youth/minors • Privacy and Legal Notices • Financial management policies

The BOD may choose to adopt other practical policies as needed, such as the club’s alcohol policy for service at club events, an advertisement policy in the club’s newsletter, use of club-owned equipment loaned or “rented out” to other organizations, a giving policy as outlined in the last issue of Inside Track, and conduct expectations on club-managed social media accounts. Your social media policy may include rules on promoting non-club owned events or other non-club sanctioned activities.

Financial management includes ensuring adequate income, exercising control over spending, safeguarding assets, and reporting financial status to appropriate internal and external audiences. Board members are ultimately responsible for the financial well-being of an organization, and while they do not need to be experts in financial management, they do need to take a general interest in the financial status of the organization they are serving. This means paying close attention during a treasurer’s report, reviewing financial statements as provided, and asking questions if information is unclear or seems in conflict with the organization’s policies or budget.

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MANAGING YOUR RUNNING CLUB CONTINUED

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The board should ensure that there are policies in place to protect the organization from fraud or theft. These policies are often referred to as internal controls. An important aspect of internal controls is segregation of duties. In the all-volunteer run organization, full financial management is often delegated to the treasurer by the board, or it is stipulated in the bylaws. However, this is not the best practice to ensure against theft or fraud. For the most part, people are honest and respect their duty of loyalty and fiduciary responsibility to an organization; however, it only takes one dishonest person to defraud an organization. Boards must create policies to safeguard against that possibility.

The treasurer of an organization is typically an elected or appointed member of a board. In an all-volunteer run organization, the treasurer is responsible for keeping full and accurate accounts of all income (receipts) and expenses (disbursements or checks). If an organization has paid staff, this function may be delegated or outsourced to a paid bookkeeper. The treasurer should, however maintain oversight of the accounting functions and provide periodic financial reports to the full board. A board should establish a financial reporting policy to clarify the expected frequency of reporting. The treasurer should regularly remind members of a board that they have an obligation to pay attention to the financial status of the organization.

Committees are the working units of the organization designed to make full use of time, expertise and commitment of board members to address issues and achieve goals. While some committees might be outlined in the bylaws, a board can develop other committees that last for years or only exist for a matter of weeks or months, and are often referred to as a task force. Task forces are dissolved once the task for which they were originally convened has been completed and a final report on the subject matter is submitted to the organization’s board for final action. Committees are formed to deal with issues that fall outside of the normal business experience of the nonprofit’s board. As such, they can take on many forms but will usually fall into one of two types:

1. A standing committee - also known as a permanent committee or operating committee - will often be formed to deal with ongoing, major activities within the organization. Examples of Standing Committees include Finance, Fundraising, Membership, Strategic Planning, Ethics and Elections, Race Committees, Program Committees, etc.

2. For short-term issues, the board will establish a group known as an ad hoc committee. Examples of ad hoc committees include Audit and Bylaws.

Practices/Traditions are the customary activities of an organization. Think the Holiday Party! I told you we’d get to that. If your club meets at a park every Saturday throughout the year for a group run, has a fun run every July 4, staffs an aid-station with club members at the local marathon every year, or your holiday party is the second Saturday in December, then these are considered practices and traditions. Practices and traditions are not governed by the bylaws and often not written into policies and procedures, but that doesn’t mean they are not important. Generally, it wouldn’t be a good idea to switch the group run to Sunday, skip the July 4 run, or move the holiday party to November without seeking the membership’s input first. This is where a committee or task force could come in handy if you needed to do some research before making a change. With all that said, traditions and practices shouldn’t dictate governing practices and boards should not be afraid to change some traditions, drop some activities, or create new practices and traditions as the club evolves.

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Best Practices are procedures that are accepted as being correct or most effective. Best practices are the activities that ensure you’re board is compliant with your bylaws, you’re following your policies and procedures, your finances are in good order, committees are used for best results, and your traditions are long-lived. Best practices will vary from club to club, of course, but some general practices that are universal include:

• Having a new board member orientation; • Providing each board member with a handbook including bylaws, policies and procedures, and more; • Providing education/development for board members – send 1 or 2 members to the RRCA

Convention annually; • Communicating regularly and with transparency to your membership; • Using committees when making major decisions – e.g. changing bylaws or finding qualified and

interested members to run for the board of directors; • Reviewing your finances regularly and auditing them annually; • Having a donation or giving policy; • Having annual objectives along with a strategic plan; • Having a smooth leadership transition plan; • Focusing on fun and the joy of running.

More information and details on “Managing a Club” along with templates for many of the policies referenced in this article can be found on the RRCA website at www.rrca.org/club-directors/manage-your-club/ ❏

APPLY FOR THE RUNNER FRIENDLY COMMUNITY

DESIGNATION !The Runner Friendly Community program is designed to shine a national spotlight on communities that stand-out as runner-friendly. Runner Friendly Communities increase the quality of life and improve physical activity for residents and provide for increased economic impact for the community. The RRCA reviews three primary segments: (1) community infrastructure, (2) community support, and (3) local government support.

Each segment includes important criteria as part of the designation process. The goal is for applicants to prove that their community works together to promote running as healthy exercise for their community while ensuring runners’ safety.

Learn more about applying for the RRCA: Runner Friendly Community designation at:

www.RRCA.org/Programs/Runner-Friendly-Community

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MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES We clearly define each membership category on our website including requirements of membership, insurance information, membership dues, and insurance fees. Each membership category has its own page under the “Membership” tab of our website, as follows:

• Running Club Member; • Running Event Member - One event per year; and • Event Management Company Membership - owning multiple events during the year.

Once you have reviewed the information you will find the button to access the online membership portal and renew your membership. The button is at the bottom of the information, because it is important to carefully read everything on the page, which will enable you to be an informed primary contact for your running club or event. Running clubs must upload their roster through our website. This helps us verify your membership numbers and ensures your members receive Club Running magazine. AN IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT PRIMARY CONTACTS: Each running club, event member, and event management company is assigned ONE Primary Contact person in our database as the authorized representative to renew a membership. Reminder: RRCA requires nonprofit members to hold annual elections, meaning your primary contact may change between now and January 2016. To help ensure an efficient renewal process for our 2,500+ members, please follow these important steps in advance of renewing:

• If you were the Primary Contact for 2015, log on to the online system using your current username and password. Ensure all information is still correct for your organization.

• If you will be the NEW Primary Contact for your organization in 2016, please create a personal profile in the “Manage Profile” section of the website. Select the “Create Profile” option.

• Once you have created a profile, send an email to office@rrca.org. In the subject line of the e-mail, note - Primary Contact Update. Include your full name and running club or event name in the email. We will notify you when the primary contact update is complete.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS ABOUT THE INSURANCE PROGRAM!The RRCA group liability policy does not cover high risk events that include overnight relay races run on open roads (no police support, no road closures, or separate lanes for participants), and high risk events commonly referred to as mud-runs, “warrior dashes”, and urbanathons that include man-made obstacles such as man- made mud pits, man-made slippery slopes, wall climbs, tunnel crawls, or other similar man-made obstacles. Events run on man-made trails or cross country courses that do not include man-made obstacles ARE included in coverage, but the course cannot be altered to create man-made obstacles such as watering-down a dry trail or cross country course with a hose to make it muddy. Star Insurance can write a policy specifically for your event if the RRCA insurance program cannot cover the event due to exclusions to our group policy. The RRCA reserves the right to deny access to the insurance program for activities it deems beyond the scope of the covered activities. RRCA Insurance is non-transferable. RRCA clubs and race directing companies that assist other organizations with putting on an event may NOT extend insurance coverage to these organizations. If the club or race director does not own the race or manage all aspects of the event, it is not an insured event of the club or race directing company. Transferring or selling the RRCA insurance by race directing companies and running clubs for non-owned events is FRAUD.!

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RRCA MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FOR 2016 CONTINUED

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The RRCA insurance program allows for several optional insurance plans to meet the needs of your club and events beyond the general participant liability insurance. Volunteer Medical Personnel Endorsement RRCA members covered under the general liability insurance program can purchase coverage for volunteer medical personnel. The Volunteer Medical Personnel Endorsement covers emergency first aid and/or on-course medical treatment by properly licensed medical personnel working on a voluntary basis. Paid medical staff is not covered under this endorsement. Medical volunteers who provide service at running events typically have professional liability coverage already in place to protect themselves against malpractice claims. The RRCA Volunteer Medical Personnel Endorsement is considered insurance over and above any other insurance held by the medical professional. It does, however, provide coverage when a professional liability policy does not extend coverage to emergency medical professionals volunteering at events held outside of a workplace facility. Coverage limits for medical volunteers are the same as the RRCA’s General Liability policy, either $1 million or $2 million per occurrence in coverage. The cost of this optional endorsement is either $250 if you insure your organization with the $1 million liability policy or $300 if you insure your organization with the $2 million liability policy. Operations Package Program - $750* The insurance program also offers the optional Operations Package, which provides for basic business type insurance coverages for your club or event management companies. This insurance covers for items such as timing clocks, club or event owned computers, etc. It also helps cover clubs in the event that a volunteer or employee embezzles funds from the club or event through theft, forgery, or alterations of documents. Clubs and events MUST have documented evidence that RRCA recommended financial policies and procedures are in place in advance of a claim.

• $25,000 business income loss • $5,000 miscellaneous equipment coverage (in-land marine policy for off-site/out of office equipment) • $75,000 business personal property coverage (in-office equipment and property) • $10,000 hardware/software coverage • $25,000 employee/volunteer dishonesty coverage – must have RRCA recommended financial policies

and procedures in place for your club or event management company. • $25,000 forgery and alterations • $10,000 theft, disappearance, and destruction

*Exclusions include wind, hail, earthquake, and flooding as a peril. To include coverage for these perils, contact Star Insurance for a"quote."

Excess Insurance Coverage Over $2 million From time to time, RRCA members are required to purchase excess insurance over $2 million per occurrence. For 2016, this additional coverage is $1,250 per additional million. Members needing this insurance must contact Star Insurance at (260) 467- 5697 or RRCAinsurance@starfinancial.com for underwriting the additional coverage. Equipment Insurance The RRCA offers the Inland Marine Equipment Policy, which is written directly by Star Insurance. This policy covers equipment not already covered in the operations package. The policy period runs from March 1st to March 31st of the next year, and the premium is $2.30 per $100.00 of the equipment’s replacement cost. Details can be found at www.rrca.org/services/insurance/

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RRCA ANNOUNCES KRN GRANTEES

The Road Runners Club of America Awards Over $22,000 in Kids Run the Nation Grants Youth running programs serving more than the 11,000 children in the U.S.

to receive needed financial support to combat the inactivity crisis by getting kids active through running. The RRCA has announced its 2015 Kids Run the Nation grant recipients. Twenty-eight programs throughout the U.S. serving more than 11,000 children will receive a total of $22,760 in grants from the RRCA. In addition, the RRCA will donate more than 13,000 copies of the Kids Run the Nation: A Running Guide for Kids booklets to be given to program participants in twenty-six different programs around the country, an in-kind donation valued at over $14,000. “The youth running programs receiving grant funding this year represent the breadth and depth of the Kids Run the Nation Funds’ impact, both geographically and demographically,” said Erica Gminski, RRCA Youth Program Coordinator. Congratulations to the following programs:

Trek Around Tazewell – Tremont, IL Maverick Running Club – Austin, TX Scott Scorpions Run Club – Chester, VA Gastineau Trail Runners – Juneau, AK Trailblazers Running Club – Stamford, CT Spring Mills Sprinters – Martinsburg, WV Knoxville Youth Runs! – Knoxville, TN Miller Fitness Challenge – Holliston, MA Kids Run Flagstaff – Flagstaff, AZ SRE Mileage Club – St. Rose, LA Run Away Mustangs – Bluffton, SC SRA Kids – Sacramento, CA Blazing Bulldogs Run Club – Tualatin, OR Viejo Run Club – Mission Viejo, CA

A detailed list along with compelling profiles of this year’s Kids Run the Nation grant grantees can be found at: www.rrca.org/services/news-entry/rrca-awards-over-22k-in-kids-run-the-nation-grants/ “The need to financially support youth running continues to grow as more evidence-based research shows that organized running programs for youth is a key component in combating childhood obesity,” explained Jean Knaack, RRCA Executive Director. “We received more than 279 applications for programs that are getting

75,000-plus children running regularly, and they are all deserving of financial support.”

The RRCA’s Kids Run the Nation program is a gender inclusive, multi-week, turnkey, youth running program designed to meet the physical activity goals outline by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. Since 2007, the RRCA has provided over $137,000 in small grants to deserving youth running programs, serving over 80,000 children, through the Kids Run the Nation Fund. The RRCA’s vision is to help establish locally managed youth running programs in every school in America.

www.RRCA.org/Programs/Kids-Run-the-Nation-Program

Crimfit Summer Running Club – Flint, MI McKinley Running Club – Tulsa, OK Saint Louis Blazers – Brentwood, MO Waupaca Mighty Milers – Waupaca, WI Wise Kids In Motion – St. Paul, MN Kids Run for Fun – Bloomington, IL LOW Running Bears – Baudette, MN Heliotrope Kids Run the Nation – Maywood, CA Manhattan Cross Country Club – Manhattan, KS Zucker Middle Running Club – North Charleston, SC Rockland Road Runners Kids Program – Congers, NY W.W. Gordon Elementary Jogging Club – N. Chesterfield, VA Kids Run the Nation – George Cromwell Elem. – Glen Burnie, MD Countdown to Fitness – Space Coast Final Mile – Melbourne, FL

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ENSURE TRANSPARENCY IN CHARITY RELATIONSHIPS

RRCA Championship Series Sponsors Gatorade Endurance

Sports Authority Ashworth Awards Fortius Media LLC

2016 RRCA National Championship Events

March 3, 2016 NAPA VALLEY MARATHON – NAPA, CA NapaValleyMarathon.org

June 18, 2016 GO MILE – LITTLE ROCK, AR GoRunning.com/GoMile/

August 6, 2016 DEBBIE GREEN 5K – WHEELING, WV DebbieGreen5K.com

August 13, 2016 READY FOR FALL? CROSS COUNTRY 5K– SPARTANBURG, SC Go-GreenEvents.com

August 20, 2016 PARKERSBURG NEWS & SENTINEL HALF*MARATHON – PARKERSBURG, WV NewsandSentinelHalfMarathon.com

September 9, 2016 FORT4FITNESS 10K – FORT WAYNE, IN Fort4Fitness.org

October 25, 2016 RUN FOR THE WATER 10 MI – AUSTIN, TX RunfortheWater.com

November 5, 2016 NASHVILLE ULTRA MARATHON – NASHVILLE, TN NashvilleUltra.com

As the running event community continues to grow, so will the scrutiny about your event management practices, especially related to your charitable activities. You and/or your board should ensure you are honestly promoting your relationships with charity partners. Events must work with charities to ensure funds donated by the event or its participants are going to a reputable organization. We recommend using tools, such as www.Give.org (the BBB’s Wise Giving Alliance charity review site), to check on charity partners annually. The RRCA has posted a list of charities that have not complied with, or refused to disclose, their information to the BBB Wise Giving Alliance. We recommend that members review this list and contact charity partners if they are on the non-disclosure list posted at www.RRCA.org/Event-Directors/Charities/. As a major donor, you have a right and a duty to require that your charity partners disclose their information to charity watchdog groups. Ask to see the financial statements or tax returns from local charities before agreeing to work with them or raise money on their behalf. Review the program to administrative cost ratio on the IRS 990 form to determine whether your charity partner has an administrative cost ratio within the acceptable limits. Ask the charity how the funds you collect on their behalf will be spent.

o Will the money be spent on program work or administrative costs?

o Will your contribution from race proceeds be a restricted gift from the race or will it be a general contribution to be used to cover administrative expenses?

These are questions your board will need to address before money changes hands so all parties have clear expectations. If your event is donating a portion of your net profits to a local charity, it is appropriate to restrict the use of your contribution to a specific program as opposed to allowing the charity to use the funds for administration expenses. You simply need to include a letter of instruction with the contribution restricting the gift for a specific program. Be transparent in your approach to working with charity partners and be transparent in your relationships between paid staff, independent contractors, and board members. Take time to review your practices and strengthen your organization through well-thought-out policies and procedures. If you are concerned about questionable practices by event directors in your community, contact your local permitting agency and the RRCA to review your concerns, because impropriety in the management of our sport by some will create challenges for all.

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RRReeegggiiisssttteeerrr TTTooodddaaayyy!!! Registration is only $380 and includes all education seminars, attendee goodie bag, event shirt, and ALL social events and meals including:

o Thursday Night Welcome Reception, o Friday Breakfast, o Friday Luncheon, o Friday Night Social, o Saturday Luncheon, o Saturday Night Awards Gala

Additional meal tickets for can be purchased for an attendee’s accompanying family member or spouse by selecting the “Store” option on the registration page.

BBBooooookkk YYYooouuurrr RRRoooooommm aaattt ttthhheee HHHooosssttt HHHooottteeelll

Crowne Plaza Downtown Dallas 1015 Elm Street Dallas, Texas 75202 214-742-5678

Room Rate: $125.00

EEEllleeevvvaaatttiiinnnggg ttthhheee FFFuuutttuuurrreee ooofff RRRuuunnnnnniiinnnggg Our host, the Dallas Running Club, invites you to the 58th RRCA National Convention, March 17 – 20, 2016.

The 58th RRCA National Convention starts with the Regional Breakout sessions for early meet-and-greets followed by the Welcome Reception on Thursday March 17. The Convention concludes on Sunday March 20 with the featured race, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Dallas Half Marathon (race registration is separate from Convention registration).

The Convention has over eighteen different education session opportunities for club leaders, event directors, and coaches to learn about best practices and managing critical issues.

We are pleased to present our Governance Series, which will be lead by seasoned club presidents Dwight Mikulis and Stephen Wright. We also offer several opportunities for RRCA Certified Race Directors to earn continuing education credits (see RD CEC below).

We are pleased to launch our Level II Coaching Certification In-Person Session for current RRCA Certified Coaches.

The Convention consists of educational workshops on best practices, the RRCA Annual Meeting of the Membership, the National Running Awards Gala, and several social networking events. Hundreds of runners, club leaders, event directors, and corporate supporters attend the RRCA Convention. Clubs are encouraged to reward their key volunteers with a trip to the RRCA Convention.

www.RRCA.org/Convention/register-online

www.RRCA.org/Convention/Hotel

58th RRCA CONVENTION PREVIEW

! RRREEEGGGIIISSSTTTEEERRR TTTOOODDDAAAYYY!!!

CCCooonnnvvveeennntttiiiooonnn EEEddduuucccaaatttiiiooonnn PPPrrrooogggrrraaammm

The Education Program is the cornerstone of the RRCA Convention. The following sessions are planned along with the Coaching Certification Cohort and the Coaching Level II In-Person Class Requirement. o RRCA Insurance Program and Managing Risks o Club Governance Series:

! First Steps for New Board Members ! Legal Responsibilities for Boards ! Financial Management & the Importance of Controls

! Managing Difficult People on and Off the Board

o Creating a Fitness Community: Meet Me Downtown

o Working with Municipalities o Event Cancellation o Developing Engaging Club Training Programs o Growing Youth Running in the U.S. – A Town

Hall Meeting o When, Why, and How to Pay a Race Director o Developing a Citywide Running Club o Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms of

Serious Medical Issues o Course Measuring and Certification o Open Forum Discussions

www.RRCA.org/Convention/Education

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LLLeeeaaadddeeerrrssshhhiiippp SSSccchhhooolllaaarrrssshhhiiippp To further the goal of supporting the growth of local running clubs, the RRCA has developed the Leadership Development Scholarship for the RRCA Convention. The purpose of the Leadership Development Scholarship is to provide funding to attend the RRCA Convention on behalf of their running club for up to four individuals per year (one per region). By attending the RRCA Convention, new club leaders will gain a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities, which will help them lead their club to greatness or maintain excellence that has been achieved through previous leaders The Leadership Development Scholarship package includes: o One complementary registration to the 2016

RRCA Convention, including all meals and social events

o Complementary hotel accommodations at the Host Hotel for Thursday (check-in) through Sunday (check-out)

o Airfare or ground transportation to the RRCA Convention (Not to exceed $500 round trip)

All scholarship candidates must be nominated by another current member of their running club. Nominees should be under the age of forty-five and have been active in their club as a volunteer or board member for several years. The deadline for nominations is January 15, 2016.

DALLAS, TEXAS – MARCH 17-20,2016

www.RRCA.org/Convention/Leadership-Development

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Dear RRCA Members, It’s that time of the year, renewal time. For 2015, the RRCA has once again seen growth in membership. As our sport continues to grow, it is important for running club and event leaders to work with their community leaders to educate them about the fact that not all running organizations are created equal. On our website we have our Tips for Working with Out-of-Town Promoters, which can apply to local operators as well. Members are encouraged to share this information with their local CVBs, Sports Commissions, and permitting agencies. Are you finding informal group runs popping up at your local bars or craft brew restaurants? Are you finding nationally-organized, informal groups asking volunteers to lead local group runs? More often than not, these activities are not providing liability insurance coverage for their volunteers or participants compared to organized running clubs. As a club leader, take time to reach out to informal groups and educate them about the importance of insuring their activities and providing this important coverage for their volunteers. We also invite our members to share our “Buyer Beware Tips for Picking Events” to help educate your local running community. Runners have a great experience at your events and think all events are created equal. Unfortunately we know not all events are created equal. Educating your runners can help them avoid events hosted by inexperienced or unprepared operators. We look forward to discussing these important topics with our members at the 58th RRCA Convention in Dallas, Texas, March 17-20, 2016. Join us to Elevate the Sport of Running! Sincerely,

Jean Knaack #RunSAFE

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S NOTE

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Read past issues of Inside Track at RRCA.org/publications/inside-track/

NOMINATION PROCEDURE FOR 2016 RRCA BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Nominating Committee of the Road Runners Club of America is advising membership that the following director positions are up for election in 2016:

• President • Vice President • Treasurer • Central Director • Eastern Director

Elections will be held at the RRCA Annual Meeting of the Membership on March 18, 2016 at 3:15 PM (MT) at the Crowne Plaza Downtown Dallas, 1015 Elm Street, Dallas, Texas 75202.

Nominating Procedures: Details about the Officer and Director nominations are covered in the RRCA Bylaws and the 2016 Nomination Procedures document posted on our website at www.rrca.org/about/governance. The deadline for submitting nominations is January 4, 2016 by 5:00 PM Eastern. The Nominating Committee, appointed by President Cotter, will review all nominations and may review other candidates as allowed in the Bylaws. A report from the nominating committee with a recommended slate of board member nominees will be shared with the members and posted with the notice of the Annual Membership Meeting in accordance with the Bylaws. After such time, additional candidates my express interest in running for the RRCA Board of Directors.

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The RRCA has honored dedicated individuals for their service to the running community through the RRCA Hall of Fame and the National Running Awards since 1971. Detailed information about award categories, selection criteria, and the nomination form can be found at: www.RRCA.org/Programs/National-Running-Awards To nominate a deserving individual, follow the instructions on the online nomination form and click submit. Upload your PDF newsletter copies as instructed on the form. The RRCA will provide a $400 travel stipend and one complementary ticket for each award winner to the 2016 RRCA National Running Awards Gala. The nomination deadline is 5:00 PM Eastern January 15, 2016. The period of performance for nominations is January 1 through December 31, 2015 for all awards with the Hall of Fame and Browning Ross awards being lifetime achievement awards. RRCA NATIONAL RUNNING AWARDS CATEGORIES: RRCA DISTANCE RUNNING HALL OF FAME: Inducts individuals that have dedicated themselves to the sport of distance running.

SPIRIT OF THE RRCA IN HONOR OF BROWNING ROSS: Honors a club member who is an unsung hero and champions the RRCA at the local and/or national level.

OUTSTANDING CLUB PRESIDENT: Honors an outstanding RRCA club president for the year.

ROAD RUNNERS OF THE YEAR AWARD: Honors top male and female open, masters U.S. runners with outstanding records of distance racing performance during the year. Honors one outstanding Physically Challenged Athlete of the Year (male or female).

OUTSTANDING COMMUNICATION AWARDS: 1). Outstanding Club Newsletter - Beginning in 2015, the print and e-newsletter awards will merge to become one award. This direction reflects the convergence of these two forms of media, as all print newsletters start as digital copies. 2). Excellence in Running Journalism - Focuses on the quality of article writing about running related topics by the author. This award recognizes a top writer that produces editorial content for a running club newsletter or other running related publications, newspapers, etc.

OUTSTANDING WEBSITE AWARD: Honors a club with an outstanding website design and content. One website will be chosen from the nominations.

OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR: Honors an outstanding volunteer (excluding the president) of a local club or event.

OUTSTANDING STATE REPRESENTATIVE IN HONOR OF AL BECKEN: Honors the outstanding service of an RRCA State Representative.

OUTSTANDING YOUTH PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Honors a club member who is dedicated to promoting children’s running and/or coordinating an outstanding children’s running program.

OUTSTANDING BEGINNING RUNNING PROGRAM: Honors beginning running programs hosted by nonprofit clubs that engage new or returning runners to the sport, regardless of their gender.

RRCA ROAD RACE OF THE YEAR: Honors a nonprofit race that is safe, well organized, promotes grassroots running, and the mission of the RRCA. May have a paid race director, but must have a volunteer board of directors.

Learn about all of the RRCA National Award Winners at www.RRCA.org/about/history/award-winners/

RRCA NATIONAL RUNNING AWARDS NOMINATION PERIOD IS OPEN

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!ROAD RUNNERS CLUB OF AMERICA 1501 Lee Hwy, Ste 140 Arlington, VA 22209 703-525-3890 www.RRCA.org

WE RUN THE NATION!

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RoadRunnersClubofAamerica @RRCAnational !

@RRCAnational!

INSIDE TRACK

LIST YOUR 2016 EVENTS ON !THE RRCA CALENDAR!

• Did you know RRCA members host more events

around the U.S. than any other running organization?

• Did you know the “Find an Event” link in our Keeping Pace emails has the second highest click rate for each issue, and it is the third most visited link on www.RRCA.org

• Did you know you could make the RRCA Calendar the definitive running event calendar by listing your events?

REMINDER: It is an RRCA membership requirement is for clubs, events, and event management companies to list owned events on the RRCA Calendar. The RRCA Calendar serves as a both an insurance record and a marketing resource for your events! Post events by selecting “Add New Events” at:

www.RRCA.org/Calendar/Find-Event/

NEW “WE RUN THE NATION!” DECALS IN STOCK

Order your updated window decal to show your RRCA pride. Our new static cling decals are 3x5 and great for putting on your rear windshield. Order today at:

www.RRCA.org/Publications