Job title: Race Director Race or company name: Twin Cities in Motion Years in the industry: 12 What got you into the running industry? I was a runner throughout high school and college, with a passion for the sport that exceeded my talent. When I graduated college I went to grad school to get an MBA in Sports Business with the intent of working in endurance sports or Olympic sports. A capstone internship with Conley Sports (the then-owners and operators of the Austin Marathon) led to a part-time and then full-time job with them, and I’ve been in the endurance sports industry ever since.
MEET THE
RACE DIRECTOR During the pandemic, Eli Asch made a cross-country move from California to become the race director for Twin Cities in Motion. Little did he know that it would be another year before he’d lead the comeback of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon in October 2021. With that race under his belt and a “big Minnesota beard” in progress on his smiling face, it’s safe to say that Eli has become one with the ways of the Minnesotans. Keep an eye on the Twin Cities to see what creative innovations this trendsetting race director introduces in the years to come!
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Why do you love your job? I get to help tens of thousands of people, set, achieve, and best of all, celebrate their running goals. What could be better than that? What’s your favorite part of event production? I really like working in a team — being part of a group with a broad array of talents, seeing those talents brought to bear around a vision, and then seeing that vision become a reality. Also, if I weren’t in event production, I never would’ve learned how to operate a forklift, which is something everyone should know how to do. And conversely, what you dread the most about “day of” the event? I really hate having to pull people from the course or asking them to move to the sidewalk when they fall behind pace. But my biggest personal worry is sleeping through my alarm. I always set at least four combined alarms between two devices on race day (much to my wife’s chagrin).
