On the Move

Nan & Kam take the pod on the road to Great Falls Park for the annual Sports Backers staff outing! Hear about two different hikes they did, who had the best car snacks, and more. We recommend watching this one to get the full picture! Plus Kam got some wild video of a helicopter.

Today is the Markel Corporate Run and Camryn Fitzgerald of Scott Insurance is the lucky individual chosen as the Allianz Partners Summer Bonus Sprint participant! Hear about her strategy to win big at tonight's event. Nan & Kam also catch you up on their research trip to Denver!

If you're a runner in Richmond, chances are you've heard about Effect. The run club was created by Kleigh Koupal and two friends who realized when running with others the effect was that you created community, and added to your overall community as a whole. Learn more about their crew, upcoming fun events, and why it seems like everybody is running with Effect!

The Markel Corporate Run takes place on June 6. It's RVA's biggest office party, so naturally we had to get you all the details with Sports Backers Corporate Sales Manager, Kristen Eichert, and Colin Lowery, the Team Captain at Haleon. It's not too late to sign up...and after this you'll want to!

Nan & Kam take you on a tour of Dominion Energy Riverrock as it gets set up for the weekend. Get a lay of the land, hear about the highlights, and learn more about new events. We also talk to Omar Hafez from the Richmond Rapids. Omar is participating in one of the festival's newest events, the Cup of the East Kayak Polo tournament. We recommend watching this one!

Brantley Tyndall, Director of Bike Walk RVA, joins the pod to tell us all about RVA Bike Month this May! We also dive into some Bike Walk advocacy, a Fall Line trail update, and ask the age old question...Tour de Taco or Pizza Crawl. 

Thinking about running Richmond this November? Need to up your miles for a fall race? We chat with the head coach of Sports Backers Marathon Training Team, Carrie Parker. Learn more about the program and find out what makes MTT so beloved!

Nan & Kam look back on the 25th running of the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k! Hear about what goes on behind the scenes, what it was like for Kam to work with her mom on race day, best race moments, squirrels in the park...and more!

It's almost time for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k presented by Kroger, which means Nan & Kam are ready to answer all your event FAQs! Find out what you need to know about the expo, race morning, and how to have your best 10k!

We sit down with Conrad Lusagala who is taking on the task of being the 10k's Roving DJ and Party Pacer! He's got a speaker, he's got a playlist, he's got the good vibes, and he's bringing the encouragement. Find him at the back of the pack in the non-seeded waves and have your best 10k yet!

Nan & Kam have perhaps their biggest guest yet and welcome Nutzy of the Richmond Flying Squirrels to the pod. Megan Angstadt, the Squirrels Executive Director of Fan Engagement, also joins us and shares how excited her and Nutzy are to come to the Atlantic Union Bank 10k Mini. Hear what to expect this baseball season, and later see how Nutzy stays in tip top shape!

We sit down with two 10k legends and superstar volunteers, Michael George and Mike Levins. Chances are if you've done a race in Richmond, these two were involved in some way. They give us the low down on the first year of the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k and how the running landscape in Richmond has changed.

Nan & Kam welcome Molly Johnson, Race Director for the Virginia Credit Union River City Half & River City 5k back to the pod. Molly shares what it's like to plan and execute a first year event and her favorite parts of race day. Then Nan & Kam take to the streets to get a 10k related treat. Tune in to so you don't miss out on how you could score something sweet!

We catch up with Kam on her YMCA 10k Training Team journey thus far, and find out how her miles have been going. Switching gears the Virginia Credit Union River City Half & River City 5k is this weekend, so we answer all your race day questions! Good luck to everyone participating!

One thing about the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k is it's known for having a lively course. You never know what you're going to see, but you're guaranteed to be entertained. The 10k Spirit Contest presented by The Richmond Experience is serious business. Paige Poprocky, of The Richmond Experience, joins us to talk all things contest judging and what she's looking forward to...

As we gear up for the 2024 Active RVA Awards, Kristen Eichert, Sports Backers Corporate Sales Manager, gives us all the details on what it means to be Active RVA certified. Learn about best practices to lead your workplace to corporate wellness!   

This week Nan & Ashlee (guest host alert!) take you on a behind the scenes look at 10k Love Week. We worked at events with Massey at the VCU Student Commons and passed out cupcakes on Brown's Island with Ukrop's. Check out YouTube to see us all around RVA this week!

Doing the 10k once is something to be proud of, but doing it all 25 times is on another level. This week we talk with Brad Armstrong (a 10k Legacy Club member) and his daughters Erin and Annie. They ran the first Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k together and are still continuing the tradition to this day. 

Tiffany Copeland and Ashley White join us to talk about the exciting work our Fitness Warriors are doing to make Richmond and the Tri-Cities more active! Whether you're interested in leading fitness classes, or finding a new community to workout with, you'll have a good time learning more about the program.

By this point we hope you've seen the 2024 Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k participant shirt and medal designs! The colorful swag was designed by local agency Think. We sit down with Jason St. Peter and Bridget Guckin to talk all things creative strategy. Hear the inspiration behind the goods!

We sit down with Head Coach of the YMCA 10k Training Team, Jennifer Perrin to run through all the questions, thoughts, and feels one may have before joining the team! Training for the 25th annual Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k presented by Kroger kicks off Feb. 10. Spoiler - Kam is joining a team, so do it with her!

Happy New Year! Nan & Kam are back to kick off 2024 with a recap of what went down during holiday break, what they're excited for at Sports Backers this spring, and new fitness goals. Get your motivation back and hear their hacks to setting goals and following through!

Sports Backers Youth Programs have had a whirlwind year; with a rebrand, a scholar-athlete program restructure, and a new hire...2023 has been wild! Catch up on all the changes and hear what we're excited for in the new year with Jacki, our Director of Youth Programs and Noelle, our Youth Programs Coordinator. Reminder - we'll take a two week break for the holidays but we'll be back...

Last week we had the 11th CarMax Tacky Light Run. Fun was had, merriment was made, holiday cheer was abundant. This week we recap all the good times and share some behind the scenes insight with Event Director, Molly Johnson. Get you some egg nog or hot chocolate for this one!

The CarMax Tacky Light Run is on December 9, and while Sports Backers is busy prepping, the homeowners in the Walton Park neighborhood are on a whole other level! We chat with professional tacky home decorator Tara Krohn and find out just what goes into being a house on the course. From cut outs, to inflatables, lights, and more...she knows her stuff!