On the Move

Registration for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k presented by Kroger is officially open! The iconic Richmond event is celebrating 25 years of being the biggest block party in town! We talk with Event Director, Meghan Keogh about her favorite parts of the 10k, the evolution of the running community, why you have to be there on April 20th...and more!

We all know the best part of a race is the swag! This week on the pod we introduce you to the fierce twosome behind Sports Backers' finisher item designs and merchandise collections. Alison Hale, our Retail Manager, and Dion Ellis, our Graphic Designer, give you the inside scoop on what it looks like to be a part of the creative process from start to finish. 

Last week Dr. Lisa Mitro (@dr.lisa.dpt) was a part of our Run Richmond pre-race panel. On Saturday she ran her first full marathon, and now we want the tea! Check out what she has to say about training with the Sports Backers Marathon Training Team, race day, recovery...and a couple Taylor Swift anecdotes!

On the eve of the Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon we had a live discussion at the Walmart Health & Fitness Expo with a stacked crew of running podcasters and personalities! We all can benefit from community, and running is no different! Whether your support system is a virtual crew, your neighbor, a local run club, or a coach, we’re exploring all the ways we hold each other accountable. Hea...

Nan & Kam welcome their first guest to the studio, Megan Schultz! Megan has been at Sports Backers for over 16 years. As the race director for the Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon, she knows all the info you need for race day on November 11! We solicited questions on social media and then asked a few of our own, because we're fun like that!

Our Sports Backers Podcast has a host change! Welcome to On The Move with Nan & Kam! Meet your two new fitness besties that are here to chat all things active lifestyle in Richmond, VA! New episodes drop every Thursday!

This episode of Sports Backers' On the Move podcast serves as a special preview of the Allianz Partners Richmond Marathon, featuring Megan Schultz, Chief Operating Officer of Sports Backers and race director for the marathon. She’s got all the details you need to know to have a great race experience in Richmond on November 12 and we’ll take a deep dive during this episode. Thanks again to Meg...

Our guest on this episode of the On the Move podcast is Tiffany Copeland, Director of the Fitness Warriors program for Sports Backers. Tiffany gives us a detailed overview of the Fitness Warriors, the innovative program that is addressing health disparities through active living in communities throughout central Virginia. The program has become a national model for creating fitness opportunities,...

Our guest on this episode is Cheryl Groce-Wright. Cheryl is head coach of the Sports Backers Half Marathon Training Team, which helps runners prepare for the CarMax Richmond Half Marathon on November 12. Before becoming head coach, Cheryl was a participant and then assistant coach, so she’s got a ton of knowledge to go along with a very interesting running journey. She was nice enough to share mor...

Our guest on this episode of Sports Backers' On the Move podcast is Danny Docherty, an elite runner, a running coach, and just an all around running enthusiast. Danny shared more insight on his running journey, what he hopes to accomplish as an athlete and a coach, the importance of building running communities, and the Twin Cities rivalry between Minneapolis and his hometown of Saint Paul: H...

This episode of 'On The Move' focuses on creating accessible adventure opportunities for people of all abilities and features a live recording of a recent panel discussion on that topic. The panel took place on May 18 and kicked off Dominion Energy Riverrock. A screening of the film ‘Adventure is for Everyone,’ took place before the panel, and was mentioned several times during the discu...

Our guest on this episode is Stephen Lecky, Director of Events for Venture Richmond. Sports Backers and Venture Richmond are partners for Dominion Energy Riverrock, coming up May 20-22. Stephen provided more insight on Venture Richmond’s mission, events, and his role booking music for many different festivals. He also shared more about his own experiences as a musician and gave us all the details...

Welcome to a special preview of the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10k presented by Kroger and Atlantic Union Bank 10k Mini coming up on April 23. My Sports Backers colleague Meghan Keogh, Director of Events and race director for the 10k, joins us to provide all the details you need to know ahead of race day, and she also shares some of her favorite memories from the event. And, as an added bonus for our...

Our guest on this episode is Brandi Horton. Brandi is Vice President of Communications for the Rails to Trails Conservancy, the nation’s largest trail advocacy organization and a partner with Sports Backers for the Great American Ride. Brandi shared details on how the Rails to Trails Conservancy works across the country to create safe ways for everyone to walk, bike and be active outdoors, and how...

Our guest on this episode of the On the Move podcast is Hamilton Glass. Hamilton is a renowned artist, designer, and creator based here in Richmond. He has created over 50 murals and public art installations throughout Richmond, the state of Virginia, and across the United States. He is one of the creators behind innovative public art projects like Mending Walls and All In Together, and this year...

Our guest on today’s special bonus (meaning: very short) episode is Gene Dykes. The self-described ‘Ultrageezer’ has set multiple official and unofficial age group world records in a variety of running distances and continues to go after big goals and accomplishments. The 73-year-old from outside Philadelphia visited Richmond in November for the Richmond Marathon, and we caught up with him for a f...

Our guest on this episode is Megan Schultz, Chief Operating Officer of Sports Backers. Megan has been with Sports Backers for 15 years and has just about seen it all in terms of events during that time. She’s also Race Director for the VCU Health Richmond Marathon, so she’s the perfect person to help preview this year’s race, which is coming up on November 13 and includes the CarMax Richmond Half...

Our guest on this episode is Jacki Quinlan, Director of Youth Programs for Sports Backers. Jacki leads programs and events that create active living opportunities for thousands of kids across the Richmond region on an annual basis. She has spent most of her career working in youth programming and is a dedicated advocate for creating equity through active living. It was great to learn more about he...

Through their work with events, training teams, and the Richmond Road Runners Club, as well as their passion for active living, Michael George and Nikkia Young are great resources for all things related to running in Richmond. They joined this episode of the 'On the Move' podcast to talk about a few well-known events, including the Ashland Half Marathon and VCU Health Richmond Marathon,...

Lisa Bentley competed as a professional triathlete for 20 years, is an 11-time Ironman champion, a finisher of multiple marathons, and an accomplished motivational speaker, author, television broadcaster, and coach. And she competed at the highest levels of her sport despite a diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis at the age of 20. Lisa joined this episode of the On the Move podcast to share more about her...

Kevin Tobin is an owner, camp director, and youth programs coordinator for Peak Experiences climbing gym and Passages Adventure Camp in Richmond, Virginia. He also coordinates the Bouldering competition for the Dominion Energy Riverrock festival each year, which attracts some of the top climbing athletes to compete, including Nathaniel Coleman, Kyra Condie, and Brooke Raboteau, three of the member...

Phillip Deane's connections with Sports Backers and active living started in 2005, when he was recognized as one of the overall winners in the Richmond Times-Dispatch/Sports Backers Scholar-Athlete Awards program as a senior at Varina High School in Henrico County. He went on to play baseball at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, graduating with a degree in economics in 2009. He co...

In this episode of the On the Move podcast, Anthony and Tara Clary joined to talk about the powerful community impact of their running group, Running with Rock and Tara. The group, based in the Manchester area of Richmond, has grown over the past year and welcomes runners of all experience levels and backgrounds. Anthony is also training to be part of the Sports Backers Fitness Warriors program, a...

As part of Sports Backers' 2020 Storybook, which details the organization's response to the COVID-19 pandemic over the past year, several members of the Sports Backers marketing team joined the podcast to share insight into the process of generating ideas and marketing strategies for virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. Ashlee Snider, Nan Callahan, and Katharine Benfer join host Pete W...

After an impressive 2020 full of great performances, Richmond-based runner Keira D'Amato turned pro in early 2021 and has more big goals in sight, including the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. She joined the podcast to talk about the latest developments in her running journey, her upcoming schedule, and her quest for redemption for Team Studs in the Great American 5000, a virtual team ra...