Jay Holder Named Executive Director of Running USA

The Running USA Board of Directors announced that Jay Holder of Atlanta has been named Executive Director of the organization, becoming the fifth leader to helm the non-profit in its 24-year history.

Holder worked for the last seven years as Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Atlanta Track Club, where he oversaw marketing, public relations, brand, membership, merchandise and key strategic partnerships. During his time at Atlanta Track Club, Holder was part of a team that produced more than 40 unique events and programs annually. During the pandemic, Holder was a key decision maker in strategies to continue to hold in-person events while ensuring the safety of participants and volunteers. While participation and membership declined significantly during that time, Holder has led the efforts that have restored registration to near-pre-pandemic levels and restored membership levels to the highest in the Club’s 65-year history. With 33,000 members, Atlanta Track Club is the second largest running organization in the United States.

“Jay will take Running USA into its next chapter as the industry’s preeminent trade organization,“ said Kathleen Titus, President of the Running USA Board of Directors. “The Board of Directors has great confidence that his ability to build membership and partnerships will usher in a bright future for Running USA’s current and future members.”

“This is an exciting time to be signing up for a race in the United States – whether it be a 5K or a marathon,” said Holder. “That means it’s an exciting time to be involved with bringing those races to life. I am looking forward to working with current Running USA members and future members to grow, diversify and sustain participation in events across the country.”

Holder will continue to serve as a media and broadcast consultant for some of the most prestigious events in the United States and around the world including the Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, TCS New York City Marathon, Boston Marathon and the ASICS Falmouth Road Race. In the summer of 2024, he will be part of the media team in Paris’s Olympic Stadium covering track and field and rugby.

Jay started at Atlanta Track Club in 2016 after spending more than a decade as a television news producer in Syracuse, Charlotte and New York City. He was on the ground for major news events including the water landing of US Airways Flight 1549, Hurricane Sandy, the Boston Marathon bombings and the Oscars. In New York, he produced WABC-TV’s coverage of the TCS New York City Marathon. Holder graduated from the State University of New York in Oswego with a degree in journalism.

A lifelong runner, Jay caught the marathon bug after college. He’s run 14 so far, including the Boston Marathon five times. This year, he completed the Rim to Rim to Rim run in the Grand Canyon.  Jay and his wife Lauren, an Episcopal priest, have two children, Charles and Lucy Rae.

Holder will introduce himself to the Running USA membership base in a webinar on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 9am PST/12pm EST. Save your spot by registering here and submit questions you’d like to ask in advance!