On October 14th, the running industry lost a treasured friend and invaluable supporter of the sport. Tony Banovich, Race Director for the Missoula Marathon and Executive Director of the nonprofit Run Wild Missoula, was kind, generous, and encouraging of all, welcoming countless new runners over the years. He was also deeply dedicated to the running community, and his sudden passing left behind running shoes too big for anyone to fill.
To honor Banovich’s legacy and ensure continued support for Run Wild Missoula, an industry coalition led by BibRave, Event Southwest, and the Louisville Running Company created The Tony Banovich Roads, Tracks, and Trails Memorial Run. Thanks to presenting sponsor AfterShokz and supporting partners Ashworth Awards and RunSignup, 100% of registration dollars will go directly to the Montana nonprofit. This event challenges participants to run or walk 4.35 miles – the average daily distance of Banovich’s 1,731 day run streak – while raising funds for Run Wild Missoula, an organization that held a special place in his heart.
“Tony was exceedingly generous with his time and energy, particularly to runners and walkers in our tight-knit community,” said Ashley Cossairt, Interim Executive Director of Run Wild Missoula. “He always found a way to make people feel welcomed and supported within the sport, and he worked tirelessly as the driving force behind Run Wild Missoula. We already miss him dearly.” Cossairt added.
Registration for The Tony Banovich Roads, Tracks, and Trails Memorial Run will be open from 11/12-12/11, and participants will have until 12/31 to complete the event. Registrants will receive a commemorative pin, donated by Ashworth Awards, embossed with Banovich’s signature email send-off – “See you on the roads, tracks, and trails.”
“Words can’t express the profound joy that Tony brought to all of our lives and the sport of running, nor the immense loss we’re all feeling from his passing,” said Tim Murphy of BibRave, Tony Yamanaka of Event Southwest, and Michael Clemons of Louisville Running Company in a joint statement from the event organizers. “Running meant everything to Tony, and Run Wild Missoula was the beneficiary of his clear-eyed leadership and dedication to the sport. The Tony Banovich Roads, Tracks, and Trails Memorial Run will not only honor Tony’s memory, but it will support the organization that he dedicated his life to growing.”
To learn more about The Tony Banovich Roads, Tracks, and Trails Memorial Run, please visit the RunSignup registration page.
About Run Wild Missoula
Run Wild Missoula is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit running club with a mission to promote and support running and walking for people of all ages and abilities. The running club has over 1,600 members and organizes over a dozen races each year, including its signature event, the Missoula Marathon More information can be found at their website, Run Wild Missoula.
About Event Southwest
Event Southwest is a Dallas and Austin-based consulting agency specializing in public events. Our team has been carefully assembled to offer clients extensive guidance in multiple specialties. Similar to a general contractor, we can guide event owners through literally anything in an event's lifecycle. Our past success includes some of the highest profile running and community events in Texas, plus various projects around the country. Established in 2012, we work nationwide and are steadily growing, with over 1.75 million event participants served in our short history. For more information, check out Event Southwest.
About Louisville Running Company
Louisville Running Company (LRC) was founded in 2019 to provide full event support to running races in the Louisville community and surrounding areas to transform the city’s running scene. LRC works on local races such as the Louisville Triple Crown of Running, Throo the Zoo 5K, and the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon. In addition to local race, LRC provides operations support for the Chicago Marathon, New York Road Runners, Houston Marathon, and many others. Learn more about LRC by visiting https://louisvillerunningcompany.com/.
About BibRave
BibRave works with races and brands to help them engage with runners and ultimately drive more sales and registrations. Through their large network of running bloggers (BibRave Pros), their popular Twitter event (#BibChat), and The BibRave Podcast (Apple, Android, or Spotify) BibRave helps endurance brands and races go beyond simple advertising and truly connect with more runners.
The company’s consumer-facing product is a race review site where runners can learn about a race before signing up, and leave feedback after the event. For more check out BibRave.com
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