About the Race Team

Event Director: Steve Nearman

Endurance Enterprises LLC has combined forces with the Premier Race Management Company, Pacers Events, and National Harbor to create an exciting, professional destination half marathon.

The man behind Endurance Enterprises LLC is Steve Nearman, who has covered the running industry professional for 29 years, first with the Washington Post and then with The Washington Times and RunningUSA wire. He has seen first-hand for decades what goes into producing a memorable experience for athletes and is dedicated to giving his participants, sponsors and volunteers every reason to come back to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon year after year after year. Last year, Nearman selected a top-notch race management team and debuted the inaugural Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon with astounding success, being nominated by his peers and chosen to appear in the January 2011 Sports Events magazine issue as a Planner to Watch. At 50, Nearman continues to be a competitive masters middle distance runner as well. He loves to run the half marathon distance for training but not competitively!

Race Director: Kathy Dalby

Since its beginning in 2004, Pacers Events has evolved into the leading boutique race management company in the greater Washington D.C. area. Under the direction of Pacers Events' Managing Partner, Kathy Dalby, the organization has created a collection of events focused on delivering a unique and exciting race experience for our participants.

The company was formed after the hugely successful inaugural Gulf Coast Relief Run 5K, an event concept developed and executed only two and a half weeks after Hurricane Katrina. The event drew a crowd of over 4,000 participants, raised over $120,000 for relief efforts, and received local and national attention. Pacers Events has created more than 15 inaugural Pacers events including the Love The Run You're With 5k, Four Courts Four Miler, Crystal City Twilighter 5k, Fairfax Four Miler, Clarendon Day 10K/5K, and the Crystal Run 5K Fridays race series.

But the organization also has been successful in building the success of established races. Its marquee event, the George Washington Parkway Classic 10 Mile & 5K, began in 1984 as a 15K and quickly became a local favorite event. In 2006, Pacers Events acquired the event and quickly grew it from 2,500 registrants to a sell out crowd of 7,000 participants. Today, the Dalby name has become synonymous with premier race management.

Event Planner/Logistics: Jeff Ruday

Jeff Ruday is a special event management and consulting professional based in Washington, DC. Ruday also provides one on one training designed to increase personal productivity through improved workflow management and the creative use of traditional software and online web applications.

Brought on last year as the finish area developer for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon, Ruday’s multiple talents and impeccable attention to detail were quickly demonstrated. His role for the 2011 Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half Marathon has been greatly expanded into Event Planning, Sponsorship Development and Technology Coordinator.

Prior to starting his special event consulting practice, Ruday served for 11 years as Senior Director of Finance, Operations and Special Events for the Hoop Dreams Scholarship Fund. — "I'm driven to use technology to enhance personal and team productivity."

Ruday has developed and implemented systems around traditional business software and other innovative tools, including web based applications, to automate repetitive tasks, increase accuracy, enhance attention to detail and streamline the planning, production and operation of special events. In today's online environment it is no longer enough to expect people to come to your homepage or blog. Today it's about the distribution of information through social networks to create a conversation, not a monologue.