April 22, 2020

Ali on the Run Show Episode 231: Jay Holder, Director of Marketing & Communications at Atlanta Track Club

Podcast: The Ali on the Run Show

“Find a way to get people hooked on running. That’s what we need.”

Jay Holder just might love running — the sport itself, plus every single member of the running community — more than any guy I know. Jay is the Director of Marketing & Communications at Atlanta Track Club, which means this week, we’re getting a behind-the-scenes look at what it took to host the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials! Jay talks about the bidding process leading up to the Trials, and shares what, exactly, Atlanta did to show USA Track & Field that they were worthy of hosting one of the greatest weekends in American distance racing. (It involved a 90-page proposal and plan!) Jay, a dad of two, shares stories from the course — which he ran several dozen times before race weekend — and explains what he says is “the best part of the job.” We look back reminiscing about the Trials weekend, and look forward, with some trepidation: The Atlanta Track Club also hosts the Peachtree Road Race, which is the largest 10K in the world that takes place every year on the Fourth of July.

Thank you to AfterShokz for sponsoring this episode of the Ali on the Run Show! CLICK HERE for 15% off wireless headphones. (My favorite is the Aeropex!)

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What you’ll get on this episode:

A bit of background on Jay’s professional career, and what brought him to Atlanta Track Club (6:55)
The bidding process behind the Olympic Trials, and how Atlanta won the hosting gig (10:00)
What Jay says is the best part of his job (21:50)
What race weekend looked like for Jay (28:50)
What does the current state of the world mean for the 2020 Peachtree Road Race?

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about ali

I’m the creator of the Ali on the Run blog and the host of the Ali on the Run Show podcast. I’m also a freelance writer and editor, a race announcer, a runner and marathoner, a mom, and a huge fan of Peanut M&Ms, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (way better than the first one!), and reliving my glory days as a competition dancer in the early 2000s. I’m really happy you’re here.