Having recently shifted executive roles, Competitor Group Inc (CGI), the leading active lifestyle sports media and event entertainment company, has today announced the hiring of Brian Metzler as the new Editor-in-Chief of Competitor Magazine and Competitor.com. CGI also announced expanded responsibilities for Kurt Hoy, who is promoted to Group Content Director effective immediately.
In his new role, Hoy will assume direct oversight of both print and digital content of CGI’s four media brands Velo, Inside Triathlon, Triathlete and Competitor with a combined monthly print circulation of over 600,000 and a ‘robust digital community with over 3.5 million monthly unique visitors.’ The Editor-in-Chief of each brand will assume both full digital and print control reporting directly to Hoy.
“Kurt Hoy has been an incredible asset at CGI, driving four years of tremendous growth with innovative content across each of our digital brands,” said Scott Dickey, President and CEO of CGI. “He merges industry credibility and a fifteen year track record of success in publishing, making him uniquely qualified to lead the editorial direction for all of our media assets.
“Kurt and new Editor-in-Chief Brian Metzler, along with Velo Editor-in-Chief Neal Rogers, Triathlete Editor-in-Chief Julia Polloreno and Inside Triathlon Editor-in-Chief Courtney Baird will form a remarkably dynamic team to lead the CGI media brands to new levels of success.”
Since joining CGI, Hoy has been responsible for the creative direction and delivery of all content on Competitor.com, Triathlete.com, VeloNews.com and SingleTrack.com. Prior to joining CGI in 2009, Hoy was content director at Bonnier Corporation’s Transworld Media, the world’s leading action sports media company. He is also a two-time recipient of the Luce Award, which honours excellence in print and digital media, at Time Inc.
“I’m excited to work with Kurt and build on the legacy of Competitor as the world’s leading voice for runners and endurance athletes,” said Metzler, who previously served as a Senior Editor for Running Times and Senior Editor for Runner’s World — The Trail.
“Competitor Group has a great stable of events and publications that allow direct interaction with a large, passionate readership. My goal is to continue building on the excellent work of the entire team, creating dynamic run-oriented content that educates, inspires and entertains readers of all abilities and backgrounds.”
Metzler was an all-state high school runner who later walked-on as a middle-distance runner while studying journalism at the University of Illinois. After starting his career in newspapers, he became founding editor and former associate publisher of Trail Runner and Adventure Sports magazines. He is the author of ‘Running Colorado’s Front Range’ (2003, Mountain Sports Press) and the co-author of ‘Natural Running’ (2010, Velo Press) and has also written for a variety of magazines, newspapers and websites as a freelance writer, including Triathlete, Inside Triathlon, Men’s Journal, Outside, Men’s Health, National Geographic Adventure, The Denver Post and The Chicago Tribune.
Metzler served on the USATF Mountain/Ultra/Trail council, has helped direct several races and has coached runners for 10Ks, marathons and ultramarathons. He has run more than 70,000 miles in his life, wear-tested more than 1,000 pairs of running shoes and raced just about every distance from 50 yards to 100 miles. He has also dabbled in triathlon, mountain biking, cycling, ski mountaineering and the peculiar sport of burro racing.
