Ted Metellus, Race Director for the TCS New York City Marathon and the first Black race director of an Abbott World Marathon Major, will speak as a keynote at next month’s third annual Endurance Exchange.
The conference, running from March 3-5 and presented by BOA Nutrition, is a virtual endurance sports industry gathering hosted by national governing body USA Triathlon.
In addition to Metellus, attendees of Endurance Exchange will hear from US Paralympians Hailey Danz, Chris Hammer, Kelly Elmlinger, and Kyle Coon and his guide Andy Potts. USA Triathlon Certified Coaches Mark Sortino and Derick Williamson will also feature in a roundtable discussion about the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 and training as elite paratriathletes.
‘The third annual endurance sports industry conference hosted by USA Triathlon is open not only to those involved in the business of triathlon, but also to multisport enthusiasts of all types — from beginners to competitive age-group athletes to Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls — as specific athlete-focused sessions will cater to all skill and experience levels.’
All content at Endurance Exchange will be recorded, and attendees will be able to view sessions live or on-demand.
One-on-One with Ted Metellus, Race Director of the New York City Marathon
A Bronx, New York native, Metellus grew up running in New York City and has more than 20 years of experience in the endurance sports industry. USAT notes that… ‘Metellus is a trailblazing leader who directs New York Road Runners event management and logistics, and has been race director for the TCS New York City Marathon since 2021 when he became the first Black race director of the New York City Marathon and any World Marathon Majors race.’
His event leadership role spans from the TCS New York City Marathon, the world’s largest marathon, and the Brooklyn Half, the US nation’s largest half marathon, to weekly 5ks and one-mile races across New York City’s five boroughs and New Jersey.
Additionally, Metellus serves as New York Road Runners’ key liaison with the New York City agencies and partners, a crucial relationship for NYRR throughout the year to hold its events in the city’s parks and streets.
Metellus’ keynote is scheduled for Saturday, March 5 at 13:30 ET / 10:30 PT. The session will take the form of a one-on-one conversation with emcee Michanda Myles, a triathlete, endurance race announcer and podcast host of Tri Beginner’s Luck.
“Ted Metellus is a history-making, barrier-breaking race director and a role model in the endurance sports industry,” said Rocky Harris, USA Triathlon CEO.
“We are proud to welcome Ted to Endurance Exchange to share his first-hand experiences as a long-time race director and the first Black race director in the history of the New York City Marathon.
“Ted is opening doors for future race directors and we, as a community, can learn from Ted’s story and work together to create more opportunities for underrepresented groups to work in leadership positions in the endurance sports industry.”
Metellus first joined NYRR in 2001 as an Event Manager and served in this role until 2003. He then returned to NYRR in 2018, as the organization’s Senior Director of Events, and in 2019 was promoted to Vice President of Events and Technical Director of the TCS New York City Marathon.
Prior to returning to NYRR, Metellus worked and consulted with several organizations in the endurance sports industry. These included” Pallotta TeamWorks, Eventage Event Production, Miami Marathon, Philadelphia Triathlon, Premier Event Management, Tough Mudder, Lifetime Events and IRONMAN.
Additionally, Metellus served as the director of course operations for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series. In 2016, he was named the National Center for Spectator Sport Safety and Security (NCS4) Professional of the Year, an honour given to an individual who demonstrates leadership in addressing safety and security issues.
US Elite Paratriathles Roundtable
Tokyo 2020 Paralympians Hailey Danz, Chris Hammer, Kelly Elmlinger, Kyle Coon and his guide Andy Potts, and coaches for the 2020 US Paralympic Team, Derick Williamson and Mark Sortino will speak in a roundtable keynote presentation. This will be moderated by Amanda Duke Boulet, USA Triathlon Paralympic Program Director.
The keynote, named ‘Professionalizing Elite Paratriathlon: A Roundtable With Team USA Paralympians’, will take place at 17:00 ET / 14:00 PT on Friday, March 4. The panel of elite paratriathletes and coaches will discuss training at the elite level and the team’s success at the Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 in which the US took home five medals, the most of any country.
2021 World Triathlon Para Championships gold medalist Hailey Danz (Colorado Springs, CO) won silver in Tokyo, matching her 2016 silver medal from Rio, becoming a two-time PTS2 Paralympic silver medallist. Fellow 2021 World Triathlon Para Championships gold medallist Chris Hammer (Gilbert, AZ, PTS5) is a two-time fourth place finisher at the Paralympics (Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020).
US Army veteran Kelly Elmlinger (San Antonio, TX, PTS4) also won gold at the 2021 World Triathlon Para Championships and made her Paralympic debut in Tokyo. Kyle Coon (Colorado Springs, CO), placed fifth in Tokyo with his guide, Andy Potts, a 2004 US Olympian.
Derick Williamson (Colorado Springs, CO) served as Head Coach for the 2020 US Paralympic Team. A USA Triathlon Level II Certified Coach and USA Triathlon Paratriathlon Certified Coach, Williamson has been Head Coach of the Toyota US Paratriathlon Resident Team based at the US Olympic & Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, CO, since the team’s inception in 2018.
A USA Triathlon Level III Certified Coach and a USA Triathlon Paratriathlon Certified Coach, Mark Sortino (Boise, ID) served as an Assistant Coach for the 2020 US Paralympic Triathlon Team. He was the team’s Head Coach at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where paratriathlon made its Paralympic debut.
Other keynote presenters and speakers at Endurance Exchange will be announced in the coming weeks.
Together We Thrive Endurance Exchange Scholarship
For the third year, USA Triathlon is offering a limited number of Together We Thrive Endurance Exchange scholarships. These aim to foster diversity and bring varied perspectives to the event. Interested candidates may apply online. Priority will be given to people of racial and ethnic minorities, women, and those who may not otherwise be able to attend due to financial constraints.
Registration is open at enduranceexchange.com with pricing starting at US$175 for the All-Access track and US$50 for the Athlete Insider track. All registrants will also have the opportunity to purchase or extend their USA Triathlon annual memberships for 12 months at a discounted rate of $35. Attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to 10 coaching and/or race director CEUs.
New for 2022, this year’s event will feature a content track specifically for multisport club leaders and administrators, and two options for the Athlete Insider track for novices or advanced athletes.
USA added that… ‘Attendees can also expect additional engaging and interactive features, including live polling, in-session chats, in-session surveys, and prizes for the most engaged conference attendees.’
