Over thirty years ago, one of my history professors filled out my recommendation for applying to a seminary. He noted that I am ‘prone to hero worship”. He was correct then, and would be now. One of the groups I am fascinated with are major event management.
I met Russ Pillar and Peter Abraham at the Bank of America Chicago marathon in 2009. I was fascinated with their approach and Pillar’s insistence on the transformative power of sports in general and running in particular.
LAmarathon.com now has a feature titled Five Questions. Here is their first interview, with Russ Pillar himself. Enjoy….
Blog/
Five Questions: Russ Pillar
This
week we begin a new feature called Five Questions. We’ll use this
space to interview not only our own staff but also other interesting
personalities who have a relationship to marathons and our event. Who
better to kick off this feature than our President, Russ Pillar.
1. Tell us about your role here at the LA Marathon.
I’m President of the Marathon, which means I’m responsible for
hiring the smartest folks I can find, working with them to develop a
strategy and plan that “inspires athletes and connects communities,”
and then delivering on that plan.
2. I know you have an interesting background–what did you do before this?
I’ve spent most of the last twenty years running a bunch of consumer
brands–Prodigy, Virgin, CBS’ online sites, Viacom’s digital businesses,
and more–all of which used media (especially digital media) to connect
folks with things they’re passionate about.
3. What’s been the most gratifying part of your job here?
Working with a smart and dedicated team to help tens of thousands of
people change their lives through what my colleagues and I call “the
transformative power of sport.”
4. What’s been the biggest surprise about managing this event?
That it takes 365 days of preparation and hard work to put on a one-day-a-year event.
5. Do you have any marathons on your running calendar in the next year?
I do–I’m planning to run the New York City Marathon for the second
time in two years, and hope to set a PR there. After that, I’m
flirting with my first ultramarathon (50K) in the Spring.
Peter
