Olympian Makes His Way From the Track to the Boardroom 

By Scott Bush

One year ago, the Atlanta Track Club named their new Executive Director. Rich Kenah, a 2000 Olympian and 1997 World Indoor and World Outdoor bronze medalist, was then a Vice Presdient at Global Athletics and Marketing. With a history in both the competitive side of the sport and the business side, Kenah has made a perfect fit with the ATC. We caught up with Kenah recently, talking about his first year with the club, how he got into the business-side of the sport and much more.

Scott Bush (SB): You've been head of the Atlanta Track Club now for about a year. What are one or two of the most challenging aspects of the job at this point, as well as a couple of your more favorite aspects?

Rich Kenah (RK): My favorite aspects are also two of the most challenging, to be honest. First - Positioning a 50 year old, proud and successful organization for the next 50 years without losing sight of all the reasons why it has stood the test of time. Second - Building a foundation of athlete services that will allow us to develop world-class, Olympic level athletes so that years from now we are placing athletes on the Olympic team.

SB: How did you first get involved with the sport from the business side of it?

RK: I retired from my own athletics career at the end of 2001. My manager, Mark Wetmore, was growing his business at Global Athletics & Marketing in Boston. He needed support with athlete and event marketing and I had some experience working with NBA athletes and another professional sport. At the time, it seemed like a logical step for me. It proved to be the right step for me as I enjoyed 12 years with the company and we did some neat things on both the athlete and event side of the business. Work in the sport, just doesn't seem like work to me.

SB: What are a couple of the main things you've learned along the way that have made you a better professional and leader?

RK: Here are a few things that come to mind:

-- Organizing events in our sport, whether that be on the track or on the roads,  cannot be done without dedicated volunteers who are given some ownership of the event and the roles they are assigned to.  

-- Treat every person with the same level of respect, whether that be the volunteer raking a long jump pit or the broadcast executive who is putting your event on television.

SB: What do you see as the biggest challenge in the sport of distance running today?

RK: When I started on the business side of the sport in 2001, the biggest challenge track and field faced was getting American distance runners to the highest level of the sport. We simply weren't good enough to vie for podium spots at major events and championships. That has changed. From 800m all the way to the marathon, the US has now shown we can compete with any athlete from any nation. The challenge now is market relevance. We, as a sport, struggle to make the case for why anyone should care about our top athletes. There are no shortage of conversations around the how's and why's of this lack of relevance. But we will do our part to address this issue here in Atlanta.

SB: You've made a number of moves recently with your partnership with Mizuno and bringing on Olympian Amy Yoder Begley to coach. Looking forward now, what are you most excited about for the next 12-18 months?

RK: We were lucky on both the Mizuno and Amy Begley front. The capabilities that the Mizuno partnership add to the Club cannot be understated and I am excited about the new direction that Amy's coaching will bring to Atlanta Track Club's programs. We just completed a 3-year strategic plan and that will provide us focus going forward. In short, growth of our events and programs will a priority. But we don't measure growth in just dollars and cents. More importantly, we focus on impact on the community. Our vision is to impact health and wellness in Atlanta through running and walking.

SB: You are one of the best 800m runners in U.S. history, an Olympian and World Indoor medalist. How much running do you put in these days?

RK: Not as much as I would like. But I still usually get out at least 3 days a week. The hills in Atlanta make up for the lack of volume.

SB: What advice would you give a young professional looking to make their way in the running industry?

RK: It would be the same type of advice that we are giving the athletes who are interested in running for our Club. Patience and commitment are keys to success. You don't develop fully as an endurance athlete till your mid 20's. During those years, it is the development of an aerobic foundation that allows you reach your potential. Likewise, years of learning the ins and outs of the business of our sport from all angles is the only way to find sustainable success in this business. There are no business school classes or standard principles that dictate how our sport works. Every day is a new challenge and there is no substitution for experience.  

SB: What individuals have been influential along your path in the sport, both as an athlete and business leader?

RK: Coach Gags, Mark Wetmore and my father. Gags not only helped me get the most of my talent on the track, he remains a mentor for me and countless others he coached over the years. Mark Wetmore showed me that to be successful in track and field from the business side, you can't be scared to take some calculated risks to act on your vision. And my father, who has operated a small business my entire life, taught me that if you aren't trying to grow your business, you are dying.