The Opportunity

Skagit Runners is seeking an experienced race director, or a race-production company, to help produce our 2027 race season. We are an all-volunteer, nonprofit running club based in Mount Vernon, Washington, and our events have grown faster than our volunteer leadership can sustain. We are open to proposals of any scope — a single race, a defined set of services across the season, or something in between. You bring race-direction expertise; we bring an established, well-funded event series with a loyal running community behind it.

A Growing Series with Momentum

2026 was our biggest year yet. We produced or supported seven races across Skagit County, anchored by our Conquer the Valley series — four races, one medal — which sold 242 series bundles in its first year. The Skagit Flats Marathon, Half Marathon & 5K drew over 800 registrations, and our season’s flagship races have sold out. Behind the events: a 1,500-subscriber newsletter, an active social media and ambassador program, 5,000+ website visitors per quarter, and a scholarship program that awarded $15,000 to local student runners this year.

The club is financially healthy and the demand is proven. What we need is professional capacity on the production side, so our volunteer board can focus on what it does best: community, volunteers, scholarships, and the runners themselves.

Scope of Services

We are asking respondents to tell us which of these services they can provide, for which races. We do not need a turnkey, full-service operator — our volunteers already handle a substantial share of race production — so a narrower, well-defined scope is welcome.

• Race-day operations leadership: run-of-show, setup/teardown direction, start/finish management
• Permitting and agency coordination: cities, county, parks, law enforcement, transit
• Course planning and certification support, course marking, and runner-safety planning
• Registration platform management (we use RunSignup) and pre-race runner communications
• Vendor and supplier coordination: timing, bibs, medals, shirts, food trucks, sanitation
• Volunteer deployment planning (recruiting stays with the club; we need help putting people in the right places)
• Budgeting and post-race reporting to the board

What the Club Provides and Retains

Skagit Runners retains ownership of its races, brand, and finances. The board sets the budget, approves the calendar, and makes final decisions. A contracted director works with — and is paid by — the club.

The club brings to the partnership:

• Established races with proven registration demand and year-over-year growth
• RRCA liability insurance for club-owned events
• A full equipment inventory: trailer, finish arch, race clock, PA/speakers, signage, cones, canopies, water systems
• A contracted marketing professional handling social media, email campaigns, and promotion
• A volunteer base, student-volunteer pipeline, and community partnerships (schools, Sea Cadets, service clubs, local sponsors)
• Long-standing relationships with timing providers, vendors, cities, parks, and permitting agencies
• Grant funding relationships with local municipalities

2027 Race Calendar

The 2027 slate is being finalized now; the anchor events below are the planning baseline. The Skagit Flats Marathon — our flagship and biggest fundraiser — marks its 50th running in 2027.

Race	Distances	Timing (2027)	Notes
Tulip Run	2 mi / 5K / 10K	April (third weekend, tentative)	New venue under evaluation; runs with the Tulip Festival
Bayview Women’s Run	2 mi / 5K / 10K	May 15	Partner event benefiting Skagit DVSAS; club supports production
Berry Dairy Days Run	5K / 10K	TBD	Festival is moving to July; club participation under review
Skagit Flats Marathon	Marathon / Half / 5K	September (second Sunday)	50th running; 800+ registrants in 2026
Fowl Fun Run	5K / 10K / Kids	November (second Saturday)	Mount Vernon; 500+ registrants

 

How to Respond

Send a brief statement of qualifications — a page or two is plenty — to skagitrunnersrd@gmail.com with:

1. Who you are: your race-direction experience, with the events you have directed (names, distances, field sizes) and two references
2. Proposed scope: which races and which services from the list above you would take on
3. Fee structure: flat fee per race, hourly, per-registration, or another model — tell us how you prefer to work
4. Availability for the 2027 season, starting with spring races

Questions before responding are welcome at the same address. We would also be glad to have you observe an upcoming race to see how we operate — the Fowl Fun Run is November 14, 2026, in Mount Vernon.

Timeline

• Responses requested by December 1, 2026
• Conversations and follow-up with respondents: December 2026
• Selection decisions at the board’s January 2027 meeting, alongside the annual budget
• 2027 season begins in April

This is a request for qualifications, not a binding solicitation. Skagit Runners may engage one respondent, several, or none, and may adjust scope through mutual agreement. We read everything that comes in — if you love putting on great races, we want to hear from you.