The Eugene Marathon came onto the endurance scene with its first race in 2007, the first time since the NIKE-Oregon Track Club Marathon ended in 1984 that a marathon took place on the streets of Eugene, Oregon.
“When we started the company, we didn’t know what we were doing.”
With nearly 10,000 runners registered annually, the Eugene Marathon always knew it needed top-of-the-line management software to keep everyone and everything on the same page. Courtney Heily, the executive director of the Eugene Marathon, has been using ACTIVE Network since the race began in 2007.
Active listening
Like all race directors, Heily’s needs changed over time. An event management software that can adjust to ever-changing needs is invaluable to a race with goals for growth. “One of the things I appreciate most about ACTIVE is I feel like race directors are listened to," Heily says. “When there is something that I have wanted, it might take a little bit, but it actually gets implemented.”
Eugene Marathon needed a better way to target outbound communications to specific people, so ACTIVE introduced Customer Segments in the People module. With this new tool, Eugene Marathon could exclude those already registered from receiving registration prompts, as well as geo-target specific locations with specific themes.
Increased participation
ACTIVEWorks Endurance has many tools designed to streamline organizational processes. One in particular that Heily found particular success with is the marketing and communications module. ACTIVEWorks Endurance allows organizations to create custom email content and campaigns with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop tool. Social media integration allows for easy sharing, and social referral rebates give participants financial incentives to spread the word about your event.
“It's helped our marketing expand and how we do our marketing, and therefore increased registration numbers,” Heily said about the success she’s seen using AWE’s marketing module.
A friendship and a partnership
One thing that keeps Heily coming back year after year is the relationship built between the Eugene Marathon and ACTIVE Network. Heily communicates her needs with the ACTIVE team throughout the year, allowing it to create the perfect solutions for the Eugene Marathon. Not only is the professional relationship valued to Heily, but the personal relationship is, too.
“I measure partnerships with are they someone that I like to be around and are they easy to work with. I feel like all of my account managers, certainly in the last 10 years, have really, frankly, become friends.”
ACTIVEWorks Endurance is scalable for events of any size
If your organization's goals include increasing participation, accessible communication, or finding more overall success, AWE may be just the solution. Whether your event sees over 10,000 participants every year like the Eugene Marathon or is just starting out with a couple hundred, AWE is scalable for any size operation with built-in tools to ease the strain of running a successful race from before race day all the way through the finish line.
