One of the most important sources of professional data in distance running, the Road Race Management Directory of the Running Industry, will go on-line for it's next edition, at least in part. The hefty printed book, which ran 610 pages in the 2008 edition, will be split into two parts, according to editor and publisher, Phil Stewart.
"I plan to separate the Directory into two publications: one in electronic format and one in print format," said Stewart in a news release yesterday.
The section covering athletes, agents and events will become an on-line publication for 2009, debuting on March 1, Stewart said. "These sections will be free to users and supported by advertisers," he explained. "The information will be available in the form of a searchable, web-based database that will be continually updated throughout the year."
The athlete listings will only have basic information, like name, date of birth, nationality and contact information, but links will take users to third-party sources of more biographical and performance information at websites maintained by the athlete agents, the IAAF, or USATF, for example. As the season progresses, athlete performance data will be updated on the site.
The events section will contain links to races either with prize money ($600 minimum), with an expo, or with more than 3,000 runners, Stewart said. Everything will be accessible at http://www.rrm.com.
There will still be a print publication, however, covering businesses and organizations within the running industry. That desk reference will be called The Running Industry Resource Directory, and has an anticipated publication date of Sept. 1, 2009. The book will sell for USD 60, less than half the price of the 2008 combined guide which sold for USD 135.
"I am tremendously excited about the new format," Stewart concluded. "The on-line publication ensures that the time-sensitive information in the athlete and event sections will be always up-to-date, while the print edition will provide an easy-to-use running industry directory."
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