[Author’s Note: This is the seventh of an eight-part series in AJW’s Taproom called Race Director Chronicles, where we profile the unsung heroes who make our sport’s racing possible.]
Libby Jones is the proprietor of and race director for The Energetic Joe, which produces six races yearly within the Dallas-Fort Price metroplex of Texas. The Energetic Joe, which is concentrated on the demographic of “the typical joe” who will get energetic, was based in 2010. The Energetic Joe has a powerful concentrate on inclusivity and bringing variety to race beginning traces. Notably, The Energetic Joe is a longstanding sponsor of the Western States 100.
I not too long ago sat down with Libby to speak about her work and races.
Andy Jones-Wilkins: How lengthy have you ever been directing extremely/path working occasions?
Libby Jones: I’ve been race directing for 17 years and began once I was simply 26 years outdated, however these have been all highway races at first. I began path working myself in 2011, and in 2014, I made a decision I wished to create a 100 miler at this stunning path system in Dallas. It was the primary 100 miler in North Texas and after two years of tremendously unfortunate torrential rain, I used to be struck with extra dangerous luck – the venue got here below a property dispute by a number of landowners solely six weeks earlier than the race.
I scrambled to discover a course some other place that I may love and that’s the way it grew to become the Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run, which has a 100 miler, 100 kilometer, 50k, 25k, and 5 miler. I nonetheless produce highway races, and I’ve just a few different path races too, however Dino Valley is my signature occasion in path working.
Libby Jones of The Energetic Joe. All images courtesy of Libby Jones.
AJW: What’s the most satisfying side of your work as a race director?
Jones: After all I need to say the grins, the tears, and the pleasure of the runners on the end line once they obtain some objective that I helped create the chance for them to pursue. However for me, I additionally do lots of work within the subject of inclusivity, variety, and fairness, and it feels fantastic listening to from those who the vibe at my races is all they hoped it may very well be. That they really feel protected. That they really feel like everybody actually needs them there. The path working group as a complete is all about that, however we nonetheless have lots of underrepresented teams within the path world who need to really feel just like the area was created for them.
AJW: What makes working in Texas and the encircling areas so distinctive and particular?
Jones: Individuals don’t count on us to have the wonder and vertical acquire that we now have at a few of our trails right here. I get shocked reactions annually since so many go to from out of state for the Dinosaur Valley races. “Texas is meant to be flat.” They think about prairie and ranch land. As a substitute, like I say on the web site, the course is rolling hills, rocks, roots, and all collectively about 9,000 toes of elevation acquire within the 100 miler!
We even have a big ultrarunning group, which I feel on the nationwide degree nonetheless will get missed so much. There are lots of eyes on how huge California and the U.S. Pacific Northwest are in ultrarunning and path working, however there’s a lot taking place right here. Dinosaur Valley wouldn’t be 600 runners if it wasn’t — and there are various Texas races placed on by many race producers, and runners present up!
AJW: What are the three greatest challenges you face as a race director?
Jones: I feel each race director ought to embody of their checklist to reply the query of “expectation administration.” I talk so much by means of the race web sites, and I take advantage of our social media channels extensively. For Dinosaur Valley, I produce a 27-page runner guide with each diagram, map, and piece of knowledge I can consider in a single place. I’m huge on private accountability for runners to know what they’re moving into. I feel as ultramarathon athletes, we’re actually good at strategizing, planning, and having a plan B/C/D/E when issues go awry, however that begins with figuring out what to anticipate if you arrive on the race.
Misogyny and bigotry is one other huge problem for me particularly. I’m in a really conservative state, producing occasions the place I’m extremely welcoming to numerous faces and experiences that may really feel uncomfortable for some individuals. Plenty of ultramarathons are produced by males with males in thoughts simply naturally, as a result of that’s their expertise. In the meantime, final yr’s Dinosaur Valley 100 Mile finishers have been 45% feminine, the 100k was 37% feminine, and the 50k was 42% feminine. In a world the place most ultramarathons are about 20% feminine illustration, this may create a really completely different really feel at a race. I do encounter lots of sexist, racist, homophobic, and transphobic feedback, critiques, and pushback frequently, however I really feel strongly in regards to the constructive actions I take to deliver underrepresented teams to the beginning line!
Lastly, I’d say the climate, in fact! Over time, I’ve handled hail, thunderstorms, flooding, drought circumstances, report warmth — we hit 90 levels Fahrenheit in November for the 2017 Dino Valley — and twister watches. You do the most effective you’ll be able to, however in the end that’s one factor that’s simply out of our management!
Libby Jones (proper) race directing.
AJW: What adjustments have you ever seen within the sport because you started directing occasions? Constructive? Destructive? Each?
Jones: On the constructive facet, there’s a lot extra consciousness of path working and of ultrarunning. Additionally, I used to be within the highway world once we have been nonetheless attempting to get highway half marathons to hit 50% feminine. And now we now have extra ladies displaying up on trails, and it’s nice to see that progress.
On the unfavourable facet, I’m uncomfortable with the elevated massive company possession that firms like UTMB are bringing to race manufacturing. I really feel like I watched this with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Working Collection on the highway race directing facet. And I’ve had an organization are available in and attempt to do my course at my venue six weeks earlier than one in every of my highway races. It appears like your onerous work is swiped out from below you. I additionally don’t need us to lose the essence of the game, which is about group and that non-public contact. I additionally battle to really feel that the quantity of runners I’m seeing put onto some singletrack path by the biggest company races could be good for that space’s trails and ecosystem.
AJW: What are you trying ahead to most within the 2023 t0 2024 occasion season?
Jones: Fingers crossed, I’m hoping that the Dinosaur Valley Endurance Run will turn out to be a qualifying race for the Western States 100. I fell in love with the Western States 100 again in 2012 once I volunteered in a single day in a wetsuit at Rucky Chucky, waist deep all night time within the American River. So I acquired to see a excessive share of the runners that yr, and I felt so impressed. My firm, The Energetic Joe, got here on as a Western States 100 sponsor in 2014, and I’ve now traveled from Dallas to attend the race for 9 years. I’m additionally fortunate sufficient to get to be one of many individuals onstage yr after yr on the lottery pulling names. So it will be a dream for the extremely I created and that I like to get to be a qualifier. The race has grown from 200 in all distances years in the past to now 600 anticipated this yr. We thought we have been going to hit our objective final yr, however we had unusually chilly temperatures with in a single day being under freezing, and it actually damage our finishers price! Even when we meet the variety of finishers we’d like, we received’t know till subsequent September, however I’m optimistic!
Bottoms up!
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s Beer of the Week comes from Lakewood Brewing Firm in Dallas, Texas. Lakewood’s signature beer, The Temptress, a silky easy Imperial Milk Stout, is a scrumptious chocolate and caramel taste bomb that’s finest loved at a leisurely tempo on a cold, late fall night within the Texas Hill Nation.
Name for Feedback
what to do within the feedback part! Go away your feedback about your experiences with Libby Jones, The Energetic Joe, and Jones’ races.
Libby Jones on the Western States 100 end line.
