On October 14, the running industry lost a treasured friend and invaluable supporter of the sport. Tony Banovich, Race Director for the Missoula Marathon and Executive Director of the nonprofit Run Wild Missoula, was kind, generous, and encouraging of all, welcoming countless members of new runners over the years. He was also deeply dedicated to the running community, and his sudden passing left behind running shoes too big for anyone to fill.

Tony and I met in 2017, when both of our races were up for awards at the BibRave 100 in Austin. We ended up sitting next to each other at the luncheon, and immediately hit it off. We talked from the moment we sat down at the table, sharing info about our races and talking about our life outside of race directing. And coincidentally enough, we both took home the #1 spots (Tony for the Missoula Marathon, me for the Urban Bourbon Half Marathon). When we were both talking with the BibRave crew after the luncheon ended, I said something about how the socks I was wearing must've been lucky, as they had Mickey Mouse on them. Tony looks at me with a shocked face and goes, "No way! I have on Mickey Mouse socks, too!" From that point on, we were the race directors bonded by the Mickey socks.

Since Tony and I had similar size races, and both of us valued each other's opinions, we kept in touch often over the past three years. We'd often exchange emails, phone calls every so often, and would make it a point to catch up when we were together at conferences or events.

When I came out of the closet in 2018, he was one of the first people to drop me a message saying that he supported me and was proud of me for coming out and sharing who I was. In an industry that is inclusive but doesn't have many members of the LGBT community in our ranks, it was great to know I had support from an industry leader like Tony.

Lucky for me, I was able to make it out to Missoula last year (2019) for the race. Even before we got there, Tony was an amazing host. He asked us where our Airbnb was, then sent us an email saying he had driven by it and it looks good and here are all the spots you can eat and get coffee and get groceries. Above and beyond, truly. And then when we got there, he was an amazing host, even having a drink with us the night before his race, his biggest event of the year! The night after the race, he treated me like a member of the family at the post-race get-together. He took me around and introduced me to everyone, making me feel so special when really he should've been the star of the night for putting on such a smooth and successful event that morning. I'll always cherish that race experience, and glad I got to experience it with him at the helm.

While Tony was always a professional, he also knew how to give a good ribbing. At his race in 2019, he noticed me taking a picture of someone’s back. What he knew that others didn’t was that I was taking a picture of an idea I wanted to steal (back bibs for legacy runners) and take back home to my race. He and I had a good laugh about it as he gave me crap for stealing from him (although in reality, he was totally fine with it).

When I posted in the running race industry Facebook group about Tony’s death, an outpouring of love and sadness came in from race directors across the country. Tony didn't just have an impact on the city of Missoula, or the state of Montana; he had an impact on the running race industry as a whole. Because of that, a couple of running organizations across the country came together to put on a run for Tony. We wanted to honor him while also raising money for Run Wild Missoula, the organization near and dear to his heart.

Most people thought I was just taking a picture of the finish. Tony knew better, and gave me a good ribbing for it.

The Tony Banovich Roads, Tracks, and Trails Memorial Run is just that. All proceeds from this 4.35-mile virtual run goes back to Run Wild Missoula. Thanks to partners like AfterShokz, Ashworth Awards, RunSignUp, and Exact Image, almost all expenses are covered to allow all the registration funds to go back directly to RWM. The name came from Tony’s signature line in his e-mail—”See you on the roads, tracks, and trails.” It was something that left you with a smile after reading his emails, even the one he sent the Sunday before his passing letting us know of his health issues. The 4.35 mile distance is the average daily mileage Tony ran daily during his 1,731 day run streak (he even ran on the days he had two minor strokes!).

Tony would probably roll his eyes about having a race named after him, as he was never about having the spotlight. But he would love that his friends in the industry at LRC, BibRave, and Event Southwest are working together, something we don’t often get to do. Tony was a family man, and us in the industry were members of his extended family. He would love that Run Wild Missoula is getting money to help it through this pandemic. He would love knowing that the small RWM team he left behind has some financial cushion and support moving forward. He was a man full of love, and for that we celebrate him.

Whether or not Tony touched your life directly, he did so indirectly through his impact on the running industry. Please consider joining us in the The Tony Banovich Roads, Tracks, and Trails Memorial Run. You can find out more and sign up at https://runsignup.com/runfortony.

See you on the roads, tracks, and trails!

#RunforTony: The Tony Banovich Roads, Tracks, and Trails Memorial Run