FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Patrice Matamoros to Step Down as DICK'S Sporting Goods
Pittsburgh Marathon and P3R CEO
PITTSBURGH, PA (January 24, 2019) - Patrice Matamoros, Pittsburgh Three
Rivers Marathon, Inc. (P3R) CEO, has shared her plans to step down from the
organization following the May 3-5 DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh
Marathon weekend of events. Troy Schooley, current senior vice president of
partnerships and sales at P3R, will fill the role of CEO following
Matamoros' departure.
"Being part of bringing the marathon back to Pittsburgh will always be one
of my greatest accomplishments," Matamoros said. "While I get a lot of the
credit, I have had the privilege to work with an amazing team who truly
made everything possible. I look forward to continuing to work with the P3R
team in an advisory capacity moving forward. I've been thinking about my
next career move for a long time, but I really wanted to see P3R through
our 10-year anniversary before I tackle my next challenge. I am incredibly
grateful to Pittsburgh's running community for supporting P3R over the past
10 years."
In 2008, Matamoros joined P3R to help relaunch the Pittsburgh Marathon
after a five-year hiatus. In its first year, the organization started with
zero sponsors, zero runners, zero staff and zero volunteers. Since then,
P3R has grown to an organization with more than 20 staff members, 4,000
volunteers, 50 sponsors, and 40,000 runners annually. The organization has
also expanded to manage a year-round calendar of events, including the
Liberty Mile, the EQT Pittsburgh 10 Miler and the GAP Relay presented by
UPMC Health Plan, as well as providing fitness programming for local
communities, including Steel City Road Runners, Kids of STEEL and the Run
for a Reason charity program presented by Bank of America.
Dapper Dan Charities of Pittsburgh named Matamoros Sportswoman of the Year
in 2013, recognizing her extraordinary efforts of revamping and
strengthening security at the 2013 DICK'S Sporting Goods Pittsburgh
Marathon, which took place only three weeks after the tragic bombing event
at the Boston Marathon. She has also received several other accolades over
the past 10 years, including being honored as:
- An industry leader in Connect Sports magazine's "Game Changers" feature
in the fall 2017 issue;
- The 2018 Women's Leadership Award from Running USA;
- A 2017 Woman of Excellence by the Pittsburgh chapter of Women in Sports
and Events (WISE); and
- An inductee into the Robert Morris University (RMU) Sports Management
Program's Hall of Fame in 2014.
"Back in 2008 when we asked Patrice to lead the relaunch of the Pittsburgh
Marathon, we could not have imagined all that she and her team would
accomplish in 11 years," said Chip Burke, president of the P3R Board of
Directors. "Patrice and our board have transformed Pittsburgh into a
running city and have sparked a love of long-distance running for athletes
of all ages and ability levels. We'll be forever appreciative of her hard
work and dedication to the running community."
Schooley will take over as CEO following the 2019 DICK'S Sporting Goods
Pittsburgh Marathon weekend of events. Since joining P3R in 2013, Troy has
more than doubled the size of the organization's partnership portfolio
across its entire series of events. Under his direction, the sales and
partnerships team has signed multi-year sponsorship renewals with national
brands including DICK'S Sporting Goods, UPMC Health Plan and FedEx Ground,
as well as bringing new industry-focused partners such as Brooks Running,
Nuun Hydration, Goodr and Honey Stinger to the portfolio.
"I am thrilled that Troy will be taking my place as CEO," said Matamoros.
"He is 100 percent committed to enhancing the experience each and every
runner has on race day — whether they're participating in one of our
smaller 5K events or our largest events on marathon weekend. I am confident
that, under his capable leadership, P3R will continue to thrive, grow and
deliver the best races in the U.S."
Schooley is an established leader in the endurance sports industry,
speaking at running conferences throughout the country — including the
Running USA Accelerator Series — to not only share his philosophy of the
importance of the runner experience, but also to ensure he brings the best
running programs and products back to the runners of Pittsburgh.
"Patrice's leadership has been integral to the success of the Pittsburgh
Marathon and our organization for more than 10 years," Schooley said. "It
will be a challenge to fill her shoes, but I know that our organization
will continue to focus on ensuring our runners, partners and the City of
Pittsburgh have a world-class experience."
About Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc. (P3R)
P3R is a nonprofit organization that is passionate about promoting a love
of running and enhancing community access to health and fitness education
and activities. Best known for organizing the acclaimed annual DICK'S
Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon, we also manage a variety of other
high-quality races, events, and health and fitness programs throughout the
Pittsburgh region. While many of our races attract some of the nation's
highest-profile professional athletes, we offer activities for all ages and
ability levels. The only criterion for participation is a desire to be
happy, healthy and active! Read more at:P3R.org
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