Small Steps on a Trail to Better Health: CEO of Sports Backers, Will Dixon

Sports Backers sold out the Allianz Richmond Marathon in June, five months before anyone lines up to run in November. On race weekend, the organization puts 22,000 runners on Richmond streets, backed by thousands of volunteers and tens of thousands of spectators. Another 1,400 people meet every weekend for 24 weeks just to get ready for it. Will Dixon runs all of it. He has been with Sports Backers for 19 years and took over as executive director a year and a half ago, after starting as a weekend intern setting up a cross-country meet at Maymont for 3,000 high schoolers. In this episode of America’s Healthiest City podcast, he talks with host Will Melton about what actually gets a region moving — and it has very little to do with finishing a marathon. We cover the 2012 shift at Sports Backers, when the focus moved from chasing tourism dollars to building an active culture inside Richmond. Dixon walks through what race weekend demands of his team and explains why roughly 60 percent of marathon runners now travel here from outside Virginia, plus why Richmond works so well as a first marathon.  Then we look ahead. The Fall Line trail adds more than 12 miles under construction this coming year, and Dixon describes it as a canvas the region has never had before. He also makes the case that no amount of AI or new technology replaces the feeling of standing at a start line with thousands of other people. Will Dixon’s advice for anyone stuck at the starting point is simple: Walk to the stop sign and come back. That counts. Visit americashealthiestcity.com to add your idea to our ideas board and see how Richmond becomes the healthiest city in America by 2033.  Subscribe over at channelrva.com. What is one small first step you are taking this week? Tell us in the comments. CHAPTERS 01:59 Will Dixon’s Richmond roots, Godwin, and JMU 02:35 Why Richmonders want each other to win 03:16 From the Richmond Kickers to a Sports Backers internship 06:47 When does the Sports Backers team sleep on race weekend? 07:38 Thousands of volunteers and 22k participants 08:24 Word from our sponsor: Xponent21 11:37 Sold-out races and the running boom in Richmond 13:03 The Fall Line Trail 14:04 Why AI won't replace moving together 15:20 The 6 AM crew and the marathon training team 18:49 Run clubs, training teams and where marathon participants come from 21:48 Word from our sponsor: Richmond Water 22:41 From economic development to active living 25:56 Training advocates for safer streets 28:41 Small decisions add up to shared health **From Channel RVA:** Richmond's independent media platform — original journalism, podcasts, live events, and local art, no paywalls. Explore it all at ChannelRVA.com. **From our creators:** Channel RVA and America's Healthiest City are produced by Xponent21, a top global AI SEO agency. Learn how to rank at the top of AI search with a free instant SEO audit, or join DiscoverAIO.com, a community for leaders winning in the age of AI. Want to learn how to rank at the very top of AI search results and seize first-mover advantage? Watch the replay of Adapt or Disappear: How AI is Upending Search & SEO featuring Will Melton, founder of Xponent21 and a top global AI SEO expert.