Steamboat Pilot & Today

John Chapman has a vision for the Steamboat Springs Running Series.

Along with committee members Lisa Barbour, Jill Boyd and Kristen Lodge, Chapman plans to increase promotion of the series to local runners and those from outside Routt County.

The four-person committee will take over duties from former running series director Heather Eller, who is leaving the post for personal reasons.

"We probably have the largest running series in the state," Chapman said. "We've got an opportunity to promote running in Northwest Colorado and get people up here from the Front Range and elevate running in the community of Steamboat. That's my No. 1 goal -- to promote running in this part of Colorado."

Vail and Boulder also have running series, but the Steamboat Marathon, Half Marathon and 10K draw more than 1,000 people every year, giving Steamboat a sizeable number of runners to cater to each summer.

The appeal of trail running gives the running series committee additional people to target. Chapman has been a part of the Colorado running community for 20 years and has connections in Denver after founding a trail-running group in the Front Range. He has lived in Steamboat for two years, but he thinks he already has found a way to give back.

"As the old runners become older, we become organizers instead of doers," he said. "I'm going more into the classification of jogger. ... This is something I have a passion about."

The elimination of the running series director position will allow four people to do the job of one, which benefits everyone, organizers said. The running series will keep its Web site -- www.steamboatrunningseries.com -- which will include race and registration information as well as an e-mail link for submitting questions. Registration will remain online at www.active.com, as well as at Christy Sports in Central Park Plaza for those who prefer to enter in person.

But Chapman said advertising in the Front Range will increase.

"We are currently getting ourselves listed on 15 different Web sites, mostly in Colorado," he said.

The committee will be responsible for raising money and spending it on marketing and advertising. It also will have to secure product sponsorship.

"We don't have a running club in Steamboat, but we do have the running series," Chapman said. "It's a jovial and friendly atmosphere."