Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin McGowan.
Erin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Growing up I was a multi-sport athlete who was relatively aggressive on the field and due to also being spirited in the classroom and at home, was often told I should be a lawyer. After graduation from the University of Richmond, I worked in a law firm where I was able to see the intricacies of a legal career. I wanted to return to Texas, so in October 2006, I came back and had an opportunity to work with Houston Marathon Committee (HMC).
During my first year with the HMC, I managed registration and like the three other HMC employees wore whatever department hat was needed to create successful race each year. I enjoyed how there was always something new to do and people to work with at HMC, but I also missed the work I did at the Law firm so I applied and was accepted to South Texas College of Law and over the next four years worked at HMC while taking classes at night before earning my Law degree in 2011. My work with HMC grew as I learned all areas of the organization and become the manager of registration- overseeing management of participant data, race technology, results and the event website content.
As my experience grew so did the office and the needs as we transitioned from three staff to the fourteen we have now. I worked closely with the Executive Director and President of our Board in bringing all legal and risk management needs in-house to manage. With my law degree, I expected to move on to a firm or find another legal career route, when our Executive Director, called me into his office and suggested we turn the work I was already doing into an official position with the HMC. I passed the Texas State Bar and was sworn in just in time for our HMC team to host the 2012 Olympic Men’s and Women’s Marathon Trials. I was now overseeing Legal, Risk Management, Elite Athlete Team Management and Elite Athlete Program Management. I am now the Senior Director of Legal Affairs and the Elite Athlete Program for the organization.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth road is a great analogy for someone who puts on a road race 🙂 I joke that I always knew each decision I made would lead to me being an attorney at the HMC, but instead it grew very naturally thanks to the collaboration of many people.
When you put on an event of this magnitude, you are often at the mercy of countless variables outside of your control – for the HMC this includes variables like weather, construction, and sports teams making the playoffs. There are so many logistical elements to manage 26.2 miles of road with 30,000 participants that there is always inevitably something that will not go as planned, but to be successful in this field, one must be flexible and able to solve problems. Our hope is that no one but the people in our office is aware of the changes or challenges and the race is an awesome experience for our runners and volunteers!
Houston Marathon Committee – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Houston Marathon Committee plans organizes and stages an annual endurance event in Houston, Texas, as part of an entire weekend celebrating the spirit, energy, and diversity of the citizens of Houston. The Houston Marathon Committee hosts the IAAF GOLD labeled Aramco Houston Half Marathon and SILVER labeled Chevron Houston Marathon. For four consecutive years, the events have garnered Gold Certification from the Council of Responsible Sport and were awarded the 2015 AIMS Green Award for industry-leading sustainability initiatives.
Race Weekend generates over $50 million in economic impact for the region annually. In 2017, the Run for a Reason Charity Program raised over $2 million, while the Houston Marathon Foundation supported youth and community running initiatives. Televised annually by broadcast partner ABC13, 2016 was the first time that the event was syndicated life nationally and internationally on ESPN3 and the Longhorn Network. Host to 16 U.S. Half Marathon Championships since 2005 and the 1992 women’s Olympic Trials Marathon, the HMC also conducted the 2012 men’s and women’s U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon.
My daily role includes handling legal affairs, risk management, event policies and the recruitment and management of the Elite Athlete program for the marathon and half marathon. I also am lucky to work with the best elite athlete team in the world. In addition, I oversee participant services, including registration, results, accommodations, and customer service for the organization.
I am most proud of the growth of the organization from a $2M grassroots, primarily volunteer-led, an organization to a thriving $6M business that focuses on the importance of engaging and celebrating our race committee leaders and fierce race crew team members that make the event successful. The successful growth of the organization over the years allows our team to invest back in the community through everything from improvements to our race-weekend events, to building partnerships with local charity organizations and even establishing our own foundation with a mission of philanthropic giving.
The Chevron Houston Marathon, Aramco Houston Half Marathon, and ABB 5K offer a VIP weekend experience for every participant. Our event host hotel, EXPO, start and finish line are all within blocks of one another and the energy can be felt throughout the city. Everyone is set-up for a PR in Houston, with traditionally fantastic race weather, a flat course and on-course support and entertainment that could encourage anyone to cross the finish line. The most unique attraction for Houston is that pre- and post-race day services are completely indoors housed inside 550,000 sq. ft inside the GRB Convention and marathon and half marathon finishers get to celebrate their hard work with a hot breakfast provided by HEB. In Houston, it doesn’t matter if you are an invited elite, a first timer or a legacy runner, every participant is treated like a VIP.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
To me, success can be measured by many things. It can be achieving large goals through intensive training, planning, and execution – this is the obvious goal for the Houston Marathon, which plans 365+ days for one extraordinary weekend in January.
Or it can be small achievements that you find in your everyday life, as my dad says, “moving the ball, one inch at a time”. For me, success at the Houston Marathon Committee is providing a positive and memorable experience to our participants, raising awareness about our charity partners and their missions and getting to spend the weekend with 7,500 incredible volunteers, 250,000 spectators throughout our great city and 33,000 of our favorite runners.
When you are surrounded by a creative, logistics-loving, passionate team, it is hard not to find success all around – that is the HMC Team.
Contact Info:
- Address: 720 North Post Oak Rd. Suite 200
Houston, Texas 77024 - Website: www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com
- Phone: 713-957-3453
- Email: marathon@houstonmarathon.com
- Instagram: @chevronhoustonmarathon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houstonmarathon/
- Twitter: @HoustonMarathon
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