The twelve-member committee charged with selecting the 2007 MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Race Director of the Year has selected Bob Ingalls, Director of the Boilermaker 15K Road Race in Utica, NY, as the 2007 MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Race Director of the Year.

Ingalls was honored at the Road Race Management Race Directors' meeting in Fort Lauderdale, FL on November 8. The award is presented by the Running Network. "We had one of the largest fields of candidates in years," said award coordinator Jeff Darman. Described by Bill Rodgers as "the Gold Medal of race directing," the award is determined by a vote of a diverse committee comprised of race directors, media representatives, sponsors, and elite athletes.

"When Bob Ingalls took on the directorship of the Boilermaker 15K from race founder and 1998 Road Race Management Race Director of the Year Earle Reed, he had big shoes to fill. Some folks thought that the Boilermaker could not get any better. In fact, Bob, with a constant smile on his face, brought the race to greater heights during his seven-year tenure, adding new events such as an 8K walk, refining on-going events with the implementation of transponder chip timing and starting corrals, and growing the event to be the largest 15K race in the country in 2005. He is a most worthy recipient of this year's award," said Phil Stewart, Editor and Publisher of Road Race Management.

The MarathonFoto/Road Race Management Race Director of the Year award is made annually to recognize and promote excellence in race directing. Nominees were judged on several factors, including overall ability, reputation of race, creativity and organizational ability. Previous recipients have been: Rafael Acosta (World Best 10K), Steve Bosley (Bolder Boulder), John Conley (AT&T Austin Marathon), Julia Emmons (Peachtree Road Race), Ed Froehlich (Quad-City Times Bix 7), Chuck Galford (Cascade Run Off), Susan Harmeling (Gasparilla Distance Classic), Jon Hughes (Disney Marathon), Scott Keenan (Grandma's Marathon), Fred Lebow (New York City Marathon), Jim Marino (Blue Cross Broad Street Run), Dave McGillivray (Boston Marathon), Jeanette Park (Gasparilla Distance Classic), Carey Pinkowski (LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon), Earle Reed (Utica Boilermaker), Bill Reef (Bolder Boulder), George Regan (Freihofer's Run for Women), Tracey Russell (Ukrops Monument Avenue 10K), Steve Shostrom (Steamboat Classic), Allan Steinfeld (New York City Marathon) and Harold and Louise Tinsley (Rocket City Marathon).

Road Race Management publishes a newsletter and comprehensive Directory for race and industry professionals and conducts a prestigious annual national race directors' meeting and trade show in Ft. Lauderdale, FL each year. MarathonFoto is the world's largest race photography company. The Running Network, founded in 1986, represents 34 of the finest regional and national specialty running magazines and websites in North America.