Questions for Bill Roe...

Bill Roe is the only person to be elected to 20 years as an officer with USA Track and Field, the national governing body for the sport. He's been on the group's board since 1986 and won his second term as president in 2004. Mr. Roe was named its acting chief executive when Craig Masback said in January he would leave for Nike.

I must say that I've been one of the few people that have known Bill since I started in the sport in the early 1970s, having tasted track & field through his summer all-comers meet series, first at Husky Stadium, then at West Seattle Stadium, and over the years as an adult, at Bellevue High School, Edmonds Stadium, and now at its present location at Shoreline Stadium on Wednesday nights.

As the years have gone, he's gotten myself and countless other men and women around the country involved in the big picture of the sport, including projects like the national club track & cross country championships; the open athletics committee of the Pacific Northwest Association; and, on an international level, traveling as a part of USATF national teams, particularly at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships.

True to his roots, the Wednesday night all-comers track meets remain the cornerstone of everything he does for the sport. Wednesday night, between heats of the 200 meters that he seeded and I helped time, we talked briefly about what's going on with the CEO search ("We expect to name a new CEO shortly"), the success of the recent US Olympic Team Trials-Track & Field, and other topics of the day.

The Wall Street Journal has an interview with Bill posted on its website (disclaimer--it may not be up very long, so if you miss it--sorry, we can't help you; subscription may be required), which is an interesting read.

Here's the link...

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