AIMS RunVibes webinar series update

We welcomed four panellists: Liliana Uljas (Tallinn Marathon and Tallinn Women’s Run), Fransçoise Nehme (Beirut Marathon Association), Tina Shaire, (Nigerian legal expert and ultra marathoner), and Saki Mitsuda (Nagoya Women’s Marathon). The panel discussed how grassroots communities had transformed women’s lives, imagined an ideal marathon for women by 2030, weighed whether running could genuinely change society, and considered how the sport could adapt to women rather than the reverse. Panellists shared stories of participants who became leaders themselves and covered topics like women-only races and safety. Each proposed one idea from their city worth copying worldwide. The webinar closed with predictions for 2036 headlines, before James thanked the panel and previewed the next session on technology and data in running events.

September’s RunVibes webinar brought together three leading voices in road running to explore how technology, AI, and analytics are reshaping the sport. Yu Kurosaki (Director and President, R-bies, Inc.), Shahrizan Saad (founder of Langkawi Runners and Race Director of the Langkawi International Half Marathon) and Alex Rose (Co-founder and COO of Let’s Do This) joined for a wide-ranging 60-minute discussion spanning four segments: AI’s role in the runner experience, a fully digital-first event by 2035, data-driven operational efficiency, and where organisers should invest now. The panel also tackled harder questions around data ownership, digital inclusion, and race integrity. Yet for all the talk of technology, one message came through clearly: the human touch must never be lost. Road running remains, at its heart, about personal connection, and technology’s real value lies in freeing up time to deepen it.

To catch up with any of the previous webinars head to Youtube and search AIMs Runvibes. The next live webinar is on Wednesday 18 November at 2pm CET, where the focus is on all community elements of running and events.