Tim Rhodes, Race Director of the annual Novant Health Charlotte Marathon, is excited to welcome a new member to the marathon’s leadership team who can bring a fresh reimagination to the storied fall event. Alaina Williams, MBA, CPCE, brings a wealth of coast-to-coast experience to the new role of Event Experience Director.
“For 2021, it was important for us to reimagine what an in-person and virtual experience would look like,” says Rhodes. “Runners have been away for so long, we felt they deserved a fresh take on what the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon looked and felt like.”
Rhodes points out that a lot of new runners have started training for marathons in a year that allowed few other athletic outlets, yet few races could be run in person. He wants to welcome new runners to the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon with the best experience possible — whether they are running in person or virtually — and Williams has the on-the-ground experience to do that.
“We want to make sure their first experience with us sets the bar for other events,” says Rhodes. “Alaina brings to Charlotte the experience of working with world-class events, and what it takes to make them work.”
Williams has directed the Biofreeze San Francisco Marathon Health & Fitness Expo and Biofreeze Berkeley Half Expo in San Francisco, CA; coordinated hospitality and experiential events for the New York Road Runners 5-Borough Series and TCS New York City Marathon; directed food and beverage, catering, and concessions for events at Lincoln Center in New York; coordinated and produced events at the Georgia International Events Center and the Gwinnett Center; and much more. She is excited to bring her talents to the Charlotte Marathon.
“I’m excited to join the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon team and make this your favorite race each year!” says Williams. “We’re working hard on introducing interesting runner-focused content and experiences, virtual class options and more. Making the Novant Health Charlotte Marathon an amazing world-class experience for the first-timers and veterans alike, either in the virtual or live event space, is something we are striving for.”
Williams holds an MBA from Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, and a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from the University of Georgia; in addition to several professional certifications, including Certified Professional in Catering & Events.