The 3-minute interview: Rick Nealis
By: David Sherfinski
Examiner Staff Writer
October 19, 2009
Nealis is the race director for the Marine Corps Marathon, which will celebrate its 34th anniversary on Sunday. Nealis has completed five marathons — including three MCMs — and boasts a personal best of 3:09:50 from the 1983 Marine Corps Marathon.
How's the workload right now?
At this point, it's just 'attention-to-detail' type items. As Marines, they understand the mission-type orders.
Which is easier -- running in the actual race, or running the event?
Running [in] the event is much easier. You're in total control of your destiny. Changing hats and switching over -- you can't be out there. It's a different type of anxiety.
Was it a huge thrill to carry the Olympic torch in 1996?
It was. [In Atlanta], the very first night, we had a no-show. When we were planning, we said, 'Of course they're all going to show.' All of a sudden, it was, 'how do you move it a half mile down to the next runner?' I immediately jumped in.
Has your family been involved with the race?
My wife's an MCM graduate -- she had run the race in 2005. And she keeps me running every day.
Has the economy changed this year's race at all?
I think it's still perplexing that [racing] events are still doing well when you look at [the economy]. In one sense, running is probably a release of stress. As other things in their lives change, [runners] can control the half hour to hour they devote to the sport every day.
How has the race evolved from when you were a runner to the present day?
The security has been much tighter [now]. ... If it wasn't for 9/11, as strange as it sounds, we might never have changed the course as we know it. Once that happened, it really opened up a lot of doors to embrace the public in a bigger way.
-- David Sherfinski
