RHODE RACES PRODUCES
Authentic Race Experiences in Iconic Locations
Our Story
Rhode Races was formed in October of 2015 by Susan Rancourt and Karen Zyons.Â
At our core, our mission at Rhode Races is to promote running and fitness and be a good partner to our community. Read more about what makes us a New Type of Race Company!
Susan Rancourt
CRO – Chief Running Officer
Susan started running at her high school while growing up in NH. She continued her running career as a member of the Division 1 Cross Country and Track & Field teams at the University of Rhode Island, and that is where her love of running and the Ocean State really formed. She has completed hundreds of races from 5ks, half and full marathons, triathlons, mud runs, trail races, and beer miles. She has run Boston 6 times, with an average qualifying time of 3:30.
Susan also is the Head Coach for the Mt Hope HS Girls XC team in Bristol RI and serves on a number of boards and volunteer positions in the athletic community.
Karen Zyons
CPO – Chief Party Officer
Raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Karen attended Johnson & Wales College in Providence, studying Culinary Arts & Restaurant Management. After meeting her husband, they decided to move to Montana to feed their love for skiing & the outdoors.
Karen’s passion for cooking & entertaining has shaped her career, through owning a restaurant & catering company, to working to plan PGA Tour golf events, to executing road races.
In between planning for road races, Karen can be found hiking, swimming, practicing yoga, and cooking and entertaining with friends and family.
Along with being the COO for Rhode Races, Karen also is the CPO-‘Chief Party Officer’. Karen loves to make everyone feel like they are dining at her table when they attend a Rhode Races event.
Our Commitment
A Rhode Island Benefit Corporation – our core mission includes being a benefit for the social good through fundraising, goal achievement, self-esteem building, environmental awareness, and support to growing the running community in Rhode Island and beyond.
The Environment
Rhode Races cares about our environment. Examples of this include recycling efforts at our races, donating shoes and clothing to North American Family Institute and/or Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and partnering with Sports Medal Recycling to recycle un-used medals.
Health & Wellness
We encourage and create opportunities for health and wellness through education and support. Â It is our mission to foster and grow the running community in RI with goals to increase participation in youth and adult programs and to encourage life long healthy habits.
Charity
Rhode Races encourages racing for a cause. We have a deep fundraising integration and designate specific charities for each race. We support charitable efforts and their causes by helping to mobilize volunteers through direct donations.
Community
Rhode Races consciously acts as a good neighbor in the communities that we run through by trying to lessen the impact in neighborhoods.  We promote the community’s assets through tourism-related activities, restaurants and lodging.
Rhode Race Events Blog
Running is a Team Sport
However have you been in a race and you started chatting it up with the people around you? Just as a means of diversion or
Return to Racing
We have about one month until the return of our race season. We kick off the season on April 24th with the inaugural Pomham Rocks
Winter Running Gear
“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” I love to run in the winter, next to Fall, it is my favorite
Rhode Masters Series
Race the Rhode and Compete to Become the Rhode Master
Event Management
With over 20 years of combined event management experience, Rhode Races can provide turn-key fundraisers, road races, sporting events and more, to assist you with your organization’s goals. We provide all the tools to help execute a fun and safe event, while allowing you to retain all creative control.
