TIMER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Adam Shelton / Start 2 Finish
February 7, 2024
Adam Shelton: Timer Award Recipient
2024 Alan Jones Timer Award Winner
RunSignup is proud to announce Adam Shelton, a managing partner of Start 2 Finish, is the award recipient of the 2024 Alan Jones Timer of the Year Award. This award recognizes Shelton’s exceptional contributions to the endurance race industry. He has demonstrated an enduring impact on the race experience for race directors, participants, and spectators alike.
The Alan Jones Timer of the Year Award, presented by RunSignup, is named after Alan Jones, the trailblazing Founder of RunScore and the inventive mind behind the Jones Counter. Since 1970, Jones has been a pioneer in the endurance community, significantly shaping the industry’s trajectory. The award aims to shine a spotlight on the often-underappreciated efforts of race timers, recognizing their pivotal role in the overall race experience.
Our Founder, Bob Bickel, shares, “We introduced the Alan Jones Timer Award to recognize individuals like Adam Shelton, who have made a lasting impact on the endurance race industry. Timers are the unsung heroes, and we’re proud to bring awareness to their essential contributions.”
The distinguished list of previous recipients of the Alan Jones Timer of the Year Award includes:
Marc Roy, founder of Sportstats
Todd Henderlong, founder of T&H Timing
Mary Anderson, founder of Anderson Race Management.
About Adam Shelton: Award Recipient
With two decades of experience in the business, Adam Shelton has steered the successful growth of Start 2 Finish. The company is a premier timing and race management company with offices in Memphis, Charlotte, St. Louis, and Atlanta. In 2023 alone, Start 2 Finish timed 425 races throughout the entire Southeast region.
The company has achieved remarkable growth beginning with a handful of events in 2004. Start 2 Finish now stands out as a prominent player in the industry. The company oversees and timing renowned races such as the Little Rock Marathon, Rocket City Marathon, Tar Heel 10 Miler, Charlotte Marathon, City of Oaks Marathon, and Myrtle Beach Marathon.
As this year’s award recipient, Adam receives this commemorative award that showcases an actual Jones Counter.
Nomination Comments
RunSignup opened nominations for this year’s timer award, receiving several endorsements for Adam.
Alan Jones, expressing his satisfaction with Shelton’s recognition, remarked, “I was very pleased to see others also nominate Adam for this year’s award. I’ve collaborated with him over the years and witnessed the impressive number of finishers he scores. Adam consistently pushes the envelope, continually seeking new features for RunScore, showcasing his innovative mindset.”
In addition, Geneva Lamm, Executive Director of the Little Rock Marathon, provides a positive endorsement. He shares, “I have worked with Adam for over 20 years, and during that time, he has helped elevate our race results from mediocre to exceptional. Adam distinguishes himself and Start 2 Finish with his dedication to accuracy, responsiveness to participants, and depth of expertise in helping directors like myself make decisions”.
Likewise, Rocket City Marathon race directors, Dwayne & Dana DeBardelaben, report Adam’s ability to address even the most complicated race scenarios with ease and a willingness to do what is needed, regardless of the situation—all while consistently projecting positivity to those around him.
About Start 2 Finish, LLC
Start 2 Finish, LLC is a full-service event management company that specializes in creating and executing memorable active events for clients. With 20 years of experience and offices in Memphis, Charlotte, St. Louis, and Atlanta, Start 2 Finish serves the entire Southeast region, timing numerous races annually and providing comprehensive services to the endurance race community.
Start 2 Finish expands event management and timing services to Northwest Arkansas
August 13, 2024
(Fayetteville, AR) – Start 2 Finish, a rapidly growing event services provider with offices in Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Memphis, TN; and St. Louis, MO is expanding into the Northwest Arkansas region with a new office that opened on July 1 in Fayetteville, AR. After acquiring offices in Atlanta and St. Louis in 2023, this expansion into the Northwest Arkansas region marks another significant milestone in the company’s growth.
“We are thrilled to bring our expertise to Northwest Arkansas,” said Brent Barrett, founder of Start 2 Finish. “This region is known for its active community and vibrant race scene. We look forward to supporting the local races with our professional services and aim to continue to elevate the overall event experience for the participants.”
Start 2 Finish brings to Arkansas a long history of working in the state with races including the Little Rock Marathon (the largest running race in Arkansas), the Firecracker Fast 5K (the oldest running race in Arkansas) and Trifest for MS (the largest triathlon in Arkansas) among others. Already the Northwest Arkansas office is adding races to the Start 2 Finish calendar. “The Morgan Nick Foundation is excited to partner with Start 2 Finish in May 2025, bringing real-time results directly to athletes as they participate in the 12th Annual Everyday Hero 5K/1 Mile,” Said Colleen Nick, Director of the Morgan Nick Foundation.
The new office will operate as Start 2 Finish Northwest Arkansas and will serve as a hub for Start 2 Finish’s comprehensive event services, including race timing, event management, and marketing support. This strategic location allows the company to better meet the needs of local event organizers and participants, offering enhanced accessibility and personalized service.
Contacts:
Atlanta Region: Jessie Xayaseng ~ jessie@s2fevents.com
Charlotte Region: Jen Forsyth ~ jen@s2fcharlotte.com
Memphis Region: Adam Shelton ~ adam@s2fevents.com
Northwest Arkansas Region: Faith Myers ~ faith@s2fevents.com
St. Louis Region: Jake Goldsborough ~ jake@s2fevents.com
Start 2 Finish acquires Fleet Feet Race Productions
March 16, 2023
Start 2 Finish Event Management, a leading active event management and timing company with offices in Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; and Memphis, TN, announced today that it has acquired the Race Productions division of Fleet Feet St. Louis.
(Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; Memphis, TN) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Start 2 Finish Event Management, a leading active event management and timing company with offices in Atlanta, GA; Charlotte, NC; and Memphis, TN, announced today that it has acquired the Race Productions division of Fleet Feet St. Louis. Fleet Feet Race Productions is a premier event management and timing company based in St Louis, MO. This strategic move will expand Start 2 Finish’s market reach and enhance its ability to deliver world-class event services to clients across the country.
“This acquisition is an exciting milestone for both companies,” said Jake Goldsborough, longtime Director of Fleet Feet Race Productions. “Our entire St. Louis team is excited to continue to offer race management services that will provide opportunities for community members to stay active. Joining forces with the many professionals at Start 2 Finish will only enhance our ability to do so. We will now be able to offer an even broader range of services to our clients while continuing to provide the same great level of service we have been providing for nearly 30 years.”
“Fleet Feet Race Productions is a fantastic addition to the Start 2 Finish family” said Brent Barrett, founder of Start 2 Finish. “We have partnered with Fleet Feet Race Productions for over a decade and their talented team and expertise in event services will be instrumental in driving growth for our company and providing exceptional value to our clients.”
Start 2 Finish Event Management is a full-service event management company that specializes in creating and executing memorable active events for clients. The acquisition of Fleet Feet Race Productions allows Start 2 Finish to expand its reach in the midwest region and further establish itself as a leader in the event management industry.
Contacts:
Atlanta Area: Jessie Xayaseng ~ jessie@s2fevents.com
Charlotte Area: Jen Forsyth ~ jen@s2fcharlotte.com
Memphis Area: Adam Shelton ~ adam@s2fevents.com
St. Louis Area: Jake Goldsborough ~ jake@s2fevents.com
Start 2 Finish acquires ORION Racing
(Memphis, TN; Charlotte, NC) - Start 2 Finish Event Management, a leading active event management and timing company with offices in Memphis, TN and Charlotte, NC, announced today that it has acquired ORION Racing, a highly-regarded event management and timing company based in the Atlanta area.
"We are excited to welcome ORION Racing to the Start 2 Finish family," said Brent Barrett, founder of Start 2 Finish. "We share the same values and commitment to delivering top-notch events for our clients and ORION Racing is a valuable addition to our team. Together, we look forward to a bright future as the go-to source for race services in the southeast region."
Start 2 Finish Event Management is a full-service event management company that specializes in creating and executing memorable active events for clients. The acquisition of ORION Racing allows Start 2 Finish to expand its reach in the southeast region and further establish itself as a leader in the event management industry.
Contacts:
Atlanta Area: Jessie Xayaseng ~ jessie@s2fevents.com
Charlotte Area: Jen Forsyth ~ jen@s2fcharlotte.com
Memphis Area: Adam Shelton ~ adam@s2fevents.com
January 11, 2023
Top Event Management and Timing companies in the United States come together to form Soteria
DENVER, CO; FITCHBURG, WI; MEMPHIS, TN; CHARLOTTE, NC; and SAN DIEGO, CA, February 19, 2022 – HAL Sports, Race Day Events, Start 2 Finish and TimingHQ have come together to create Soteria, an event management support company and MyLaps timing technologies largest Bibtag Company in the western hemisphere. Soteria, centrally located and headquartered out of Denver with offices across the United States, will provide unparalleled services in all areas of event operations.
“This has been nearly two years in the making, and I am excited to see it come together. With offices strategically located across the country in all time zones, Soteria has the equipment and staff to support the country’s largest events (simultaneously if needed),” said Soteria Managing Partner Michael Coleman. “Bringing the companies together now gives us expertise in every aspect to support the event industry. From safety plans for health mitigation and crisis management, registration consulting, and fulfillment to timing, barricades, race day apps, shirts and medals, we can support every aspect of an event in a cost effective way.”
“We are proud to have achieved what we have individually as companies, but are even more excited about what the future holds for Soteria and our industry as we continue to come out of this pandemic into a new “normal”. With large warehouses across the country, we are poised to aid in fulfillment and specialized operations to those events that maintain virtual or hybrid options moving forward in economical ways, as well as in-person events. We have extensive expertise with developing and creating safety protocols as our team members have been part of various task forces with the country’s most cited states of how to create events safely during the pandemic and other safety mitigation needs” states Lonnie Somers, Co-Managing Partner. To find out more information and offerings of Soteria, Ltd contact us at info@soteriaevents.com.
February 20, 2022