As we closed out 2019 and were getting ready for 2020...our message was, "What an exciting time to be in the outdoor active space in the great state of Arkansas. The world is finding out what all we have to offer for individuals and families to play in the great outdoors. There is world-class mountain biking; road riding is second to none with well-maintained lightly traveled roads or multi-use trail systems, prime gravel, crystal clear lakes and state parks with an abundance of trails. No wonder we are called The Natural State!" 

And we were ready to take on the world with new events, staff and equipment, BUT that came to a screeching halt and the world stood still!  If we have come away with one lesson from these past several months, it is that together we can rise above anything thrown our way. We will be stronger tomorrow than we are today, and our brightest years are ahead of us. 

We are very confident that 2021 is going to be a great year...Why you ask? As we mentioned earlier we have several new events and our team is continuing to expand. In 2020, we produced 7 in-person events and our organization has the resources, knowledge and expertise to continue being a leader in event production. 

We have added new equipment and services to better serve you.  And finally, we are continuing the goals and objectives of lowering the barriers to entry for both new and current participants.  See Athlete Initiatives for a full review of those initiatives.

Also of note…is that we realized our need for having more strategic alliances in the community. Covid-19 amplified that need to be more public with our current charity partnerships and to consider adding new ones.  We elevated and/or brought on four charity partners/sectors. Those partners are:

• Teen Challenge (https://teenchallengeranch.com/.  We’ve worked with them for the past couple of years, but we made a more public alliance.
• NICA of Arkansas – National Interscholastic Cycling Association.  With all that’s happening in Arkansas around mountain biking…having a partnership with junior and senior high mountain biking programs is exciting
• H.E.R.O.S. of NWA - https://heroesofnwa.com/. The founder is also our national anthem singer for many of our events and the first responders (police, fire and medical) are key partners in all of our events
• Project Echelon - https://www.projectechelon.org/ AND Sheep Dog - https://sheepdogia.org/.  This was a joint partnership with the Joe Martin Stage Race and Joe Martin Gran Fondo.

New and/or Recently Added Events:

• Iron Mountain Legend - trail runs at DeGray Lake State Park in the Ouachita mountains.
• Chinkapin Hollow Gravel Grinder - gravel ride.
• DeGray Lake Triathlon - one of the oldest triathlons in the state.
• Big Dam Bridge 100 - the largest bike tour in Arkansas and one of the largest in the region.
• City of Colleges Half Marathon - formerly known as Soaring Wings, this running event will take place in Conway, Arkansas.
• ReRun Race - stay tuned for a fun race
• Solstice Series (virtual only event) which celebrates both summer and winter.

Our current list now totals 17 with even more coming online in the next 2 to 5 years. With those new events, we needed to add more staff and expand the responsibilities of our current team, so we are excited to realize our potential as a company with such a great group of people.  They all #justkeepmovingforward!

Staff:

• Carmen Newberry - Director of Operations
• Amanda Nunnally - Customer Relations Coordinator
• Logan Hall - Events Coordinator
• Lani Jennings-Hall - Communications Coordinator - Central Arkansas
• Rob Grunnagle - Communications Coordinator - NW Arkansas
• Caroline Hardin - Event Services and Timing
• Tom Newberry - Logistics
• Will Nunnally - Registration
• Brett Robinson - Graphic Design
• Jana Cohen - Assistant Race Director - BDB100
• Chuck Spohn - Sponsorship Coordinator - BDB100

We want to say Thank You to all our athletes who’ve participated in our events over the past 18 years and we hope that you will continue to toe the line with us in the future. And as we said last year, for those who’ve not been a part of the All Sports Productions’ family or not had your expectations met in the past…then we invite you to give us chance.  We believe you won’t be disappointed.

See you on the roads in 2021….

Bruce Dunn – Event Director / Promoter
All Sports Productions