Julie Marchese, co-founder of the Maine Cancer Foundation’s Tri for a Cure, Maine’s only all-women’s triathlon, has been named Race Director of the Year from Outspoken Women in Triathlon.
Marchese was recognized by the organizaton as a race director “who has gone out of her way to develop and create an inclusive race environment to attract a diverse group of athletes to her event.”
“This is the first time that the Summit has awarded these Women in Triathlon Awards,” noted MCF Executive Director Cheryl Tucker. “For Julie to win this award is a testament to the hard work that she puts into organizing the Tri for a Cure, year after year. That hard work translates into the Tri’s becoming an amazing fundraiser and an empowering event for women throughout Maine and beyond.”
2019 marked the 12th year that Marchese has been race director for the Tri, an event she co-founded in 2008. The Tri for a Cure is the largest single-day fundraiser in Maine. It is an all-women sprint triathlon, held in South Portland, that raised more than $2 million in 2019 for MCF; the Tri has raised more than $16 million since its inception. Every year, approximately 1,300 women participate in the Tri, swimming, biking and running as cancer survivors or in memory or support of someone with cancer. All of the money raised through the Tri is invested into Maine communities for cancer prevention, early detection and access to care.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award,” said Marchese. “The Tri for a Cure has always been about camaraderie and support among women, and any way that I can help to encourage that is a joy for me. We have over 25 Volunteer Coordinators, more than 500 volunteers, more than 1,300 participants…it’s a lot! Being race director is a challenging position, but it’s worth it, when you see the participants come out to swim, bike and run to honor those with cancer.”
Speaking on behalf of the Outspoken Summit, Sara Gross said “We founded the Outspoken Women in Triathlon Awards to discover and celebrate the great work women are doing across North America that we might otherwise never hear about. There were many strong nominations in the Race Director of the Year category, but Julie’s clearly rose to the top. What she has built with Tri for a Cure is not only inspiring but has empowered and helped thousands. Julie is truly a worthy winner and we are honored to celebrate her.”
The 13th annual Tri for a Cure triathlon will be held on Sunday, July 19. Signups for the registration drawing to participate end Feb. 2. For more information, visit www.triforacure.org.
