If someone asked me to pick the best year in recent history to start an event-based business, I know exactly what I would say.
Definitely 2020.
What could possibly go wrong?
Looking back, the timing was almost perfect. There were no global disruptions, no uncertainty, and no reason whatsoever to question whether starting a company built around bringing people together was a good idea.
Of course, we all know how that story actually went.
The funny thing is, the idea for Arsenal Events didn’t begin with some elaborate business plan or a vision to build a race timing company. There was no big entrepreneurial moment where we sat down and decided we were going to create a business. Like many good running stories, it started much more simply—with two runners, a chance conversation, and a finish line.
Kristen and I both ran cross country and track in college. Running was always something we enjoyed, but as life got busier with careers and raising three daughters, it naturally moved into the background. We still ran, completed a handful of marathons when the kids were younger, and always seemed to find our way back to the running community whenever we had the opportunity.
Kristen, in particular, has always been someone who gets involved. After spending more than 15 years working in the sports and fitness industry, she had developed a deep understanding of that world and a natural connection with the people in it. When our daughters were in elementary school, she started a running club and spent four years helping kids discover the fun, challenge, and sometimes frustration that comes with running. She also gained race director experience, learning firsthand just how much work happens behind the scenes to create a successful event.
My interests were a little different.
I have always enjoyed numbers, technology, and finding better ways to do things. I spent years working with data collection and developed a fascination with improving processes, especially finding ways to automate tasks that were repetitive or inefficient. If there was a way to make something faster, cleaner, or more accurate, I enjoyed figuring out how to do it.
Looking back, neither of us realized it at the time, but we had been building two very different skill sets that would eventually fit together almost perfectly.
Then came Thanksgiving 2019.
Like many families, we were running the Fredericksburg Turkey Trot. Somewhere during the morning, Kristen ran into a friend who mentioned that Race Timing Unlimited was preparing to step away from race timing. They were a nonprofit organization, so the name and business itself were not for sale, but the equipment and many of the existing timing relationships would need someone new to take them over.
Sometimes life changes because of years of planning.
Sometimes it changes because of a conversation in a parking lot before a turkey trot.
The more we talked about it, the more it seemed like a natural fit. Kristen could focus on race directors, registration, event management, and the business side of things. I could focus on timing technology, equipment, scoring, and the technical details that happen behind the scenes.
It wasn’t because we thought we knew everything. Far from it. What we did know was that our strengths complemented each other, and together we thought, Maybe…just maybe…we can figure this out.
So we bought the equipment, signed the paperwork, took a deep breath, and hoped we hadn’t completely lost our minds.
Arsenal Events was officially born.
Our first full season was scheduled to begin in April of 2020.
You already know how that story goes.
Within weeks, races across the country were being canceled. Calendars emptied almost overnight. For a company whose entire purpose was built around bringing people together, it was not exactly the ideal launch strategy.
Oddly enough, it may have been the best thing that could have happened.
Instead of immediately jumping into a full race calendar, we had time to learn. Every event taught us something new. Every challenge forced us to improve. Every weekend added another piece to the puzzle.
There were countless things we simply did not know when we started. The race timing equipment was only one small part of running a successful event. We had to learn about registration systems, race logistics, communication, staffing, customer service, and all of the small details that athletes never see but that make an event run smoothly.
Looking back now, it is almost funny how much we thought we knew.
It is even funnier how much we didn’t.
People occasionally ask where the name Arsenal Events came from, expecting some elaborate story or hidden meaning.
The truth is much simpler.
Before race timing was ever part of the plan, we had discussed creating a resource for runners. The idea was to provide coaching, training information, videos, and tools that athletes could use to improve. We wanted it to be a complete toolbox for runners, so we called it The Runner’s Arsenal.
That project never really got off the ground.
But when the opportunity to enter the event world came along, the name stuck. We decided that race timing and event management would become the “events” side of that original idea.
And that is how Arsenal Events came to be.
No hidden meaning.
No military connection.
Just the idea that runners and race directors deserve the right tools, support, and expertise to create great events.
Looking back, it is amazing how much has changed since that conversation at the Turkey Trot. What started as an idea between two runners has grown into a company serving events throughout Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. We have expanded our equipment, built relationships with incredible race directors, grown our team, and had the privilege of being part of thousands of athletes’ race-day experiences.
But the reason we started has never changed.
We love the running community. We love seeing people challenge themselves, accomplish goals, and create memories with family and friends. We love being part of the moments that happen at the start line and finish line.
We simply found a different way to contribute.
If you have run one of our events, trusted us to time your race, or taken a few minutes to say hello on race morning, thank you. Every season teaches us something new, and we continue to look for ways to make races better for athletes, race directors, and communities.
And despite starting an event company in the middle of a global pandemic…
I think it worked out pretty well.