DC Front Runners Washington, DC's LGBTQ+ Running & Walking Club

Board of Directors

Elected Members

NORMAN REICH, Club Coordinator
JON LUTZ, Walking Coordinator
TIM HARRINGTON, Treasurer
MATT PRIEBE, Secretary and Archivist
JEREMY GARRETT, Race Co-Director
JOSH SPENCER, Race Co-Director
CRAIG CONNELLY, Outreach Coordinator
GWEN UMBACH, Outreach Coordinator

Appointed Members

CURTIS SAKOW, eNews Editor
RICH PORTER, Apparel Coordinator
MICHAEL LUSSIER, Engagement/Volunteer Coordinator
ROB ZAJDEL, Co-Team DC Representative
DANNY DREES, Co-Team DC Representative
BRAD MILLER, Social Media
NED BAKER, Social Media

Elected Member Bios

Norman Reich
(he/him/his)
Club Coordinator

Norm started running in April 2015, and a few weeks later set his goal at completing the 40th Marine Corps Marathon that fall. Goal achieved! As of January 2020 he has completed 11 marathons, 1 ultra-marathon, and over 135 races total. His first DC Front Runner event was the party following the first marathon, and the friendliness of fellow runners is what kept him coming back. The DC Front Runner family has given a lot to him, and he would love to continue to give back everything he can.  He served as the Race Co-Director from September 2017 through February 2022, using his knowledge of previous race circuits and from his love of running to try to make the running and racing experience the best he can for all members.  As of February 2022 he is the Coordinator, and hopes to serve the group to help everyone enjoy running and the DC Front Runners as much as he does.

coordinator@dcfrontrunners.org
Jon Lutz
(he/him/his)
Walking Coordinator

Jon is a Northern Virginia native and joined the DC Front Runners in 2016.  Since joining the DC Front Runners, Jon has cultivated many friendships in the club and completed eight full marathons in the process.  For several years he was active with the Pride Run committee.  Most recently for the club, he was the membership engagement coordinator, and before that the  Walking Coordinator.

walkers@dcfrontrunners.org
Tim Harrington
(he/him/his)
Treasurer

Tim relocated to DC from Boston in January 2022 when his husband Ben started a new job here. Tim works remotely as the Controller at a Boston-based private equity firm. He is a CPA in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. As a newcomer, Tim joined DC Front Runners in February 2022 to pair running with the social aspect of the group. Tim originally started running in high school with the cross country team and has run recreationally since then. Since joining the group, he has enjoyed being introduced to new running routes and meeting members of the group. Tim looks forward to using his professional background in finance and accounting to serve the board in the Treasurer capacity.

treasurer@dcfrontrunners.org
Matt Priebe
(he/him/his)
Secretary & Archivist

Matt joined DC Front Runners in 2013, after the Navy stationed him in DC. It is an amazing group, and he has built many great friendships through it. He has a love/hate relationship with marathons and has completed races in the US, Germany, Greece, Djibouti, Afghanistan, and Diego Garcia. He's spent the last couple of years living in Europe, but he's excited to be moving back to DC and spending more time with the DC Front Runners.

secretary@dcfrontrunners.org
Jeremy Garrett
(he/him/his)
Co-Race Director

Jeremy has been a member of DC Front Runners since 2011 and served in several different roles including Membership Engagement, Co-Track Coach for the DC Front Runners Track Program, and Co-Race Director.   Jeremy is excited to serve another term as Co-Race Director!   He looks forward to supporting and encouraging members with their races goals and overall experiences with the club.   Jeremy attends most weekly runs and enjoys meeting new members.   In his free time, Jeremy often travels and has run marathons in several different destinations. 

racedirector@dcfrontrunners.org
Josh Spencer
(he/him/his)
Co-Race Director

Josh moved to Maryland in 2018 from the Midwest where he grew up in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and lived in South Bend, Indiana for a few years. He started running in 2010 and was inspired by runners in a South Bend run group to run 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons, and 25Ks. Over time, he progressed to marathons. He found that running groups were a great motivator to set running goals and to pick up tips on how to successfully complete 26.2 miles. Josh joined DC Front Runners in February 2020 for inspiration to get out and maintain his run streak. DC Front Runners has been a great motivation to Josh to sign up for races and marathons. He’s enjoyed running with the DCFR and meeting new people. Josh says, “It is a great way of getting in training miles for my upcoming marathon.” He has a goal of completing a marathon in each U.S. state. He enjoys participating in road races, and says they serve as inspiration to get in training miles. As DCFR Race Director, he would encourage members to sign up for races, set goals, and experience the excitement of participating in a road race.

racedirector@dcfrontrunners.org
Craig Connelly
(he/him/his)
Outreach Coordinator

Craig joined Front Runners in 2019, becoming a runner for the first time in his life.  He knew several Front Runners from the many social events he attended over the years.  Learning to run later in life, and being a novice runner, Craig found a supportive and engaging group that challenged him to begin running at his own pace.  Running his first 5K ever, the 2019 Pride Run, motivated him to run more frequently and, in 2023, he completed the Front Runners race circuit.  Having volunteered with several of the Pride events over the past two years, he is looking forward to continuing to contribute to the club as Outreach Coordinator!

outreach@dcfrontrunners.org
Gwen Umbach
(she/her/hers)
Outreach Coordinator

Gwen joined DCFR in October 2021 to help her keep a running routine, and quickly learned that with this group, she's capable of running farther and faster than she thought possible. The community of support and friendship within DCFR is what makes the club special, and she will continue to build that community as outreach coordinator this year, working with the whole board to bring long-time members back together and welcome in new members. She wants to emphasize inclusivity and DCFR's options for all levels of running experience.

outreach@dcfrontrunners.org

Appointed Member Bios

Curtis Sakow
(they/he)
eNews & Communications

Curtis joined the DC Front Runners after their friend and fellow Front Runner, Zach Baldwin, introduced them to the group in 2022! After regularly attending the weekday runs for several months, they ran their first race ever in March 2023 and have since run in more than 10 races AND a Ragnar Trail relay in West Virginia. Joining this club has been one of the best parts of moving to DC and has introduced them to several amazing friends!

emailnews@dcfrontrunners.org
Rich Porter
(he/him/his)
Apparel Coordinator

Rich moved to DC from Atlanta after running with the Atlanta Frontrunners for nearly 16 years. While in Atlanta he was Ride Director for the Aids Vaccine 200 from 2016-18. Professionally, Rich is Sr. Director of Major Gifts for the University of Michigan. He is a 1999 graduate of the University of South Carolina where he served as a student-manager for the Gamecocks’ football team.

Michael Lussier
(he/him/his)
Engagement/Volunteer Coordinator

Michael joined the club in 2022 after meeting an enthusiastic gaggle of DC Front Runners upon finishing the Cherry Blossom Festival 10 Miler!  After the first day of running with the group, he felt right at home because of the DCFR community's charisma, talent, and support. With their support, he was able to complete his first marathon in the Fall of 2022 and is looking forward to many more events with the DC Front Runners! Michael has been a die-hard Clemson Football fan since 2007, and looks forward to bringing that same passion and sense of community with him to this role!

Untitled
Webmaster
Rob Zajdel
(he/him/his)
Co-Team DC Liaison

Rob moved to Washington, D.C. in 2015. His DC Front Runners story started by running the annual Pride 5k for several years. Rob finally becoming an official member in 2022 thanks to his partner who is an active member and always talks highly of the group. Rob is a big advocate of the queer athlete and sports community and has participated in multiple LGBTQ+ teams including rowing, soccer, and even cornhole. He loves the friendships these teams provide through a fun, sociable, and active program. Rob is excited to continue his involvement and support of all queer runners athletes in this role with DC Front Runners.

Danny Drees
(he/him/his)
Co-Team DC Liaison

Danny joined DC Front Runners shortly after moving to the District in 2019. Front Runners has been the base of many friendships Danny has made throughout his time in DC. Oftentimes, you can find him attending Tuesday/Thursday runs, the monthly club happy hours or running, biking and hiking in Rock Creek Park. Danny is also involved with the Rock Creek Conservancy and Rainbow Railroad among other organizations. 

Brad Miller
(he/him/his)
Social Media

Brad joined DC Front Runners in fall of 2017 after finishing graduate school. Brad learned about DC Front Runners by checking out their booth at the Capital Pride Festival. Brad is so grateful to DC Front Runners for giving him a community of friends and introducing him to a type of exercise he actually enjoys. This is Brad’s second year doing social media for DC Front Runners and he is excited to continue promoting the club’s activities using social media.