Meet Francesca Conte, Bad to the Bone RD, who’s good for the sport

Francesca Conte says her partner, James Gill, got her into race directing.

By Henry Howard

I’ve had the pleasure of running several memorable races directed by Francesca Conte, including my first 100K, the Ultra Race of Champions (UROC) in 2019.

It was memorable because I was supposed to run UROC in 2018, however emergency abdominal surgery five days before delayed those plans. I’m grateful to this day that Conte allowed me to defer my entry until the following year.

About a year after UROC, I ran my second Bel Monte 50K, where I came in fourth overall and third male. That was my first podium at an ultra race. But that’s not why it was memorable. The race took place in March 2020, just before everything shut down due to COVID. Under Conte’s leadership, the race made efforts to protect runners as best as possible, given the unknowns at the time.

This month I am featuring Conte, race director for Bad to the Bone, as part of my special series highlighting RDs this year.

Every month during 2024, I will highlight one North American race director who specializes in trail and ultra events as a way to highlight what makes this sport great. That is the people, the community and the events themselves. Previously, I wrote about:

January: Michele Hartwig of Ornery Mule Racing.
February: Scott Kummer of Ten Junk Miles.
March: Kim Levinsky of Sassquad Trail Running.
April: Aneta Zeppettella of Empower Ultras.
May: Vanessa Kline of Beast Coast Productions.
June: Jason Green of Yeti Trail Runners.
July: Keira Henninger of Keira Henninger Races.
August: Steve Durbin of Durbin Race Management.

The Ultra Race of Champions was my first 100K.

Francesca Conte: Bad to the Bone race director

Question: Why did you get into race directing?

Answer: “Running has given me a lot on my life, physically and mentally. Race directing has given me an opportunity to share that love and hopefully give people a tool to be healthy for the rest of their lives.”

Question: How did you get your start as an RD?

Answer: “I can't take credit for this one. Gill, my partner, started Bad to the Bone Sports while I was finishing my PhD. I loved his journey from the beginning and I am grateful he made me a part of it.”

Bad to the Bone puts on a number of different races.

Question: What's the most interesting thing you've learned about yourself since you became a race director?

Answer: “Race directing is all about being organized and planning ahead. I very much enjoy both, so it is a good fit. I have also learned I am not fit for the office life. I am very grateful for any job that allows me to be outside.”

Question: What's your best piece of advice for someone who wants to become a race director?

Answer: “Listen to your runners, plan ahead and work well with any entity issuing a permit. Relationships are possibly the hardest thing to build and the most valuable asset to directing a race.”

Question: What's your favorite race to direct?

Answer: “The Bel Monte Endurance Races. It's early in the season (March), so the weather is always memorable. There is something about the runners coming to Bel Monte that I find very endearing: they seem to all enjoy the journey, adventure and the environment. Just a really fun crowd to be around.”

Question: What's your favorite race to run?

Answer: “I have to be honest and say the ones I have not done yet. I am very simple and just truly and fully enjoy running in the mountains. So, the exploration, whether it's a race or a run, is always my most favorite part.”

Question: Tell me about a funny experience as an RD and what you learned from it.

Answer: “I learned that my jokes sound a lot funnier in my head and that I am not a good motivator. So now I hire professionals to emcee our races.”