Race Organizers

Place of Birth: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Title: Owner, Founder, and President
Athletic Background: Age group swimming, USCF cycling in college
Years running: 21

Athletic History/Achievements:
• Completed 18 Ironman races
• Completed Hawaii Ironman 6 times
• Fastest Ironman Race: 9 hr 47 min (Ironman Brazil 2001)
• Fastest Hawaii Ironman: 10:14 min (Ironman Hawaii 2005)
• North Carolina Triathlon Series 2006: 2nd place overall
• Pinehurst Triathlon 2006: 2nd place
• White Lake Sprint Triathlon 2006: 1st place
• Kerr Lake Triathlon 2006: 1st place
• 20 mile Umstead Trail Run 2006: 1st place
• Mt. Mitchell 40 Mile Run 2002, 2003 and 2004: 2nd place overall
• Umstead Trail Marathon 2004: 1st place overall
• Umstead Trail Marathon 2005: 3rd place overall
• North Carolina Triathlon Series 2000: 2nd place overall
• North Carolina Triathlon Series 2001: 3rd place overall
• Team Race Across America 1994: 3rd place overall
• Team Race Across America 1995: 2nd place overall
 

Kazem is owner and president of Auto Dealers Investments Inc. Since 2001, Kazem has made a successful transition from the corporate high-tech world to running his own financial company. Kazem is president of the Wakefield High School Wolverine Athletic Booster Club and is a coach for Wakefield High School's cross country team. He is Co-Founder of City of Oaks Marathon and He is the race director for Wakefield high school's Students Against Drinking and Driving 5K race, organized to increase awareness of the dangers of drinking and driving. Kazem has a true passion for running. Diagnosed with coronary artery disease in 2002, Kazem started running to lose weight and improve his general health. Within four months, he ran his first marathon (Myrtle Beach) and, since then, has run an additional 11 marathons. His favorite is the B oston Marathon, which he finished five times. He will be at the starting line again next April.
 

Jon Flaherty is an Alliance Director for SAS Institute and is responsible for the management of Global System Integrators within the SAS Global Alliances and Channels Division. About to celebrate his 25th year with SAS, Jon attributes much of his success in running and fitness to the corporate environment SAS has provided over his career with the company. Promotion of fitness has always been emphasized within SAS, and it was in 1989 when Jon ran his first marathon, the US Marine Corps Marathon. Since that time he has averaged at least one marathon a year. Highlights in his running career were his first marathon PR set in Boston in 1996, and later to be broken in Chicago in 2001. Additionally, he is a world duathlon qualifier and has gone on to compete in Ultra events. A graduate of NC State, he resides in Apex with his wife and two daughters.
 

Rebecca Warriner, Founder of Turning Miles into Smiles

Rebecca has been involved in sports for as long as she can remember. Her official (aka recorded times) entry into races began in 1997 and she hasn't stopped since. Over the years she has built up from running 5k's to half-marathons to marathons to her first 50K followed by the Grand Canyon Rim-2-Rim run. Her heart is in triathlon where she has been competitive since 2000 in both Texas and North Carolina. In 2008 she completed her first Ironman in Louisville and will again tackle the same course in 2010. Rebecca has also taken her love of triathlons and running to the next level by organizing The BASF Smile Train Triathlon, a sprint-distance tri, that has raised over $50,000 for The Smile Train since it began in 2008. Her hobby/business is Turning Miles into Smiles. She focuses on developing smaller races that have an impact on both the local and global communities, all the time keeping the athletes aware of who they are helping. Her involvement in racing, fundraising, and increasing awareness of others in need and her energy for the sport is contagious!  Rebecca and her husband live in Wake Forest with their 2 children Polly and John.
 

Mark Dill has spent most of his career in public relations and marketing roles in high tech companies, including AT&T, Nortel and Corvis Corporation. Mark served as vice president of marketing and public relations for eight years in two Fortune 500 firms, winning numerous honors such as AT&T’s “PRO” Award and Nortel’s Chairman’s Award. Mark has outstanding public speaking and media relations skills, appearing on CNN, ABC and handling live TV and radio interviews in San Francisco, San Jose and Raleigh. While directing the development of Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina’s Web Communications group, Mark founded Mark Dill Enterprises, Inc., a Cary-based motorsports communications and marketing consultancy and transitioned to operating that business full time in November 2008. He owns and operates the largest historical on-line archive of pre-World War I auto racing content in the world, www.firstsuperspeedway.com. Mark holds bachelor’s degrees from Indiana University and Long Beach State as well as an MBA from San Jose State University. He is committed to physical fitness and can be found in the Prestonwood gym virtually any day of the week. An experienced runner he has competed in many foot races including the Raleigh Marathon in 2002. First and foremost Mark is a family man. He and Esther, his wife of 25 years, have two daughters.
 

Tim Kirk is a free lance photographer who first discovered his love for running in the late 1970’s. He rediscovered it nearly a decade ago when his oldest son began competitive cross country running and Tim realized running was the way to lose weight and gain a healthier lifestyle.

Tim has been actively involved in planning and volunteering in numerous races in Massachusetts and North Carolina. He also has enjoyed coaching his sons in multiple sports including coaching his youngest son, as an unattached runner, to the national finals of Junior Olympics in cross country.

As a runner, Tim has raced at all distances from 5K through marathon. He has run several marathons and is a three time Boston Marathon finisher. He holds a marathon PR of 3:34. After recovering from several injuries which kept him from marathon running for more than 2 years, Tim will return to the distance he loves at the inaugural Tobacco Road Marathon.

Tim resides in north Raleigh with his wife Caryn and their two sons, Ryan and Evan, all of whom also are competitive long distance runners.