Joe Woodworth

Runner/Owner/Artist

Joe Woodworth & USA Racing took a very different route than most getting into the sport of running. In high school, Joe was involved in lacrosse, basketball, tennis and other sports, but always questioned what was so fun about running.

It was then in 1996, that Joe?s good friend, Nate, a great runner in high school, was tragically killed in a car accident.

Later that year the annual Nate Race took place in honor of Nate Holdridge. The event begin in 1996 and now helps raise funds for many programs, such as sending students to the running camps, funding the local kids summer track program, providing scholarships to high students that participate in running and fitness activities.

From the start, Joe has been involved with the Nate Race using his background in art and illustration to assist with event shirt designs and race day set up. Joe did not run in the race, as he would never run with Nate unless it was within other sports.

Finally in 2001, Joe decided to lace up his own pair of running shoes and attempt to conquer the 10-mile Mountain Goat Run, his first ever race. Going into the event, Joe pledged to run the course in 80 minutes, which he ran right on the dot. That same year, Joe ran the Nate Race for the first time as well. After the race, it was at that point Joe decided to take over Nate?s ?running shoes to the best of his ability.?

Continuing his new love for running, Joe joined the Syracuse Track Club and has completed well over 100 races including running the Mountain Goat Run eight times now and two Marathons.

As the Nate Race has gone on, Joe continues to be very involved with the event. He continues to run in the race each year and has designed and printed the shirts for 22 years.

Of course Joe can?t devote all of his time to running and putting on the Nate Race. There is a good chance that many of the local race shirts you have collected within the past few years have been printed by Joe. This is how USA Racing was created, which gives him the opportunity to provide for something that he loves to do, running.

Since Joe began running in 2001, he has completed many events but still gets butterflies every race. Regardless of the distance, everyone has a time during a race where they feel like they are hurting and need a little kick. But during that time, Joe feels that Nate is on his side pushing him along.