Known as an eloquent, witty, informative and inspirational speaker, Roger has been in demand for more than thirty years to speak on running, on literary and educational topics, and on “living a balanced life.” He has been a motivational speaker for corporations such as Perrier, and has spoken on marathon myths in Japan and on New Zealand literature in Washington DC; he has been featured speaker at national Rotary Conventions and at the Sao Paulo New Year’s Eve International Race; he chaired the centenary banquet of Athletics New Zealand and the centennial conference on the writer Katherine Mansfield at Chicago’s Newberry Library.

Mostly now he speaks on running, or its wider implications. As a motivational speaker, he draws on stories such as those of Jack Lovelock (for New Zealand audiences) or Roger Bannister, always with original research. Often he speaks in conjunction with his famous wife Kathrine Switzer, an entertaining and inspirational duo. On running, Roger draws on his unrivalled knowledge of its history and literature, and long experience as elite competitor, coach, and analyst. Speaking with Kathrine, he complements her story and message with unexpected historical contexts - a sympathetic life story of the notorious Jock Semple, or the moving story of the dauntless little New Zealander who actually won the Boston Marathon in the year of her infamous encounter with Jock.

In Japan , Roger delighted his audience with an original haiku about running, and in Scotland he offered a newly-researched brief history of Scottish running literature. (Did you know that Cutty Sark was a sprinting witch?) He surprised Napa Valley marathoners with the news that St Paul was a distance running fan, and he moved runners at Grandma’s with the story of the young English army officer who wrote a great poem about training with his troops for the regimental title. Expect the unexpected, in other words, and the ability to inspire audiences by showing them the richness and significance of the tradition they are part of. Roger has a gift for making high-level ideas entertaining, down-to-earth, and motivational.

“Never in human history have so many people been active participants - not mere spectators - in a something wholly peaceful and healthy. The social and cultural importance of modern running is not yet fully understood. But you are part of it.”

- Roger Robinson to the starters at the New Jersey Marathon, April 2007.

Topics

My talks, or our talks when Kathrine and I speak as a duo, are always tailored to the audience and event. I also turn over subjects every year or so, speaking on things I have recently researched, or that are timely in some way. In 2004, it was the 50 th jubilee of the first 4-minute mile; in 2008, I will offer freshly discovered material about the famous 1908 Olympic marathon.

Suggested topics, 2007-8:

With Kathrine Switzer:

• Myths of the Marathon (from Pheidippides to K.V. Switzer: the stories and the true stories)
• The Race that Changed the World (1967 Boston and its effect on women’s running, and the lives of Kathrine Switzer, Jock Semple, Dave McKenzie, and others)

Roger Robinson:

• The Balanced Life: Keeping in Shape for Success
• The Marathon Phenomenon (from 17 men on a dusty road to 40,000 people on a vast suspension bridge: how it happened, and what it means)
• Running in Love, War, and the Bible: the Great Literature of Running
• On the Scent of History: how running began

To discuss my availability as a speaker, please email rogerrobinson61@hotmail.com or phone 845 255 0056; or in New Zealand November- February, 04 973 1800.