Roger Robinson The Speaker
Roger Robinson's 2012 Speaking Schedule
Roger Robinson has been called "an eloquent and entertaining speaker." He has informed, amused, and inspired hundreds of audiences, from runners to diplomats, at sports events and literary festivals, in corporate motivational seminars, book launches, and as the entertainment for large audiences at pre-race pasta dinners or Rotary conventions. He is also known as a skilled and classy MC, for events such as a jubilee, centenary, or awards ceremony. As a leading stadium announcer and experienced TV commentator, he is used to finding the right phrase and helping audiences big or small enjoy and share the significance of the occasion.
He has been invited speaker in many countries - on every continent bar Antarctica - working in universities and churches, in sports stadiums and poetry readings, for a Kenyan safari tour and a conference of Japanese businessmen.
Roger comments:
"It's like racing, it all depends on preparation beforehand, and then lifting it on the day. Every audience deserves something special, and it's your job as speaker or MC to help them remember the occasion positively, whether it's a club prize giving, a literary reading, an anniversary celebration, or the closing ceremony of a major Games - I've done all those."
Topics
Roger's speaking topics (which often overlap) include:
- The story of running and the modern running movement
- The story of women's running (joint presentation with Kathrine Switzer)
- "We run because we like it:" Running in Literature
- Messengers, Myths and Marathons: The True Origins of the Marathon
- Special running celebrations, such as the 50th Jubilee of the 4-minute-mile or the 2500th anniversary of the Battle of Marathon
- Running Green: How a Sport Can Help the Environment
- Giving Voice to Sport: the art and the challenges of stadium, road race, and TV announcing
- New literatures: New Zealand and the Pacific nations
- The War of the Worlds: the book of the 20th century
- How Darwin Changed Literature
- Five Great Books
- "Out of the Rubble" - a personal motivational story
Some memorable speaking engagements (some jointly with Kathrine Switzer):
Major Running Events:
- Boston Marathon "Runner's World" Legends Panel
- Goodlife Fitness Toronto Marathon
- Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
- Marine Corps Marathon
- Niagara Falls International Marathon
- Utica Boilermaker Runners' Forum
- Tulsa Run
- Napa Valley Marathon
- Athens Classic Marathon, 2500th anniversary, Marathon Tours group
- BMO Vancouver Marathon
Running Corporations, Clubs and Stores (selection)
- Nike Inc, Beaverton, OR - Guest motivational speaker
- Atlanta Track Club Annual Awards Dinner
- Japan Society for the Study of Running, Miyasaki
- Athletics New Zealand Centenary Gala - MC
- Running the Highlands, Scotland
- Orange County Running Club, NY
- Essex Running Club, New Jersey
- Vestall Running Club, New York
- Wanganui Sports Awards, New Zealand
- Running Room, Whitby, Ontario, Canada
- Fleetfeet, Syracuse, NY
- Shoe Clinic franchises, New Zealand
- Marathon Tours and Travel
- New Zealand Olympic Academy
Universities, Literary, Educational
- New York University - World Literatures Program
- Williams College - Plenary Address, Samuel Butler Sesquicentennial
- Newberry Library, Chicago - Convenor & Chair of Katherine Mansfield Centenary Symposium
- University of Western Massachusetts - guest speaker
- New Zealand Universities "Blues" Centenary Reunion - MC
- The Wellington (NZ) International Festival of the Arts - Literary Festival chair.
- New Zealand Embassy, Washington DC
- The New Zealand Rotary National Convention (and several local Rotaries)
- New Zealand Association for the Teaching of English (and school prize givings)
Stadium & Race Announcing, Broadcasting, Awards MC-ing
- Commonwealth Games Track & Field (twice)
- New Zealand Track & Field Championships (many times)
- World Cross-Country Championships
- Capital Classic Track Meet, Wellington
- Christchurch International Track Meet
- Motatapu Icebreaker Mountain Marathon & Mountain Bike race
- Utica Boilermaker, WIBX Radio
- Olympic Games, World Championship, & many other events - TV
- Twin Cities, Grandma's, Stamford, & other marathons - TV
- Marine Corps Historic Half, Hospital Hill Run, Kansas City, Fairfield Half, Great Raisin River Race, and many other US, Canadian and New Zealand races - finish line and often Awards
For upcoming events see 2012 Calendar
Brief notes for media releases, or for introducing Roger Robinson
1. Running events:
- Roger Robinson was an elite runner for 30 years, representing England and his adopted New Zealand, and later winning world masters championships
- As a master he ran his first marathons, setting an over-40 record at Boston (2:20:15 at age 44), and over-50 record at New York (2:28:01 at age 50). His best marathon was 2:18:44 at age 41, in Vancouver.
- He is known as a world-class announcer and commentator. He has been TV commentator at Olympic and Commonwealth Games, and World Championship, and chief stadium announcer at two Commonwealth Games and many international meets.
- As a writer on running, he has published four successful books, is one of the sport's best historians, is senior writer for "Running Times," and has columns in "Running Times" magazine ("Footsteps" on the history of running) and "Running Times Web-Only" ("Roger on Running"). He won the George Sheehan Award for Running Journalism in 2006, the RRCA Excellence in Journalism Award in 2010, and the Les Diven Media Award (Utica, NY) in 2011. He wrote a TV documentary on the marathon and appears in the feature film "Spirit of the Marathon," the BBC docudrama on the 1908 Olympics, and others.
2. Literary & educational events
- Roger Robinson PhD (Cambridge) is Emeritus Professor of English at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, where he served as Head of Department, Dean, and Academic Vice-Chancellor.
- His publications include the definitive Oxford Companion to New Zealand Literature, the acclaimed Robert Louis Stevenson: His Best Pacific Writings and books, editions and essays on writers such as Thomas Hardy, H.G. Wells, Katherine Mansfield, Anthony Burgess, and the new literatures of New Zealand and the Pacific island nations.
- Among many varied contributions, he was responsible for the creation of the Journal of New Zealand Literature, for his University's program in Tourism, for introducing Journalism, and for leading the revision of the English curriculum in New Zealand's schools, including a period as adviser to the Minister of Education.