Staff Spotlight Katie Parr
August’s Staff Spotlight shines on Katie Parr, a Dean’s Assistant at National Intelligence University who crochets anything she “can find a pattern for” (check out her Etsy shop: ParrForTheCrafts). When she’s not at a DC-area race on the weekend, you might find her spending time with her beagle, Fiona, enjoying a meal of mac-n-cheese, or “on Army Reserve duty.”
Katie, who started volunteering with Bishop’s Events in January 2020 and became staff in June of the same year, works around 40 events annually. When her Army Reserve contract ends in October, Katie anticipates that we’ll see more of her out on the course, sporting one of three favorite hats: “a [Minnesota] Wild one, a [Minnesota] Twins one, or one that says my dog is the only thing in my circle of trust.” Sometimes Katie brings Fiona to help cheer for runners at Hains Point, which she says ranks in her top Bishop’s Events courses because of the “really cool views.” She used to love the (now-retired) Columbia Island route along the Potomac River for the same reason, and anything along the C&O Canal towpath is a favorite: “there is always a lot of people and it’s close for me so I know the area well.”
What Katie most enjoys about events is seeing “the determination all the runners have. Sometimes it’s for someone completing their first 5k, others it’s for trying to get a PR on a half marathon.” As a runner herself—Katie has completed more than 180 Bishop’s Events races to date—she appreciates how “all of the events benefit charities (especially military and animal ones) and that the Bishop’s crew is like a family where everyone supports each other.” Katie remembers when she reached her 100 events milestone at a Great Falls race, and Travis told the whole group of 5k runners to yell, “Congrats, Katie!” at the turnaround. Katie says, “It took quite a few people saying that randomly for someone to finally clarify that it was congrats on 100 events. Just a whole lot of people saying congrats Katie with no context.”
Being part of the running community has encouraged Katie to “be more active” and has introduced her to a lot of her current friend group. Even during embarrassing moments—like the time she “had to run a bib from registration to the start line and stupidly decided to cut through the grass instead of running on the paved road,” tripped in a hole, fell on her face, but then “popped right back up and kept on running” with all of the race participants watching—Katie knows the whole Bishop’s family has her back and would offer support (as soon as they stopped laughing!).
Wave to Katie the next time you see her at your race turnaround at one of our upcoming events!