BoardroomPR is sad to hear about the sudden passing of a former client, John “Hans” Huseby, 64, who together with his wife Laurie produce one of the most successful road races in the country: The Mercedes-Benz Corporate Run. Next year will be the 30th year for the event in South Florida which places an emphasis on employee participation and team building rather than who has the fastest time.

We knew Hans as a warm and affable man who was largely responsible for logistics in all of the cities where the run takes place: Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. He had such a good way with people that municipal decision makers, police and other stakeholders always seemed willing to bend over backwards to help make the events successful.

We were fortunate to work with Hans and Laurie while promoting the Corporate Run for more than a half decade. I remember in 2007, we suggested to Hans that he might consider bringing the run back to downtown Fort Lauderdale. The event moved to Sunrise in the late ’90s because of other space limitations downtown. But by 2007, the downtown area had changed and it felt like the right time to come back. So we scouted some locations, spoke with local decision makers and Hans made it happen for the following April. As he told me, the Corporate Run was always meant to take place in downtown areas because it provided a more scenic and energetic backdrop for the thousands of employees and executives who participate each year. We are proud to say our company takes part in the Fort Lauderdale event each year and can say that Hans was 100 percent correct about the downtown vibe: thousands of people, all gathered downtown on a Thursday night after work, all with their own goals— it’s a very special scene.

While this is just one anecdote we can recall from our time working with Hans, Miami Herald reporter Susan Degnan-Miller did an excellent job summing up his life and the mark he left on South Florida’s running community. Click here to read her entire story.