Mike Dilbeck has been promoted to national director for the Team To End AIDS (T2), the endurance-training program started in 2010 by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC).
T2 is expanding in 2011, with programs starting in Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Houston; and perhaps elsewhere. He described T2's expansion as "very exciting and daunting."
Dilbeck, 46, has been living in Chicago for 10 years and now resides in west Lakeview. He is accountable for the national T2 brand and the expansion of T2 across the United States. He previously was T2's Program Director for Chicago.
Dilbeck said he wants T2 to "blow the roof off what's possible in the number of people registered and the amount of money raised" for AFC in 2011. His goals are 1,250 Chicago registrants and more than $750,000 raised for AFC.
In 2010, about 225 T2 runners completed the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October, and through all of T2's endurance-training events, they raised about $700,000.
"It has always been our goal to have T2 expand into a national program," Dilbeck said. "[Expansion] means a great deal to everyone here in Chicago, especially the AIDS Foundation of Chicago as the founding agency."
T2 trains runners to complete marathons, half-marathons and triathlons.
Many of T2's participants, as well as organizers and coaches, come from the LGBT community.
"As one of the communities most impacted by the virus, [the LGBT community] is a critically important community to T2 and we invite everyone in the LGBT community to get involved: participate, volunteer and/or donate," Dilbeck said.
In 2011, T2 also will expand its local training with three new events: the Honolulu Marathon, the Wrigley Field Road Tour (a 100-mile bicycle ride) and the Steelhead Half Ironman triathlon.
Dilbeck has completed five marathons. His best time is five hours, 20 minutes. He is not planning to run a marathon in 2011, but will participate in the seven-day bicycle ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
In addition, Dan Lakin has been promoted to assistant program director, while Chris Matthews is now T2's program sirector in Chicago.
Lakin completed the Honolulu Marathon Dec. 12, his fourth 26.2-mile race in 2010.