100 Mile Club® Names Joseph Nakamura Executive Director
A 16-year veteran of the nonprofit and a silver-buckle ultrarunner, Nakamura brings two decades of fitness leadership and a lifelong commitment to helping kids move, grow, and thrive.
Norco, CA, September 04, 2026 --(PR.com)-- 100 Mile Club®, the school-based physical activity program leading the national effort to prevent childhood inactivity and obesity, today named Joseph “Joe” Nakamura as its new Executive Director, effective August 5, 2026. Nakamura succeeds Billie Jean “BJ” Walker in the role.
Nakamura brings more than 20 years of experience leading fitness programs, facilities, and community wellness initiatives to the role, paired with a lifelong dedication to athletics and helping others thrive through movement. His history with 100 Mile Club dates back to 2010 and spans 16 years, including service on its Board of Directors from 2012 to 2025 and, most recently, a staff role leading outreach, events, and strategic partnerships.
Few incoming executives arrive with that vantage point. Nakamura has been a board member helping set strategy, a staff member building partnerships on the ground, and now the leader charged with carrying the mission forward — giving him a rare, firsthand understanding of the organization, its community, and its people.
“100 Mile Club could not be more excited to have someone of Joe’s caliber and experience lead our organization,” said Michael Abel, Chair of the 100 Mile Club Board of Directors. “His proven leadership and deep, long-standing commitment to our mission provide a strong foundation for our collective success.”
Before joining the 100 Mile Club staff, Nakamura spent more than a decade as an operating partner overseeing multiple fitness facilities and later founded a community-centered run specialty store. Across each role, he has built programs, teams, and partnerships centered on helping people become healthier and stronger through movement.
Nakamura’s own relationship with movement began on the wrestling mat, where he was a silver medalist at the AAU National Freestyle Championships and went on to earn an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. While in college, he started working in the fitness industry and found a lasting calling: helping others transform their lives through exercise.
That same drive carries into his athletic pursuits today. Nakamura began running 100-mile ultramarathons in 2011 as a fundraiser for 100 Mile Club, finishing in under 24 hours — and has since completed numerous sub-24-hour 100-mile races in support of the organization, including a silver buckle finish at the prestigious Western States 100 and a sub-24-hour finish at the Angeles Crest 100. His message to students is simple: if someone can cover 100 miles in under a day, they can accomplish so much more over a full school year.
Today, Nakamura is also a husband, father, and youth coach, living out the values of endurance, service, perseverance, and family health that define 100 Mile Club’s mission.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to carry on the mission our founder — and my good friend — Kara Lubin began nearly 35 years ago, and to lead this organization, which has meant so much to me and my family for more than 16 years, in a direction that would make her proud,” Nakamura said. “I’ve seen firsthand how 100 Mile Club helps children discover confidence, perseverance, belonging, and joy through movement. My goal is to honor the strong foundation Kara and so many others have built while expanding our reach, strengthening our partnerships, and making sure even more children, schools, and communities can experience the life-changing impact of this program.”
Nakamura is also using his new platform to issue a challenge beyond the student body. “This mission doesn’t stop with kids,” he added. “We’re asking every parent, teacher, coach, and community member to join us — because if we want the next generation to live active, healthy lives, the adults around them must set that example. We can’t just cheer from the sidelines. We have to lace up and show them what it looks like.”
The 100 Mile Club Board of Directors extends its sincere gratitude to Walker for her dedicated leadership and continued commitment to advancing the organization’s mission. Walker will remain involved in a part-time advisory role to help support a smooth transition.
About 100 Mile Club®
100 Mile Club® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that engages and empowers children and families to achieve healthy lifestyles through physical activity — preventing childhood inactivity and obesity one child, one school, and one community at a time. Since 1993, 100 Mile Club has been a leading school-based physical activity program, helping children of all abilities build healthy habits, confidence, perseverance, and a lifelong love of movement.
For more information, visit www.100mileclub.com.
Nakamura brings more than 20 years of experience leading fitness programs, facilities, and community wellness initiatives to the role, paired with a lifelong dedication to athletics and helping others thrive through movement. His history with 100 Mile Club dates back to 2010 and spans 16 years, including service on its Board of Directors from 2012 to 2025 and, most recently, a staff role leading outreach, events, and strategic partnerships.
Few incoming executives arrive with that vantage point. Nakamura has been a board member helping set strategy, a staff member building partnerships on the ground, and now the leader charged with carrying the mission forward — giving him a rare, firsthand understanding of the organization, its community, and its people.
“100 Mile Club could not be more excited to have someone of Joe’s caliber and experience lead our organization,” said Michael Abel, Chair of the 100 Mile Club Board of Directors. “His proven leadership and deep, long-standing commitment to our mission provide a strong foundation for our collective success.”
Before joining the 100 Mile Club staff, Nakamura spent more than a decade as an operating partner overseeing multiple fitness facilities and later founded a community-centered run specialty store. Across each role, he has built programs, teams, and partnerships centered on helping people become healthier and stronger through movement.
Nakamura’s own relationship with movement began on the wrestling mat, where he was a silver medalist at the AAU National Freestyle Championships and went on to earn an NCAA Division I athletic scholarship. While in college, he started working in the fitness industry and found a lasting calling: helping others transform their lives through exercise.
That same drive carries into his athletic pursuits today. Nakamura began running 100-mile ultramarathons in 2011 as a fundraiser for 100 Mile Club, finishing in under 24 hours — and has since completed numerous sub-24-hour 100-mile races in support of the organization, including a silver buckle finish at the prestigious Western States 100 and a sub-24-hour finish at the Angeles Crest 100. His message to students is simple: if someone can cover 100 miles in under a day, they can accomplish so much more over a full school year.
Today, Nakamura is also a husband, father, and youth coach, living out the values of endurance, service, perseverance, and family health that define 100 Mile Club’s mission.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to carry on the mission our founder — and my good friend — Kara Lubin began nearly 35 years ago, and to lead this organization, which has meant so much to me and my family for more than 16 years, in a direction that would make her proud,” Nakamura said. “I’ve seen firsthand how 100 Mile Club helps children discover confidence, perseverance, belonging, and joy through movement. My goal is to honor the strong foundation Kara and so many others have built while expanding our reach, strengthening our partnerships, and making sure even more children, schools, and communities can experience the life-changing impact of this program.”
Nakamura is also using his new platform to issue a challenge beyond the student body. “This mission doesn’t stop with kids,” he added. “We’re asking every parent, teacher, coach, and community member to join us — because if we want the next generation to live active, healthy lives, the adults around them must set that example. We can’t just cheer from the sidelines. We have to lace up and show them what it looks like.”
The 100 Mile Club Board of Directors extends its sincere gratitude to Walker for her dedicated leadership and continued commitment to advancing the organization’s mission. Walker will remain involved in a part-time advisory role to help support a smooth transition.
About 100 Mile Club®
100 Mile Club® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that engages and empowers children and families to achieve healthy lifestyles through physical activity — preventing childhood inactivity and obesity one child, one school, and one community at a time. Since 1993, 100 Mile Club has been a leading school-based physical activity program, helping children of all abilities build healthy habits, confidence, perseverance, and a lifelong love of movement.
For more information, visit www.100mileclub.com.
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100 Mile Club
Karina Villasenor
951-425-2424
100mileclub.com
Karina Villasenor
951-425-2424
100mileclub.com
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