Caron joins Maine Sports Commission as sports development director

PORTLAND – Patrick Caron has joined the Maine Sports Commission as sports development director. 

Caron joined the Maine Sports Commission’s Board of Directors in 2024 for a three-year term, with a goal to emphasize Maine as a four-season sports destination. He is the founder of Move Free, an international outdoor brand offering consciously crafted activewear and movement experiences for athletes and adventurers. He launched the popular Move Free Run Club, which brings runners together around their shared passion for movement and community. Move Free also curates and hosts multiple running retreats around the region, focused on cultivating community and showcasing New England’s gorgeous landscapes. 

In addition to competing professionally in races around the world for the last several years, Caron has worked closely with numerous running clubs and event organizers to support them through race directing, media coverage, podcast hosting, live commentating, coaching, outreach, fundraising, and more. 

In his role as sports development director, Caron will oversee sourcing leads to attract new events and have a presence on selecting local organizing committees throughout the bid and event planning processes.  

“As someone with grassroots experience in organizing regional events which draw people from all over the country, and as the XTERRA Trail Run World Championships Ambassador, Sugarloaf, 2023, 2024, Patrick will be a tremendous asset to our team,” said Sheila Brennan Nee, strategic director of the Maine Sports Commission. “His expertise and energy will help supercharge our efforts to continue driving Maine’s sports tourism business.” 

Caron is excited to continue his work on the cultivation and promotion of Maine’s sports scene. He has a role on the Bay of Fundy International Marathon committee and is engaged in discussions around adaptive sports, gravel cycling, marathons, and other prospective events. 

Maine Sports Commission is a nonprofit organization that works to advance, elevate and promote Maine as a four-season sports destination, strengthening the state through sports tourism, encouraging healthy, active lifestyles. Sporting events contributed an estimated $155.6 million to the Maine economy and attracted approximately 253,071 out-of-state visitors in 2019, according to a study conducted by the University of Southern Maine’s Center for Business and Economic Research.