Hermes was founded in 1981and has built a reputation as Northeast Ohio's premier race management group. Throughout the Greater Cleveland and Columbus areas, Hermes has produced and managed programs on behalf of the Cleveland Indians, the Cleveland CAVS/Rockers, the Cleveland Browns, FOX Sports Net, the "Race for the Cure" in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio and Baltimore, Maryland. Additionally, as event manager of the 1999 AAU Junior Olympic Games, Hermes oversaw more than 25 events at over 40 different venues throughout Northeast Ohio.

Hermes is named for the winged-footed messenger god of classical mythology.

We are a company that emphasizes teamwork- the link between event sponsors and participants. That's just part of the "Home Team Advantage": Hermes commitment to Northeast Ohio's athletes, organizations and business community.

Neal Neroni
Neroni is president of Hermes and has been a partner with the organization since 1993. Neroni has worked on hundreds of events in the northern Ohio area since his graduation from Bowling Green state University in 1988. He began his sports management career as an intern for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Later, he joined the Cleveland Indians as an account executive. From 1989 to 1993, he worked in sports and operations for the Ohio Sports Festival, which was the first statewide amateur sports "State Games" in Ohio, assuming the director's position in 1991. From 1993 until 1999, he was the director of Sports and Operations for the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission, helping to bring several events to the city and guiding their management.

Nick Swingos
Swingos is Hermes' financial manager. He is also responsible for the company's technological advancements and producing client websites. A graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio with strengths in finance and computers, Swingos joined Hermes in 1998. Prior to joining the Hermes team, he managed and operated multiple restaurants for Swingos, Inc., a family run company with a 35-year history of fine dining excellence in Cleveland.

Katherine Gessner
Gessner is Hermes’ Director of Race Operations.  She is responsible for coordinating and planning Hermes’ road races.  A 2005 graduate of Marietta College, Gessner earned a degree in marketing and minors in sport management and leadership.  While in college, she was employed as a marketing intern at the Marietta Family YMCA where she helped to promote various children’s programs and services.  Immediately after graduation, Gessner was the Race Coordinator for the Parkersburg News & Sentinel Half Marathon in Parkersburg, WV.  Gessner joined Hermes in 2005.

Andrew Kraemer
Kraemer serves as Hermes’ Director of the Cleveland Corporate Challenge.  He is responsible for the planning and operations of the Corporate Challenge events, as well as some road races.  A recent graduate of Bowling Green State University with a degree in Sports Management, Kraemer joined the Hermes team in 2006.  Prior to Hermes, Kraemer served as the Assistant Director of Football Operations for the Bowling Green Athletic Department.

Gary Easter
Gary started Hermes Race Systems in 1981. At that time, the first race of the organization was the First Turkey Trot which was held in the Metroparks and had 600 runners. He was President of the Cleveland West Roadrunners from 1979-1981, and President of the Athletic Congress in 1984. Gary was Chairman of the Long Distance Running Division of the Athletic Congress from 1982-1984. He has completed 22 marathons, and is married with two children. Gary is currently a police officer in Lakewood, OH.