FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Javier De Jesus
ING Georgia Marathon &
Half Marathon
(404) 210-2780
or
Jackie Tyson
Peloton Sports
(678) 362-6228
www.inggeorgiamarathon.com
Prize Purse Announced for Inaugural ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon
Delta Air Lines to Provide Special Prizes to Top Male/Female from Georgia
Atlanta, GA (January 25, 2007) – Race officials at the ING Georgia Marathon
& Half Marathon announced that over $30,000 will be awarded to runners at
the inaugural race, scheduled for Sunday, March 25. The first place male
and female in the Open Division of the Marathon will receive $5,000 each.
The Half Marathon will pay $1,500 to each first place finisher in the Open
Division. An additional $9,000 will be awarded to participants in the
Wheelchair Division of the Half Marathon.
The payouts go five spots deep in the marathon in the Open Division. The
first male who completes the race in under two hours and 12 minutes will
earn an additional $1,000; the first female who completes the race in sub
two hours and 30 minutes will also earn an additional $1,000. Prize money
will be awarded to the top five finishers in the Open Division and to the
top three finishers in the Master's Division for the Marathon. In the Half
Marathon, payouts will go three deep for runners, with a $1,500 first prize
in the Open Division for male and female competitors. In the Wheelchair
Division, the top male and female in the Open Division will win $1,500
each.
"This is a significant prize money structure for a first-year event. We
believe this will allow us to attract a very talented field for the
marathon and half marathon," said Victoria Seahorn, race director for the
ING Georgia Marathon. "And Delta Air Lines has introduced a bonus
incentive for all Georgians in the race. Close to 70% of the registrations
to date reside here in Georgia, so it is a great way for a global company
like Delta to recognize members of the local communities where they are so
strongly involved."
For all amateur participants who are Georgia residents, and U.S. citizens,
Delta Air Lines, the official airline of the ING Georgia Marathon, will
provide a special incentive. Two trips for two to Amsterdam, Netherlands,
will be awarded by Delta Air Lines – one trip for the top Georgia male and
one trip for the top Georgia female. The trips will include registrations
for each winner and a guest to participate in the October 15, 2007 ING
Amsterdam Marathon, staging its 29th race this year. Hotel accommodations
and race registrations will be provided by Mizuno USA.
"Few companies are synonymous with their home base like Delta is with
Atlanta and the state of Georgia, and we're delighted to sponsor this
premier sporting event in our own backyard," said Tim Mapes, Delta's
managing director of Marketing. "Delta's Worldport at Hartsfield-Jackson
Atlanta International Airport is the world's largest airline hub and home
of Delta's largest international operation with flights to 72 international
destinations in 45 countries, including convenient service to Amsterdam."
A mass start at 7:00 a.m. of 15,000 marathoners and half-marathon runners
will begin in exactly two months from Underground Atlanta for the inaugural
ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon. The wheelchair race on the half
marathon course will begin at 6:55 a.m. As of today, 13,800 registrations
had been received for all events. The ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon
is part of the USATF Georgia Long Distance Running (LDR) Grand Prix Series,
which has eight championship events in 2007.
"To win a marathon is prestigious. To win a debut marathon is historical,"
said Ron Wayne, the Running Promotions Manager at Mizuno USA, who is
managing the entry process for elite runners at the ING Georgia Marathon &
Half Marathon. To apply as an elite runner in the Marathon, athletes, or
their representatives, should contact Ron Wayne at .
Elite Athletes will be notified if they have been accepted into the ING
Georgia Marathon or Half Marathon.
About the ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon
The ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon, to be held on Sunday, March 25,
is Georgia's first neighborhood–based marathon and half marathon. It will
travel through 26.2 miles (and 13.1 miles for the half marathon) of the
Metro Atlanta area's most interesting and historic areas including the
Sweet Auburn District, Inman Park, Decatur, Midtown and Downtown. Along the
way, it will pass landmarks including the King Center, Carter Center,
Margaret Mitchell House and finish at Underground Atlanta. The ING Georgia
Marathon & Half Marathon includes a marathon, half-marathon and a
wheelchair half-marathon. Runners, "wheelers," and race-day volunteers can
get information about the route, expo, training seminars and event sponsors
at: wwwinggeorgiamarathon.com.
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