FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon Wraps Up Eight Years of Success
Led by the Nutter Administration
The GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon has grown to be
one of the City's premier athletic events
PHILADELPHIA – (December 31, 2015) – The Philadelphia Marathon, which has
flourished since coming under the Nutter Administration in 2008, yields a
legacy over the last eight years of growth in registrants, spectators,
charity partners, cheer zones, Health & Fitness exhibitors and more. New
and enhanced elements like these help solidify why this race continues its
popularity with runners, drawing nearly 30,000 participants each November
to its four races, the Marathon, Half Marathon, Rothman Institute 8K and
Kid's Fun Run.
"It's been gratifying to see the tremendous development of the Philadelphia
Marathon over the last eight years," said Mayor Michael A. Nutter. "Adding
the Mayor's High Five Award in 2010, gaining Gold certification in
sustainability for the 2012 race, increasing our racers from 16,000 to
about 30,000, and all the other amazing milestones, is a testament to why
the Marathon is one of Philadelphia's biggest events."
One of the few city-owned races in the industry, the Philadelphia Marathon
is produced by the Office of the City Representative, supported by
GORE-TEX® for the last three years. It has been rated 5th of the "ten best
first-time marathons for runners" by Forbes Editors' Choice; a "best fall
marathon" by Running.about.com; and was elevated to 8th place in national
rankings of the largest marathons by Running USA. In January 2015 the race
was named "Best Marathon in the Mid-Atlantic Region" as polled by
Competitor.com and one of the "15 fastest fall marathons to earn a BQ" by
DailyBurn.com.
"As Race Director of this incredible event, I've witnessed the sheer joy of
finishers at the line, seen impressive feats of athleticism, and been a
part of the great sense of community that supports this race," said Desiree
Peterkin-Bell, City Representative. "And it is always a big boost for the
local economy. Our hotel partners report that 2015 was another blockbuster
year for room night reservations that weekend. An estimated 50,000 hotel
nights were used specifically by marathon participants during Race
Weekend."
Title sponsor GORE-TEX®, global leader in climate comfort and weather
protection in running footwear, has helped increase the international
awareness of the Philadelphia Marathon. This partnership concludes in 2015,
having fulfilled its three-year term. Organizers have a number of prospects
underway for the 2016 Philadelphia Marathon.
"On behalf of the GORE-TEX® brand, our three years sponsoring this
incredible event have been exciting and rewarding," said Kirk Christensen,
Running Footwear Global Leader for GORE-TEX®. "Being a part of the
Philadelphia Marathon has been a great opportunity to give back to the
runners who support our products which enhance their running footwear, and
to celebrate the quest to achieve greatness. Although our partnership has
reached its term, we will continue serving the needs of runners and cheer
them on every mile. Thanks to Mayor Nutter and his team for a wonderful
three years together producing this inspiring event!"
Below are a few highlights of the Philadelphia Marathon over the years:
Mobile App. The 2015 Race Weekend saw the first ever GORE-TEX®
Philadelphia Marathon mobile app. The free app, which includes a weekend
schedule of events, course map and runner tracking, was downloaded nearly
14,000 times by the end of Race Weekend.
Registration. The GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon has expanded greatly
from its humble beginnings, where just 1,500 participants were a part of
the race in 1994. By 2008, registration had expanded to about 16,000. The
Philadelphia Marathon, Half Marathon and Rothman Institute 8K races have
grown exponentially to an all-time high registration of 31,718 across all
races in 2013.
Sustainability Initiative. The city-wide race has worked to lessen its
carbon footprint by implementing innovative sustainability measures to
become one of the nation's most eco-friendly marathons. In 2013, the
GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon received its gold standard for their 2012
environmental efforts by the Council of Responsible Sport. The race has
maintained a certification over the last two years, diverting 85 percent of
Race Weekend waste from landfills. To achieve this high standard, the
Marathon partnered with the Mayor's Office of Sustainability and the Office
of Civic Engagement and Volunteer Services.
Charity Program. The GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon has partnered with
many charities that support local initiatives and benefit people right here
in the Philadelphia Region, nationally and around the world. The charity
program has increased from 12 to 30+ charities and raised more than $4.4
million dollars since the program's inception in 2010.
High Five Award. The Philadelphia Marathon is committed to recognizing
its dedicated participants. For the last six years, the Mayor's High Five
Award has been presented to a marathon participant who demonstrates unique
courage and perseverance just to reach the start line. Seeing Mayor Nutter
at the start line, high-fiving runners as they depart from the Ben Franklin
Parkway, has become a staple of the GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon.
LEGacy Program. The LEGacy Runner program is comprised of runners who
have been with our race nearly every step of the way, participating in at
least 15 of our 22 marathons. Each year, dedicated Philadelphia Marathoners
are added to this prestigious group of runners.
Cheer Zones. Philadelphia is known for having some of the most devoted
sports fans in the world, and every year our Cheer Zones are filled with
60,000 them. In 2015, thousands gathered at the 26 Cheer Zones set up along
the GORE-TEX® Philadelphia Marathon course.
About the Philadelphia Marathon:
The Philadelphia Marathon weekend attracts nearly 30,000 runners, 60,000
spectators, and 3,000 volunteers. Race Weekend 2016 features the
Philadelphia Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday, November 20; Rothman
Institute 8K and Kids Fun Run on Saturday, November 19; and free two-day
Comcast Health & Fitness Expo Friday, November 18 and Saturday, November
19. Race participants pass many of Philadelphia's famous attractions on the
swift and scenic USATF-certified course, which is a Boston qualifier. Take
the first step to experiencing 26.2 miles of fun, beauty, history and
excitement by visiting www.philadelphiamarathon.com. Be sure to connect
with us on Facebook (facebook.com/philadelphiamarathon), Twitter
(@philly_marathon) and Instagram (@philly_marathon) to stay up to date with
the latest Philadelphia Marathon news.
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