FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ING Creating New World-Class Distance Running Event in Atlanta
Inaugural ING Georgia Marathon Will 'Paint the Town Orange'
ATLANTA, June 16 -- ING today announced it will serve as the
title sponsor of the inaugural ING Georgia Marathon, a premier distance
running event to be held in metro Atlanta on March 25, 2007. The event,
created in partnership with the Georgia Marathon LLC, is expected to draw
15,000 participants and cheering spectators from throughout the Atlanta
area.
"Atlanta is ING's Americas headquarters and we are thrilled to work with
the city and the state to create what will be the Southeast's premier
sporting events," said Tom Waldron, executive vice president, ING Americas.
"We believe that running is a universal and accessible sport and we work
hard to help make the races we sponsor exciting, rewarding and fun for
every racer and spectator that takes part."
The ING Georgia Marathon, which will include a marathon, half-marathon and
wheelchair events, becomes the company's 18th major running event. Georgia
Marathon LLC estimates that the race will bring approximately $21 million
to the city.
The race course will travel through 26.2 miles 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 Atlanta Botanical Gardens.
"Atlanta has always been a great town for runners and our community
consistently shows its support to elite and amateur runners alike," said
Victoria Seahorn, race director. "The ING Georgia Marathon takes the city
to the next level and will be on par with some of the best, most respected
distance running events in the country."
To encourage spectator participation, ING will "paint the town orange" with
Cheering Zones along the course. These special areas will bring spectators
together to bang bright orange noisemakers, create inspiring "GO" signs,
listen to live music and provide a much-needed boost to all those running
the 2007 ING Georgia Marathon.
Mayor Shirley Franklin has issued a Neighborhood Challenge for residents to
create unique viewing areas. During the race, the viewing areas will be
judged on theme, creativity, number of spectators and overall spirit. The
winning group will receive a donation from ING to help support neighborhood
fitness initiatives.
"We expect this race to bring a great spirit of excitement and spirit to
the city," said Mayor Franklin. "I'm confident our residents will embrace
this challenge and show some great creativity on race day."
The company has maintained a long history of support for major marathons
and other running events around the world. In addition to the ING Georgia
Marathon, the company sponsors 17 other major running events across the
globe, including: The ING Amsterdam Marathon, the ING Bay to Breakers 12K
in San Francisco, ING Brussels Marathon, ING Miami Marathon, ING New York
City Marathon, ING Ottawa Marathon, ING Taipei Marathon, and the ING
Thailand Temple Run.
About ING
ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking,
insurance and asset management to more than 60 million private, corporate
and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse
workforce of more than 113,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of
prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING
brand.
In the U.S., the ING family of companies offers a comprehensive array of
financial services to retail and institutional clients which include life
insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative
investments, direct banking, institutional investment management,
annuities, employee benefits, financial planning and reinsurance. ING holds
top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves more than 14 million
customers across the nation. For more information, visit
www.ing.com.
About the ING Georgia Marathon
The ING Georgia Marathon is the premier running event in the Southeast. The
race creates awareness for healthy lifestyles in the local community. The
inaugural event runs on March 25, 2007 with approximately 15,000 runners,
walkers and wheelchair athletes expected to participate. The event will
create an estimated $21 million in economic impact on the metro Atlanta
community. For more information, please visit
www.inggeorgiamarathon.com.
###
|
