San Francisco, Calif. – October 23, 2012 – Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI), the leading active lifestyle media and event entertainment company, today announced a partnership with Project Sport, LLC to bring the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series to San Francisco. The inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco Half Marathon is set for Sunday, April 7, 2013, rebranding the US Half Marathon 2 “The Other Half”, which has been held each spring since 2010. Registration for the event is open online at Competitor.com.
“Sports promoters are flocking to San Francisco because we are a city that knows how to stage and host large-scale, world class sporting events,” said Mayor Ed Lee. “These events not only showcase our beautiful City to the world, but they are good for our local economy and create jobs for our residents. We look forward to welcoming the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco Half Marathon to our City this spring.”
“San Francisco is an iconic destination with a long history of successful sporting events and cultural activities,” said Scott Dickey, President and CEO of CGI. “Adding a spring half-marathon in the Bay Area is a perfect addition to the Rock ‘n ’Roll Series which has become known for its integration of sports tourism and community wellness in many of the most attractive destinations around the world. In addition, we’ve been able to forge a great partnership with an experienced and well respected local Race Director in Ryan Dawkins. Ryan has successfully launched and built a great race which runs across the Golden Gate Bridge and is poised for considerable growth.”
In true Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon fashion, the San Francisco event will feature entertainment positioned along the course, interspersed with themed water and cheer stations. Headlining the post race experience will be a finish line festival with live music in celebration of each runner’s accomplishment.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to work with Competitor Group to bring the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series to San Francisco,” said Ryan Dawkins, Race Director of the US Half Marathon 2 “The Other Half”. “I have no doubt that given the impressive marketing and media assets, which CGI brings to the table, they will continue to grow our city’s spring half-marathon and give it the professional touch and local flair they’ve been known to showcase at all of their events.”
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series started as a single race in 1998, and has now become the ‘World’s Largest Running Series’ featuring a global tour of 32 events in 2013. Over the 15-year history of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, charity participants have raised more than $278 million for a variety of worthy causes and nonprofit organizations.
“Having been involved with Competitor Group and helping bring the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series to San Jose, I couldn’t be more excited to see another race happen in the Bay Area,” said Roger Craig, a Three Time Super Bowl Champion with the San Francisco 49ers. “Building off of our successful event in San Jose, a spring half-marathon in San Francisco is a runners dream and this event provides our region an additional opportunity to showcase the Bay Area to participants from around the world.”
Event weekend will kick off with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Moscone Convention Center on Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6. The free expo will be open to the public and feature the latest health and nutrition information with a variety of products for sample and sale, as well as a series of interactive fitness clinics.
“We are thrilled to have the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon coming to San Francisco! Between the city’s musical heritage (“We built this city on rock and roll”) and our challenging hills and rewarding views, this is a match made in half marathon heaven,” said Wendy Ramirez, Director of Citywide Sales for the San Francisco Travel Association. “We welcome all of the runners, sponsors and organizers to San Francisco for what is sure to be a hugely successful event.”
For more information about the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series or to register for the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll San Francisco Half Marathon, please visit Competitor.com.
About the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series
Organized by Competitor Group, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is the ‘World’s Largest Running Series’ with more than 500,000 runners taking part in events around the world each year. Started in 1998, the simple idea of making running fun has transformed the U.S. running landscape by infusing the course with live bands, cheer teams and entertaining water stations, creating a block-party atmosphere for participants and spectators alike. Today, the series of marathons and half-marathons has spread to more than 32 destination cities, drawing visitors from around the world.
Race weekend kicks off with a free Health & Fitness Expo with more than 100 exhibitors offering samples and showcasing the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health and nutritional information and much more. Event weekend culminates with a finish line celebration. For more information, please visit Competitor.com or follow @RunRocknRoll on Twitter.