FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MIAMI RACE POISED TO HOST 15,000 RUNNERS,
CURRENT REGISTRATION NUMBERS UP BY 31%
MARKETING TEAM VISITS AMERICA'S LARGEST RACES
TELLING RUNNERS TO "PICTURE YOURSELF RUNNING MIAMI THIS WINTER"
MIAMI (October 30, 2007) –Six years ago, the notion of hosting a
large-size, major marathon in Miami and Miami Beach was unimaginable and
now the organizers of the ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon® are
forecasting registration numbers to be between fourteen and fifteen
thousand runners, walkers and athletes with disabilities. With three months
until the January 27, 2008 event, the number of registered athletes has
surpassed 6,000, an increase from 4,600 registrants at the same time last
year. The 31% spike in registration marks the largest number of
participants to have registered three months before the race and organizers
expect the number to stay ahead due to the strong marketing effort underway
at major marathons nationwide and Florida marathons in December and
January.
With an expected field of 15,000 athletes, Miami has become a well known
destination for runners around the world looking for a winter event to
participate in. As running season peaks from September through November,
when the largest races in the U.S. and Canada are held, race organizers
have created a marketing plan to continue the boost in registration and
attract participants that travel for winter races. Marketing teams from the
ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon® are showcasing South Florida's
largest marathon at race expos, reaching half a million runners,
spectators, and sponsors at ten races, urging runners to "Picture Yourself
Running Miami This Winter." The marketing effort will be taken to major
marathons in New York, Philadelphia, and Las Vegas after having visited
Washington, D.C., Toronto, and Chicago the past month. The campaign has
been successful in elevating the events appeal to runners from outside of
Florida, in cold climates like the Midwest, Northeast and Canada. At expos,
runners are given magnetic photo frames, citrus scented silhouettes of a
runner and brochures in line with the "Picture Yourself" theme.
"Visiting these races in major markets allows us to sell Miami to hundreds
of thousands of runners from cold climates, Europe, Latin America and
elsewhere," explained Danny Elfenbein, Marketing and Public Relations
Director, PR Racing. "More importantly, we get to sell them the idea of
winter in Miami, the best time of year to run a marathon in South Florida."
In 2007, 68% of the participants came to Miami from outside Miami-Dade
County, with 1,200 runners coming from international destinations.
Currently, runners are registered from 49 states and 36 countries and
registration is expected to increase after expo marketing is done and the
race draws near.
The 2008 ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon® is scheduled for January 27,
2008. Anyone who registers before November 15 will be able to get a
personalized bib with their name on it. Entry fees are $70 for the half
marathon and $95 for the full marathon. For more information call
305-278-8668 or logon to www.INGMiamiMarathon.com.
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