FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Vegas Marathon to Start at Night
·Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon becomes the
World's Largest Nighttime Running EventTM
·More than 30,000 runners expected on Sunday, December 4, 2011
·Exclusive 48-hour registration promotion open at Stripatnight.com
LAS VEGAS – March 8, 2011 – The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, a musical
format that revolutionized the running industry, has surged to the front of
the pack once again by announcing the first ever nighttime start for the
2011 Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon & ½ Marathon to Benefit
the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America.
Runners will span across all eight lanes of Las Vegas Boulevard on Sunday
night, December 4, exclusively shutting down the neon-lit Strip in epic
fashion and instantly becoming the World's Largest Nighttime Running
EventTM. The marathon will begin at 4:00 pm and the half-marathon will
start at dusk, approximately 5:30 pm. Each race will have a limited
capacity of entrants and an enforced time limit to complete the distance.
A special website dedicated to the night race has been launched at
Stripatnight.com, featuring an exclusive 48-hour registration promotion.
Regular event registration for both the marathon and half-marathon will
reopen to the general public on May 31, 2011.
"It has truly been a feat to close down Las Vegas Boulevard on a Sunday
morning each of the past two years and now we are doing the impossible by
closing down the entire Strip at night, taking this event to the next
level," said Peter Englehart, CEO of Competitor Group, which acquired the
44-year-old marathon in 2008. "We believe the unique experience that we're
going to deliver on the Strip at night makes this race so much different
than any other and our goal is to put this event on the global 'bucket
list' of races for runners around the world. A Rock 'n' Roll Marathon on
the Las Vegas Strip at night, what could be better than that?"
Las Vegas' signature running event was rebranded in 2009 as part of the
nationwide Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series and is managed by San Diego-based
Competitor Group, annually drawing over 28,000 entrants from all 50 states
and more than 30 countries. Last year, event weekend generated a total
economic impact of over $91 million and filled more than 63,000 hotel room
nights locally.
"Las Vegas is known for its entertainment and by moving the marathon to an
evening start, we will have a cast of more than 30,000 runners starring in
one of the hottest shows in town," said Pat Christenson, president of Las
Vegas Events. "For the competitors, they will have an unforgettable
experience of running along Las Vegas Boulevard under the lights. For fans
and spectators, they will have a chance to witness this massive spectacle
along the course on both the sidewalks and in the many bars, restaurants
and clubs that oversee the Las Vegas Strip."
In addition to live bands performing at each mile along the course, the Las
Vegas event is renowned for hundreds of people running dressed as Elvis,
and every year includes a run-through wedding chapel where runners in love
tie the knot during the race.
As the event's official charity, the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of
America will return with the Team Challenge half-marathon training program.
Since 2009, more than 1,800 Team Challenge runners have raised nearly $8
million though the event.
"We could not be more excited that the Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas
has moved to a nighttime start," said Staci Brown, National Director of
Team Challenge. "After raising critical research dollars for digestive
diseases and training over 16-weeks, there is no better motivation than to
celebrate your accomplishment under the neon lights of the most
exhilarating street in America."
For additional information about the nighttime event, visit
Stripatnight.com.
About Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas
A Competitor event, the 2011 Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon
& ½ Marathon to Benefit the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America will
take over the world famous Las Vegas Strip on Sunday night, December 4th.
Las Vegas Boulevard will be booming as more than 30,000 runners and walkers
make their way to the finish line to the electrifying beats of some of
Vegas' hottest music sensations. The event will also feature hundreds of
runners dressed as Elvis, a run through wedding chapel and a two-day Health
& Fitness Expo. For more information about Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las
Vegas, visit Competitor.com or call (800) 311-1255.
About Competitor Group
Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI) is the
leading endurance media and event entertainment company dedicated to
promoting the sports of running, cycling and triathlon. CGI owns and
operates 45 national endurance events, including the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
Series, TriRock Triathlon Series and Columbia Muddy Buddy Series; which
will deliver more than 400,000 professional and amateur participants in
2011. CGI publishes four magazine titles including VeloNews, Inside
Triathlon, Triathlete and Competitor magazine with a combined monthly
circulation of more than 800,000. In addition, the company holds a captive
online endurance community at Competitor.com delivering over 1.5 million
monthly unique visitors and 25 million page views. Further information
about Competitor and its media properties can be found at
www.competitormediakit.com.
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