FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                          Contact: Whit Collins
                                                   265 Kings Grant Road
                                                   Virginia Beach, VA 23452
                                                   Ph: (757) 498-0215

           ANTHEM BAY BRIDGE MARATHON DISCONTINUED FOR 2004

(February 11, 2004 -- Virginia Beach, VA)  -- The Anthem Bay Bridge
Marathon, a weekend of October running events produced by the Virginia
Beach Neptune Festival, has been discontinued.

The concept for the Anthem Bay Bridge Marathon was a great one. Race
organizers recognized and were equipped for the considerable logistics
required by an event of this magnitude. However, the resources needed to
overcome these challenges year after year and to continue producing a
first-class event into the future simply are not available.

"We were pleased to sponsor this one-of-a-kind race. Events such as the
Anthem Bay Bridge Marathon that promote healthy lifestyles are a good fit
for our company," said Brooke Taylor, vice president for community
relations, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. "In two years, more than
$25,000 was donated to the American Heart Association to support education
and research in the Hampton Roads region."

In 2004, the Neptune Festival is expanding its long-popular Sandman
Triathlon. In addition, plans are being considered for a new health and
fitness weekend, featuring a series of Festival-sponsored sporting events
in the oceanfront resort.
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