Rock ‘n’ Roll Pittsburgh Half Marathon Announced
Inaugural 13.1-mile race combines fitness and entertainment; New event to promotes tourism, visitor spending in summer 2013
Pittsburgh, PA – March 21, 2012 – Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI) ), the leading active lifestyle sports media and event entertainment company, today announced Pittsburgh as the newest Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series destination next year, with the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Pittsburgh Half Marathon set to debut on Sunday, August 4, 2013.
“We’re excited to welcome nearly 12,000 runners from around the world to the City of Pittsburgh next August. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon is an excellent opportunity to show why National Geographic Traveler named Pittsburgh a ‘Best of the World’ place to visit,” said Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl.
The musically themed race series combines live, local bands, enthusiastic cheerleaders, and spectator-lined streets, taking runners on a 13.1-mile tour through one of America’s iconic cities. The race will promote Pittsburgh as a destination city, highlighting its landmarks, unique neighborhoods and scenic riverfront.
“As we expand the series across the country, we’re excited to showcase the city of Pittsburgh as a running destination and a great place to visit,” said Scott Dickey, President & CEO of Competitor Group Inc. “It’s a city we know our runners will certainly enjoy and we look forward to giving them an unforgettable race experience to the local running community as well.”
Estimates project more than 50 percent of event participants will travel from out of town and the event could fill 5,000 hotel rooms in the Pittsburgh area, providing an economic impact of $8 million for restaurants, shops and other local businesses in its first year.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series to Pittsburgh,” commented Craig Davis, President & CEO of VisitPittsburgh. “Competitor Group is known for organizing world class events and it’s an exciting opportunity to put Pittsburgh on display for runners from across the country, while also promoting health and fitness in our community.”
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series now runs in 29 cities across the world, with events held in the U.S. and four international destinations. The events create a community wide celebration by combining on course entertainment with a finish line festival and post race concert. Past Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon concert headliners have included Cheap Trick, Blues Traveler, Pitbull, B-52s, Goo Goo Dolls and Bret Michaels.
Race weekend kicks off with a free Health & Fitness Expo, which will showcase the latest in running products and services with interactive clinics from fitness experts. Registration and route information will be announced at a later date. For more information, please visit Competitor.com.
