24 Hour Fitness Gets in the Running Marathon Weekend
24 Hour Fitness gets in the running marathon weekend as new sponsor of 4-mile race hp houston marathon to once again offer three race distances
Posted Friday, 30 August, 2002
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Catherine Rogan - (713) 752-1900/crogan@hillandknowlton.com
Steven Karpas - (713) 957-3453/skarpas@houstonmarathon.com
24 Hour Fitness gets in the running marathon weekend as new sponsor of 4-mile race hp houston marathon to once again offer three race distances
HOUSTON - (Aug. 28, 2002) - As part of its efforts to help Houston get fit, 24 Hour Fitness has signed on as the new title sponsor for the hp houston marathon's 4-mile fun run.
The 24 hour fitness 4 miler will take place Sunday, Jan. 19 on a portion of the marathon course in downtown Houston.
"Being a part of the hp houston marathon weekend is a natural fit for us," said Shane Dodson, vice president of marketing for 24 Hour Fitness. "Our mission is to make a difference in the communities we serve by helping people change their lives through health and fitness. Sponsoring the 24 hour fitness 4 miler is a perfect extension of this mission and provides an additional outlet for Houstonians to make healthy lifestyle choices."
The 4-mile sponsorship is another way 24 Hour Fitness is lending its support to an initiative to get Houston in shape. In May, the company launched "Meltdown Houston" to encourage Houstonians to lose a collective 1 million pounds in a year. The weight-loss and lifestyle management program is available at all 26 Houston-area 24 Hour Fitness locations and has motivated hundreds of people to take steps to get fit.
"24 Hour Fitness is a name synonymous with health and fitness and an ideal sponsor for our 4-mile race," said hp houston marathon race director Brant Kotch. "It's the generous support from sponsors like 24 Hour Fitness that help us create a successful event. They are a key part of what makes the entire marathon weekend a memorable experience for our runners."
The 24 Hour Fitness 4 miler will be held in conjunction with the 31st annual hp houston marathon and the ep 13.1 miler, which will mark its second year in 2003. The Texas Children's Hospital Kids' Fun Run kicks off race weekend Saturday, Jan. 18, with a noncompetitive two-mile run for area middle-school students. Registration for the marathon, half-marathon and 4 miler is underway online, with the annual kickoff party set for Sept. 9 at Memorial Park. Runners may register online on the hp houston marathon website www.hphoustonmarathon.com. Registration forms will be available at most local athletic clubs, YMCAs and the Tennis Center at Memorial Park after Sept. 9.
The hp houston marathon, a founding member of Running USA, is the nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from across the U.S. states and several foreign countries. In 2002, nearly 15,000 runners took part in four marathon weekend events (marathon, half-marathon, four-mile run and children's run). The hp houston marathon offers the only closed marathon course in Texas and is ranked among the top five in the nation by the Ultimate Guide to Marathons for fastest course, organization and crowd support.
More than 5,000 volunteers organize the race, which is Houston's largest single-day sporting event. More information is available at www.hphoustonmarathon.com <http://www.hphoustonmarathon.com> or by calling (713) 957-3453.
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Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services
USATF Road Running Information Center
5522 Camino Cerralvo
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252
http://www.runningusa.org
http://www.usaldr.org
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