2008 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle Reaches Capacity in Record Time
Posted Monday, 4 February, 2008
CHICAGO, IL (February 4, 2008) – The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle reached its participant capacity today, nearly two months in advance of the 29th annual event. Since opening registration to the public on January 1, 30,000 people have signed on to complete the 8K race or 5K fitness walk on Sunday, March 30.
Locally recognized as an annual rite of spring and the opening of the outdoor Chicago running season, the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle will kick off a season of running events that culminate with the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October.
“It is astounding how popular this event and recreational running in Chicago has become since I first started working on this event nearly 20 years ago,” said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski of Chicago Event Management. “This is truly a Chicago race with more than 90% of our participants from the area so it is always a great celebration of spring, outdoor running and fitness.”
Although registration is closed, there are numerous ways runners and non-runners can still be part of the excitement that surrounds race weekend. The public is invited to attend the free Health & Fitness Expo at Navy Pier on Friday and Saturday, March 28-29 and to cheer on participants during the 8K and 5K events. Marketing and volunteer opportunities are also still available at www.shamrockshuffle.com.
Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle
The 29th annual Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle will officially usher in the Chicago running season on Sunday, March 30, 2008 with an 8K run through the city and 5K fitness walk along the lakeshore. Beginning and ending in historic Grant Park, the 8K provides an abbreviated preview of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon course as it circles the city’s stunning downtown architecture. 5K walkers are treated to a scenic stroll along the shores of Lake Michigan in the shadow of the magnificent city skyline. Online registration for both events closed on February 4, 2008 when the 30,000 participant capacity was reached. The entire Chicago community is invited to celebrate along the 8K course or sign up to volunteer. For more information, visit www.shamrockshuffle.com.
Bank of America
Bank of America is one of the world's largest financial institutions, serving individual consumers, small and middle market businesses and large corporations with a full range of banking, investing, asset management and other financial and risk-management products and services. The company provides unmatched convenience in the United States, serving more than 59 million consumer and small business relationships with more than 6,100 retail banking offices, nearly 19,000 ATMs and award-winning online banking with nearly 24 million active users. Bank of America is the No. 1 overall Small Business Administration (SBA) lender in the United States and the No. 1 SBA lender to minority-owned small businesses. The company serves clients in 175 countries and has relationships with 99 percent of the U.S. Fortune 500 companies and 83 percent of the Global Fortune 500. Bank of America Corporation stock (NYSE: BAC) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
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