Big Sur International Marathon Launches Online Community
Posted Friday, 30 November, 2007
Runners, walkers and fitness advocates can share stories, ask questions and plan their running routes online via the new Online Community link at BSIM.org. Blogs, forums (or discussion groups) and route planning features were created for the Big Sur International Marathon site by realbuzz.com, a UK-based popular lifestyle and community networking site focused on running, health and fitness, travel and entertainment.
Bloggers can visit the Online Community to keep an online diary of their training regimen, which can be kept private or shared with friends and the running community. Participants seeking race advice, training tips and other course specific information, can access the Forum feature for information and feedback from other runners and course experts. Both the Big Sur International Marathon (April) and the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay (November) have separate blog and forum features specific to those races. The Route Planner allows runners to plan and measure their running routes from the comfort of home by mapping out different courses around the Monterey Peninsula and beyond. The routes can also be kept private or made public for other runners and local visitors to access.
"Runners are passionate, even obsessive, about their sport," says Alicia O'Neill, North American Director of Sales and Marketing for realbuzz.com. "They want to share their thoughts, questions, fears and information with others who are going through a similar experience. These new features are a great way to communicate with like-minded individuals."
The launch of these new web features went live just weeks before the 5th Presentation of the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay, November 11. Participants were encouraged to use the features to document their experience and to query others as they prepared for the 13.1 mile race along Monterey Bay. Marathoners can now access the new features as they gear up for Big Sur's April 27th event, simply by clicking on the "Online Community" link at BSIM.org.
The Big Sur International Marathon is among the first of an impressive lineup of marathons signing on with realbuzz.com. Initially partnering with the Flora London Marathon and LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, realbuzz.com is now extending its popular services to many others, including the Los Angeles Marathon, Flying Pig Marathon, ING Georgia Marathon and several destination races throughout the U.S.
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