Latest News

adidas Divides Brand, Sales Responsibilities

 

Adidas has split executive responsibility for global brands and sales in a bid to "strengthen brand management". Erich Stamminger, member of the group's executive board , will take on the responsibility for its global brands division, which comprises of adidas and Reebok. Herbert Hainer, adidas group CEO and Chairman, will assume direct responsibility for global sales. More
adidas Reports Drop in 2Q Net Profit

 

The USA Triathlon has selected Myrtle Beach as the site of the 2010 USA Triathlon National Championship Festival. According to a press release from the Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce, the event will be held November 6, 2010. This first national championship held by an Olympic governing body in the Myrtle Beach area is expected to attract between 2,000 and 3,000 athletes and several thousand spectators. "Hosting this premier sporting event gives us the opportunity to showcase all the incredible assets our community has to offer athletes and their families," said Brad Dean, MBACC president and CEO. "We welcome USA Triathlon and look forward to a long relationship that potentially includes additional events of this caliber." More  

USAT Membership Growth Continues; Tops 125K

Dorel Purchases Australia's Gemini Bicycles 

 

Dorel's Cycling Sports Group (CSG) has acquired the assets of Sydney-based Gemini Bicycles for US $2.2 million. The acquisition will allow CSG's key brands Schwinn, GT, Mongoose, Cannondale and Sugoi to be united through the just-created Cycling Sports Group (CSG) Australia. CSG Australia, located in Sydney, will coordinate all sales, marketing, distribution and customer service to better support its growing network of dealers in Australia. CSG Australia will evolve in phases; beginning immediately, the new company will distribute Schwinn and Mongoose, followed by Cannondale on January 1, 2010 and GT on August 1, 2010.  Noel McFarlane, former owner of Gemini, has been named managing director of CSG Australia. More

 

Runner's World Launches 'Shoe Shop' iPhone Application 

 

Walmart Renews KDF Race Sponsorship

 

The Kentucky Derby Festival has announced that Walmart has renewed its presenting sponsorship of the 2010 Derby Festival miniMarathon and Marathon. "We believe it's important to support meaningful community organizations and events like the Kentucky Derby Festival," said Brannon Dixon, Walmart Louisville Market Manager. "This event provides a wonderful opportunity for our associates to give back, and we're delighted to once again support Louisville and healthier lifestyles through the Marathon and miniMarathon."  The marathon and half marathon races will be held on April 24 and expect to attract 12,000 runners.  

 

 

Online registration provider The Active Network has issued a report showing a 14.4% growth in running event registrations for the first six months of 2009 compared to the same period in 2008. The report is based on the results of registrations processed through its company.  The report also shows that more than 70 percent of running events in the first half of the 2009 experienced growth in online registration over the previous year.  More

 

 

Race organizers, along with U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte, announced this week the coming of a new marathon, coined the Blue Ridge Marathon on the Parkway. Set for April 24, 2010, its route will cover a portion of the Blue Ridge Parkway and sections of Roanoke, VA, with approximately 16 miles of mountain climbing and 10 miles of city roadways.  Ronny Angell, owner of Odyssey Adventure Racing in Salem, will be the race director. More

 

Severe weather in the Grand Rapids, MI area, including lightning, forced race director Jim Conner to cancel last Saturday's  Millennium Triathlon at Millennium Park. The event will not be rescheduled, and entry fees will not be refunded."Sometimes, athletes have a hard time recognizing why money won't be refunded, but we'd already bought insurance for the event, paid for police to help out and we had a lot of other expenses," Conner said. More

 

MCM, Athletes for a Fit Planet Partner on Green Project 

 

The Marine Corps Marathon has a launched a new campaign recognizing the event's environmentally-friendly initiatives. Working with Holliston, MA-based Athletes for A Fit Planet, the MCM is seeking silver-level certification from the Council for Responsible Sport in an effort to create a more eco-conscious event. "The MCM has increasingly focused on green initiatives for the last several years, starting with a paperless registration process for all events," said Rick Nealis, Director. "This year, the MCM is expanding these efforts."  More

 

 

The Albany Marathon Board donated $25,000 to the Willson Hospice House last Friday during a news conference at Albany, GA, Community Hospice. The donation to hospice came via proceeds generated from the 2009 Snickers Marathon Energy Bar Marathon, said Albany Marathon Inc. President Dr. Jose Tongol. More 

 

The Charleston Distance Run, long hailed as "America's 15-Mile Race," might soon have to find a different slogan. The race, which will celebrate its 36th year this Labor Day weekend, has faced lagging turnout in recent years. Now organizers are talking about changing it to a half marathon - a 13.1-mile race - to attract more runners. "There just are not 15-mile runs," said Aaron Allred, director of the Distance Run. "People want to compare themselves to see if they're getting better or not." At its peak in the late 1980s the race saw more than 1,800 participants. Only 533 finished the event last year. More

 

 

nfinityQS International, provider of real-time statistical process control (SPC) software, has announced that it will be an associate sponsor of the December 5 St. Jude Memphis Marathon, December 5.  The race benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The software company said it chose St. Jude for its noble mission and groundbreaking progress in the field of pediatric cancer and catastrophic diseases. More 

 

 

The inaugural Madison Mini-Marathon is poised to sell out its half-marathon berths well in advance of the August 29 race date. "It's been a wonderful reception we've gotten from the Madison community, so we just hope to put on a great race for everybody," organizer Jeff Graves said. As of late last week, fewer than 300 spots remained for the 13.1-mile race through the University of Wisconsin campus and downtown area, and about 200 entries were available for the 5-kilometer companion race.
Registration is capped at 2,500 for the half marathon and 500 for the 5K. More

Johnstown Marathon Survives for 34th Year

Though they've not quite reached their fundraising goals, Johnstown, PA, Marathon organizers have decided that the 34th annual race will be held in October. The reason, they say, is an overwhelming community response after a previous announcement that the marathon had been canceled for financial reasons. "It shows that people see the event as very important," said Marc McCall, board president for Greater Johnstown Community YMCA. YMCA leaders had said they lost a key marathon sponsor and decided to shift money from another sponsor, Highmark, to last month's triathlon in order to keep that event going. More

 

A Kentucky man has pleaded not guilty to murder, drunken driving and other charges after police say he hit and killed a cyclist participating in a triathlon. Jefferson County Attorney spokesman Bill Patteson says 25-year-old Kenneth Yates entered the plea last week. Police say Yates hit 47-year-old John Carr, who was bicycling in Louisville this month as part of a triathlon at a state park. More

 

Conferences

Online Seminars

 

Organization: Running USA
(August 25, 2009, 3 p.m. eastern)
John Conley of Conley Sports, Inc. will discuss event sponsorship.

 

The Economics of Endurance Events

Organization: ActiveEndurance
(August 27, 2009, 4 p.m. eastern)

Don Allison of Start to Finish race consulting will lead the one hour presentation on event economics and strategies for survival in the current economy.

 

Working Smarter: Event Technology Landscape
Organization: Event Marketing Institute
(August 28, 2009, Noon eastern)

EMI managing director Mike Westcott and guests discuss implementing the right technology solutions to improve events.

Organization: IEG, LLC 
(Six-series online seminar with the theme of Next-level Strategies for Today's Challenges.  Available through August 31).

Career Opportunities

Sponsorship Manager
Company: Ironman

The World Triathlon Corporation, owners of the Ironman, Iron Girl and Iron Kids brands and event series is recruiting for a Sponsorship Manager.  Responsible for managing local, regional and national sponsorship sales - as well as coordinating international sponsorship opportunities. This position will be based either in New York or at our headquarters in Tampa, Florida. We need a candidate with at least 5 years of sponsorship sales experience who can directly generate national sponsorship sales, as well as manage a small team of others who sell local and regional sponsorships.  Salary TBD based upon a candidates experience and abilities.  Submit resume and cover letter to resume@ironman.com.

 

Sponsorship Sales
Company: Red Rock Company, Inc.

Sponsorship sales position for an event promotion company that hosts a series of triathlons in Arizona and Mexico as well as a national 5K running race series. The triathlon series includes 5 events and the 5K running event series is expected to include 14-16 events nationally in 2010. Primary responsibilities include procurement of cash and in-kind sponsorships for the events individually and collectively as two series.  Initially this will be a part time, commission based position. Commissions will be based at 20% of cash sponsorship contracts and 10% of in-kind sponsorship contracts at time of receipt.