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Endurance Sports
Business News |
Latest News |
Fleet Feet Reports 12% Sales Growth for Early 2009
Running specialty store franchisor Fleet Feet, Inc. reported this week that its sales increased by 12% for the first half of 2009. year. Retail sales for January-June totaled $47.3M. June was the company's strongest month year-to-date with an increase of 14.1% over 2008. Comparative store sales were also strong, increasing 8.4% for the first half and 11.1% in June. More
Competitor Group Launches Mountain Bike Publication
Bicycle Retailer
Competitor Group, Inc. has launched an online publication focused on the mountain bike lifestyle at Singletrack.com. "Singletrack.com aims to be the first and last word on all flavors of mountain biking," said Jamie Bate, the site's new editor. "It's not a narrow take on one discipline or another, but an entertaining and informative site that all ages and styles will want to check out daily. We're not about copping attitudes. We're about sharing the experience." More
Crim Festival Sees Record Numbers Despite Economy
WJRT
Despite the economy, entries for this year's Crim Festival of Races are coming in at a record pace. Race director Deb Kiertzner says they usually have 7,000 total entrants for the 10-mile race and they have that many already. She expects upwards of 18,000 people to run, walk, or wheel the 33rd annual event on Saturday. More
ACA Receives Grants to Support U.S. Bike Route System
Bicycle Retailer
Adventure Cycling Association has received three new grants in support of the organization's work to establish an official United States Bicycle Route System (USBRS). The grants will enable Adventure Cycling to continue its organizing and cartographic work with federal and state agencies and nonprofits to establish what could become the largest national cycling route network on the planet. More
Myrtle Beach Considers New Half Marathon Race
WMBF
The City of Myrtle Beach is pushing for more sports tourism in the area, and they may have found one more event. It's a proposed half marathon that could come to the Grand Strand in October 2010. Robert Pozo with Continental Event and Sports Management is planning the event and presented the plans to the Myrtle Beach City Council's quarterly workshop last Tuesday. More
Triathlon NZ Signs Deal with Hawaiian Tropic Sunscreen
Business.Scoop
Triathlon New Zealand announced this week a new partnership with sunscreen supplier Hawaiian Tropic SPORT. In announcing the new relationship, Tri NZ Commercial Director Carl Jackson said it was a perfect fit for both parties. "An association with Triathlon New Zealand synergizes unique brand attributes showcasing Hawaiian Tropic SPORT in the best context," said Hawaiian Tropic SPORT Marketing Manager Andre de Beer . "The healthy, active and fun lifestyle promoted by Tri NZ and the fact it is New Zealand's fastest growing sport is ideal for our brand." More
Texas Trail Runs Will Return for 20th Year
Houston Chronicle
The Texas Trail Runs, known for many years as the Sunmart Texas Trail Endurance Runs, will return this December for its 20th year. The popular 50K and 50-mile runs at Huntsville State Park had been cancelled earlier in the year when longtime sponsor Sunmart ended its involvement. San Antonio running store owner Roger Soler will continue the event with 50K and 12.5-mile races. More
CO Trek Women's Duathlon Stop Cancelled
The Denver Post
The Trek Women Series duathlon scheduled for this weekend at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, CO has been cancelled. Women who registered for the run-bike-run event received an e-mail Monday evening from race director Maggie Sullivan that said the race will be postponed until 2010. Sullivan blamed a "confluence of circumstances" for the decision and said the organizers "remain committed to the project and the area," in an e-mail to The Denver Post. Registration fees will be credited or refunded by mail in the next 30 days. Those who had signed up for the Denver event will receive a commemorative shirt and free entry for a 2010 Trek Women Series event.
VEM Hired to Produce U.S. Road Sports' Atlanta Races
Inside Indiana Business
Vision Event Management, a Carmel, IN based company, has been hired by US Road Sports and Entertainment Group of Dallas to produce the 4th annual ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon on March 21 and the Inaugural 13.1 Marathon™ Atlanta scheduled for this October 4. More
West Virginia Mt. Bike Race Supports Local Park
News and Sentinel
Despite decreased sponsor support for the May 2009 Challenge at Mountwood bike race, River Valley Mountain Biking Association presented a $2,500 check to Mountwood Park Monday evening. The annual Challenge at Mountwood race usually brings in about $5,000, but due to low sponsorship during the recession, the event brought in $4,000 this year, said Duane Jones, race director for the River Valley Mountain Biking Association. More
Fargo Marathon Announces Donation Numbers
WDAY
The 2009 Fargo Marathon reached its final finish line today in giving away a record number of dollars to charity. Marathon Director Mark Knutson says the race raised $63,000 itself to give away to charities, but in conjunction with other community organizations raised more than $122,000. More |
Newsmakers |
Andy Coutant has been hired by Sugoi Performance Apparel as its new vice president of design and development. Coutant joins Sugoi with a 20-year background in the outdoor and athletic industry. He was most recently with Brooks Sports as the director of research and development/sourcing. He also previously worked for ASICS. Todd Klein, the director of sports marketing/running for Reebok since 2004, has rejoined adidas as its business unit director for global running apparel. Klein will now be based at adidas' headquarters in Germany.
Dave Bedford, race director of the London Marathon, and his marathon organizing team have been selected to manage the marathon competitions at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. |
Conferences |
(November 5-7, 2009)
Annual conference in Hollywood, FL.
(November 7, 2009)
Third annual symposium in Marathon, Greece
The Running Event
(November 9-12, 2009) Conference and expo for the running specialty store community in Austin, TX.
(December 2-6, 2009)
Annual meeting of the sport's governing body in Indianapolis, IN.
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Online Seminars |
Organization: Running USA (August 25, 2009, 3 p.m. eastern) John Conley of Conley Sports, Inc. will discuss event sponsorship.
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.
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).
Doing More With Less
Organization: Run Walk Ride Fundraising Council (September 16, 2009, 1:30 p.m. eastern) Jeff Shuck of Event 360 leads this teleconference in the Run Walk Ride Masters Series. |
Career Opportunities |
An exciting opportunity has arisen at a small health charity in Surrey, England for an Events Manager. The Events Manager will manage, organise and implement plans and initiatives for the portfolio of running events the charity is currently involved in. These events include The London Marathon, Great North Run, British 10k, London Triathlon etc.In this role you will plan, organise and support the involvement of the charity and their participants in the events, source and manage volunteers and staff support at the events as well as developing the runners network in order to increase their level of support and to integrate them into other events.You will also produce regular communication (eg newsletters for each event), ensure delivery of sponsorship income and line managing an events assistant.).
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 SalesCompany: 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. | |
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The Endurance Sports Business News is a free, weekly newsletter produced as a service of OSE Productions, Inc. To subscribe additional recepients, please have them click on the Join Our Mailing List button and fill out the required information. To find out more about the services OSE Productions provides to the endurance sports business community, please visit us at www.oseproductions.com or call us at 503-969-4147. | |
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