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Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon named ‘Best Amateur Single-Sport Event’ at 2008 SportsTravel Awards

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 28, 2008

Media Contact: Nancy Coggins, APR
405.235.3313 or 405.760.9053
nc@oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon named ‘Best Amateur Single-Sport Event’ at 2008 SportsTravel Awards

OKLAHOMA CITY – Hailed by Runner’s World Magazine as one of the 12 “Must Run” marathons in the world, the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon was named Best Amateur Single-Event Sport at the 2008 SportsTravel Awards at the TEAMS 2008 Conference & Expo, organized annually by SportsTravel Magazine and held last week in Pittsburgh. TEAMS: Travel, Events And Management in Sports, is the world’s largest gathering of event organizers and travel planners from the sports industry.

"We are pleased to recognize these superior sporting events. Each of the winners is a prime example of achieving excellence in organization and management for both competitors and spectators," said Timothy Schneider, publisher of SportsTravel magazine.

This year’s marathon hosted 16,000 runners, up 12% from the 2007 race, with runners from all 50 states and four foreign countries. It was scored 6th out of all U.S. marathons rated by Marathon and Beyond in December of 2007. The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is a Boston qualifying USATF sanctioned event on a certified 26.2 mile single loop course. Other Marathon weekend events include the Half Marathon (13.1 miles), 5-Person Relay (from 3.1 to 6.2 miles), a 5K Walk and Kid’s Marathon.

“The success of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is a testament to the enthusiasm, passion and commitment of Thomas Hill and Chet Collier, to the involvement and dedication of the corporate sponsors, volunteer chairs and the corps of more than 6,000 volunteers who make this event possible. We are grateful for their efforts in helping us continue our mission of remembrance and hope through the Marathon,” said Kari F. Watkins, Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum executive director. “We continue to be blessed by the Marathon and the runners who choose to participate in it each year, and we congratulate them on this honor. It is well deserved.”

The Marathon was conceptualized by Oklahoma City businessmen Hill and Collier, who initially created the outline for this inspiring event while out on a morning run. Since the first race in 2000, more than $1 million has been raised through the annual marathon to support the Memorial and its programs. It is the Memorial’s largest annual fundraiser.

“What began for us as a way to have a marathon closer to home and to honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever on April 19, 1995, has become an inspiration for the thousands of runners who participate each year,” said Hill. “The growth we have experienced in the young life of this race is phenomenal, and the support we receive from our sponsors and volunteers is the very reason we are able to give back to the Memorial.”

In addition to the financial contributions made to the Memorial, a 2007 study conducted by the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce found the race contributed an estimated $4.8 million in economic impact to Oklahoma City over the three days events were held.

“The Marathon is an amazing experience for the thousands of runners from across the country who come to race, bring their friends and families, and who experience the best of Oklahoma City’s hospitality. It is truly an event they will never forget,” said Laura Kriegel, Director of Marketing & Communications, Oklahoma City Convention & Visitors Bureau and first-time Memorial Marathon relay runner.

The SportsTravel Award winners were nominated and voted upon by readers of SportsTravel, the sports world's event magazine. Criteria for nomination and voting included
• Superior organization of and attendance at the event
• A superior experience for the competitors and/or spectators at the event
• How the site or venue served to enhance the event.
• Eligible events occurred between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008.

"The SportsTravel Awards program is an opportunity for our readers to honor their peers for a job well done," said Schneider. "SportsTravel readers are the leaders of the sports-event industry, and they really know what it takes to execute high-quality athletic events. These awards reflect their expert evaluation of what makes events superior.”

Other 2008 SportsTravel Award winners are:

Sports Event of the Year
2008 U.S. Open Golf Championship, La Jolla, CA
Best New Sports Event
2008 Ultimate Boarder, Lake Tahoe, CA & Ventura, CA
Best Professional Sports Event Series or Circuit
2007 NFL NFC Championship Playoff Series, Multiple Host Cities
Best Professional Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event
2008 ESPN Winter X Games, Aspen, CO
Best Professional Single-Sport Event
2008 U.S. Open Golf Championship, La Jolla, CA
Best Collegiate Sports Event Series or Circuit
2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships, San Antonio, TX
Best Collegiate Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event
2008 NCAA Division I Women’s Gymnastics Championships, Athens, GA
Best Collegiate Single-Sport Event
2008 BCS National Championship Game (LSU vs. Ohio State), New Orleans, LA
Best Amateur Sports Event Series or Circuit
2008 USA Softball KFC Bound 4 Beijing Tour, Multiple Host Cities
Best Amateur Multi-Sport or Multi-Discipline Event
2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Swimming, Omaha, NE

The mission of the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is to celebrate life, reach for the future, honor their memories and unite the world in hope.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created to honor “those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever” by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing about events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring hope and healing through lessons learned by those affected.

For more information on the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, visit www.okcmarathon.com. For more information on the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum, call 405.235.3313 or visit www.oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org.

TEAMS and SportsTravel magazine are owned by Schneider Publishing Company, Inc., the Los Angeles-based company that also publishes Association News magazine. For further information, please call toll-free (877) 577-3700.

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