Northeast Utilities last night "was unveiled" as the title sponsor of the Hartford Marathon & Half Marathon in a deal that "is for three years," according to a front-page piece by Lori Riley of the HARTFORD COURANT. Hartford Marathon Founder, CEO & Exec Dir Beth Shluger would not disclose financial details, but she said the sponsorship was in the "hundreds of thousands" of dollars. Shluger: "We talked to about 10 different companies. (NU) really, really wanted this. Who doesn't want a partner that really wants to be with you?" NU Chair, President & CEO Tom May said, "Our employees are excited about being part of this." Riley notes NU has "come under fire in recent years." NU subsidiary Connecticut Light & Power was "widely criticized for its efforts after Tropical Storm Irene and the October nor'easter of 2011, both of which left hundreds of thousands without power and led to numerous reviews of CL&P's recovery operations." Meanwhile, Shluger said that NU "wants to help the race, which has tried to 'go green' over the years, by reducing waste and utilizing other environmentally friendly procedures." ING previously served as the event's title sponsor for the past six years (HARTFORD COURANT, 5/15).
