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People and Pop Culture

Wittenberg Pondered Virgin Venture For Months, Not Planning TCS N.Y. Marathon Rival

Virgin Sport Global CEO MARY WITTENBERG yesterday said that she "spent the last five months debating her move" from the N.Y. Road Runners to work with RICHARD BRANSON's new venture before making the announcement, according to Juliet Macur of the N.Y. TIMES. Wittenberg: "I could have stayed at New York Road Runners forever because I loved the organization and I loved the impact it made. I could have kept growing what we had with a team that could actually keep growing it, or I could start all over and create something from nothing. I decided to start new" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/13). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Germano & Helliker note under Wittenberg's leadership, the number of NYRR races in the city "ballooned to about 50 a year, and the marathon itself grew from nearly 37,000 finishers in 2005 to more than 50,500 finishers last fall." Records show that total income reached $74M in '14, up 29% from the year before, while expenses rose 16% to $72M. Wittenberg "also became a figurehead in the American running community among professionals and weekend warriors alike." Wittenberg, when asked if she will seek to launch a competitor to the TCS N.Y. Marathon, said, "Absolutely not." NYRR Chair GEORGE HIRSCH "made clear in an interview that the topic had been broached." Hirsch: "Mary has assured me and the board that she and Virgin have no intention of going head-to-head against our 45-year-old New York City Marathon." Hirsch said that he and Wittenberg "talked for 'a while' about her departure" and that the organization’s board had "voted unanimously on her successors," NYRR COO MICHAEL CAPIRASO, who now becomes President & CEO; and Chief Production Officer PETER CIACCIA, who now becomes President of Events and Race Dir of the Marathon (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/13). In N.Y., Jere Longman writes Wittenberg has become "one of the most powerful female executives in international sport." She "is known for attracting top racing fields, serving as a mentor to other race directors and surrounding herself with a strong leadership team." However, in the local running community, she "has been a more polarizing figure" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/13).

NEW TO THE GAME: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Germano & Helliker note Branson's Virgin Group launched Virgin Sport "to start and acquire recreational-athletic events." By jumping into races, Virgin "is following other big entrants such as Walt Disney Co., Nike Inc. and gym chain Life Time Fitness, as well as private-equity firms like Providence Equity Partners, owner of the Ironman Triathlon races, and Calera Capital, owner of Competitor Group’s Rock ’n’ Roll race series." Whether the Virgin launch "will cause other big-race organizers to look over their shoulder remains to be seen." Virgin Group "operates no races, so Virgin Sport will start with an empty portfolio." Wittenberg said that it "plans to launch its first event or events in the U.K., while scouting opportunities in the U.S., South Africa and Australia" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 5/13).

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