Competitor Group Inc. is partnering with Mexican event production company As Deporte to bring the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series to Mexico City, the U.S.-based company’s first foray into the Latin American market. The Rock ‘n’ Roll Mexico City Half Marathon will take place on March 15, with registration opening on Sept. 5. The partnership will be the newest venture for As Deporte, which already operates 70 running and triathlon events a year throughout Mexico. As Deporte President & CEO Jaime Cadaval told SBD Global that the partnership with Competitor Group has the structure of a license, which allows As Deporte to put on the Rock ‘n’ Roll branded event in Mexican territory. “We will be in charge of putting the race together in terms of operations, permits and all the logistics,” Cadaval said. With Competitor Group “keen on making the event partnership a success,” Cadaval said the company will assist As Deporte in promotion using Rock ‘n’ Roll events and expos. Through its existing events, Cadaval said As Deporte has a database of close to 500,000 runners to which the company will promote the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mexico City race. Competitor Group CEO David Abeles said they expect the race to attract 15,000-20,000 runners in year one. “Things have been going so well for Rock ‘n’ Roll it could be higher than that as well,” Abeles said. Cadaval said mainly Mexican and int’l companies based in Mexico will be targeted as sponsors.
SUPPLY AND DEMAND: Abeles said demand combined with the partnership with As Deporte, which is headquartered in Mexico City, made the city an ideal location for the Rock ‘n’ Roll brand. “We have a very strong Latin American base that runs Rock ‘n’ Roll around the world. … There’s a high concentration of Latin American runners that desire to have the Rock ‘n’ Roll brand and the Rock ‘n’ Roll experience brought into Mexico.” Abeles also said that the Competitor Group was fortunate to partner with As Deporte. “When you find the right operating partner, most [challenges] take care of themselves. That’s why it’s so critical for us to align ourselves internationally with an individual that’s experienced, understands the market and works very closely with the municipality. … [As Deporte] is as good as they come,” Abeles said.
THE COURSE: The course is yet to be secured with city permits, but Cadaval said the plan is to have the start and finish located at the Hipódromo de las Américas, the city’s horse racing track. “It has a huge convention center right next to it,” Cadaval said. “From there, we want to use the main streets and the most iconic places in Mexico City.”
NEXT MARKET: Abeles said he expects to see growth in the Mexican market and beyond. “We think this will be just the first of multiple races that we will run throughout Mexico. We anticipate multiple races in 2015 and many more beyond that,” Abeles said. “What we’ve found, which is very thrilling for us, is that there’s a high level of demand internationally, not just in Mexico, but in Asia. Our plan is to run Asia at some point in time in the near future."
