Dick's Sporting Goods To Title Sponsor Pittsburgh Marathon
Pittsburgh-based Dick's Sporting Goods has signed a three-year deal to title sponsor the Pittsburgh Marathon and to provide the event with marketing support. The Dick's Sporting Goods Pittsburgh Marathon will be held on May 3, 2009. Health care manufacturer Respironics will sponsor the half-marathon. UPMC Sports Medicine will be the medical sponsor of the marathon. The event has not been held since '03, the last year UPMC served as title sponsor (THE DAILY). Dick's would not divulge the financials of the deal, and race officials said that they "didn't know exactly what next year's event will cost." In Pittsburgh, Rich Lord reports Dick's is "promising the marketing muscle to bring back the top runners who came previously for the community feel and the $25,000 purse, split between the top male and female finishers." Dick's Exec VP & CMO Jeffrey Hennion said Dick's "can talk about this countrywide. We're going to make sure runners everywhere know of this event." Race officials yesterday said that the Pittsburgh Marathon will be a "throwback to the contests that spanned ['85-'03], with a similar route, a fun atmosphere and an elite roster" (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 5/20). Hennion: "We do expect this to be one of the elite marathons in this country yet again." Hennion said that Dick's will advertise the race "in a store circular that goes to [60-70 million] people a week." In Pittsburgh, Jeremy Boren reports UPMC will "provide training seminars throughout the year and medical support to runners on the course and at the finish line" (Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 5/20).
GREAT TO BE BACK: Pittsburgh Marathon Founder & Dir Larry Kuzmanko said, "It's exciting to see it coming back. We want to regain the reputation of the marathon. It's a work in progress. The first year (back) we just want to put on a great race, and then we'll start making it a world-class event as we go into the second and third years." Kuzmanko added that he "anticipates in the neighborhood of 3,000 runners to participate" in '09 (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 5/20).
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