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WASHINGTON, D.C. – (July 6, 2012) -The inaugural SunTrust Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon & CareFirst Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon this past March produced more than $18 million in total economic impact, including $11 million in direct visitor spending, according to a study conducted by the San Diego State University Sports MBA program.
“The overwhelming support of our local partners combined with all that our Nation’s Capital has to offer visiting runners, helped make the our first Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon event in Washington D.C. a tremendous success on every level,” said Josh Furlow, Senior Vice-President of Competitor Group, owner and operator of the event. “With the strong partnership that exists between the marathon and the local community, this event has the potential to draw even more runners from around the world next year and will soon become one of the largest running events in the United States.”
With more than 50% of participants traveling from outside the District of Columbia, the March 17th event resulted in 15,353 hotel room nights for the local tourism industry. The study also found that 34,507 marathon-related visitors traveled to the District from all 50 states and 34 countries throughout race weekend.
“The results of this study truly showcase many of the positive benefits that the Rock ‘n’ Roll race experience have made in our community,” said Robert T. Sweeney, President of the Greater Washington Sports Alliance. “We look forward to continuing our partnership with Competitor Group and reaching new levels as this event continues to grow in our world class destination.”
Formerly known as the National Marathon, the only marathon run entirely within the District of Columbia was acquired last year by San Diego-based Competitor Group and rebranded as part of the international Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series. The event sold out more than two months in advance with 24,000 registered runners, and the positive economic impact was seen in a variety of areas and industries including:
- $991,664 in taxes and other tourism-related fees collected by local governments.
- 19.48% of visitors stayed in the Maryland and Virginia suburbs in lieu of staying in the District of Columbia, resulting in an estimated direct economic impact of $2,119,707 outside the beltway.
- An indirect and induced impact of $6.9M spread throughout the community, calculated using IMPLAN 3.0.
In addition to record numbers, 17 charities raised $700,000 through the event in 2012. Over the 15-year history of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, runners have raised more than $270 million for a variety of causes and non-profit organizations.
The 2013 SunTrust Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Marathon & CareFirst Rock ‘n’ Roll USA Half Marathon will take place on Saturday, March 16. For more information, visit:Competitor.com
(c) 2012 RunningUSA, all rights reserved, used with permission
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