First-Ever ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon Fills Field of 15,000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

First-Ever ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon Fills Field of 15,000

Race Sells Out Early; 38% Running Full 26.2 Miles

(ATLANTA, Feb. 26, 2007) – The ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon has reached its limit of 15,000 spots for the Sunday, March 25 event and has closed registration.

"We are thrilled, just thrilled to have sold out our first race,” said Victoria Seahorn, race director of the ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon. “Our neighborhood course along with Atlanta’s ideal springtime climate is a winning combination for many people. Runners from all 50 states and from around the world will learn what we already know: Atlanta is a great place to run.”

On Sunday, March 25, the ING Georgia Marathon will officially become the state’s largest long-distance running event. Sporting a diverse race field, the event has a high ratio of marathoners to half marathoners: 38 percent are signed up for the marathon and 62 percent are signed up for the half marathon. Female racers make up slightly more than half of all registrants at 52 percent; male racers make up 48 percent of the field. The half marathon field for wheelchair racers will sport one of the most fiercely competitive fields in the distance this year; 35 wheelers have signed up for the event including five who are ranked among the top 15 worldwide. As a combined group, the racers represent all 50 states and 25 countries, with Ireland, Canada and Mexico having the highest representation among the international athletes.

“Since we began this vision nearly two years ago, we’ve been joined by so many volunteers and supported by so many sponsors. Every one of them has helped us make today’s news a reality,” added Seahorn. “And with less than 30 days until race day, it is the energy, enthusiasm and support from ING and other sponsors that will make this one of the best springtime marathons in the country.”

Today, ING, the title sponsor for the inaugural event, held a celebration at its ING Americas headquarters in Atlanta for its employees to recognize the race’s early accomplishment. "We're proud to see the field sell out so far in advance, "said Tom Waldron, executive vice president, ING Americas. “That's very unusual for an inaugural marathon, and it tells us we made the right choice in sponsoring a race here."

"All of us at ING are excited to be part of the race. One of our sponsorship priorities is making it easier for other people to get involved in the race, whether they are running or watching." ING has created three ways for people to become involved in the race. First, ING issued a Neighborhood Challenge setting up a cheering contest among five neighborhoods who will compete for cash prizes to be used for fitness initiatives in their neighborhoods. Second, the company will set up ING Cheering Zones along the racecourse providing fun and festive places for neighbors to get together to cheer on racers. And third, it created a special ING Run for Something Better fund, which underwrites free school-based running programs for kids in Atlanta. "When you make a donation of $10 or more, you'll get a pair of special orange shoelaces that you can wear on race day as a way to show your ‘ties’ to the community and kids fitness," Waldron said.

In addition to ING, sponsors of the inaugural ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon include (in alphabetical order): Atlanta Sports & Fitness, AT&T, Big Peach Running Company, Caribou Coffee, Clif Bar, Comcast, Delta Air Lines, Emory Healthcare, GM/Saturn, KPMG, MARTA, Mizuno USA, Omni Hotel at CNN Center, PSI Promotional Solutions, Inc., Publix, Raving Brands, Underground Atlanta, UPS, WXIA, and radio stations 99X, Q100, and 680AM the Fan.