Prize Purse Announced for Inaugural ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon

Atlanta, GA (January 25, 2007) – Race officials at the ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon announced that over $30,000 will be awarded to runners at the inaugural race, scheduled for Sunday, March 25. The first place male and female in the Open Division of the Marathon will receive $5,000 each. The Half Marathon will pay $1,500 to each first place finisher in the Open Division. An additional $9,000 will be awarded to participants in the Wheelchair Division of the Half Marathon.

 

The payouts go five spots deep in the marathon in the Open Division. The first male who completes the race in under two hours and 12 minutes will earn an additional $1,000; the first female who completes the race in sub two hours and 30 minutes will also earn an additional $1,000. Prize money will be awarded to the top five finishers in the Open Division and to the top three finishers in the Master’s Division for the Marathon. In the Half Marathon, payouts will go three deep for runners, with a $1,500 first prize in the Open Division for male and female competitors. In the Wheelchair Division, the top male and female in the Open Division will win $1,500 each.

“This is a significant prize money structure for a first-year event. We believe this will allow us to attract a very talented field for the marathon and half marathon,” said Victoria Seahorn, race director for the ING Georgia Marathon. “And Delta Air Lines has introduced a bonus incentive for all Georgians in the race. Close to 70% of the registrations to date reside here in Georgia, so it is a great way for a global company like Delta to recognize members of the local communities where they are so strongly involved.”

For all amateur participants who are Georgia residents, and U.S. citizens, Delta Air Lines, the official airline of the ING Georgia Marathon, will provide a special incentive. Two trips for two to Amsterdam, Netherlands, will be awarded by Delta Air Lines – one trip for the top Georgia male and one trip for the top Georgia female. The trips will include registrations for each winner and a guest to participate in the October 15, 2007 ING Amsterdam Marathon, staging its 29th race this year. Hotel accommodations and race registrations will be provided by Mizuno USA.

“Few companies are synonymous with their home base like Delta is with Atlanta and the state of Georgia, and we’re delighted to sponsor this premier sporting event in our own backyard,” said Tim Mapes, Delta’s managing director of Marketing. “Delta’s Worldport at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is the world’s largest airline hub and home of Delta’s largest international operation with flights to 72 international destinations in 45 countries, including convenient service to Amsterdam.”

A mass start at 7:00 a.m. of 15,000 marathoners and half-marathon runners will begin in exactly two months from Underground Atlanta for the inaugural ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon. The wheelchair race on the half marathon course will begin at 6:55 a.m. As of today, 13,800 registrations had been received for all events. The ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon is part of the USATF Georgia Long Distance Running (LDR) Grand Prix Series, which has eight championship events in 2007.

"To win a marathon is prestigious. To win a debut marathon is historical," said Ron Wayne, the Running Promotions Manager at Mizuno USA, who is managing the entry process for elite runners at the ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon. To apply as an elite runner in the Marathon, athletes, or their representatives, should contact Ron Wayne at Ron.Wayne@mizunousa.com. Elite Athletes will be notified if they have been accepted into the ING Georgia Marathon or Half Marathon.