Raleigh, NC - February 26, 2013 - Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI), the leading active lifestyle sports media and event entertainment company, today announced a partnership with the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance to bring the Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon Series to the Carolinas for the first time with the inaugural Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh Marathon & ½ Marathon in 2014. The first Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh is scheduled for Sunday, April 13, 2014, with event registration opening on April 1, 2013 at RunRocknRoll.com.

"We welcome Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon to Raleigh," said Mayor Nancy McFarlane, who joined race officials at a press conference to announce the new event. "This is a tremendous opportunity to showcase our city's love of sports, outdoor entertainment and world-class cultural offerings. We are looking forward to welcoming thousands of runners and their family and friends to our city each spring."

The Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh Marathon is now part of an international series of musically themed marathons and half-marathons, uniquely combining entertainment and running into a 26.2-mile block party. The marathon will feature live bands positioned on entertainment stages along every mile of the scenic course, interspersed with cheerleaders and themed water stations. The running experience is topped off with a finish line concert featuring a major headline act. The Raleigh race promises a scenic destination event for runners and walkers of all abilities, showcasing the charm and beauty of the "The City of Oaks."

"We are delighted to announce the continued expansion of the Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon Series to the Carolinas and the City of Raleigh," said Scott Dickey, CEO of CGI. "With the blooming dogwood trees and azaleas, April is a great month to be in Raleigh. We were fortunate to connect with Scott Dupree and the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance, who have been great partners in launching this new event."

"The Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon Series is one of the most well-regarded and respected brands in the sports event industry," said Scott Dupree, executive director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. "We are delighted Rock ‘n' Roll has selected Raleigh as its newest destination city. In recent years Raleigh has established itself as a premier city for major sporting events, and hosting a Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon will strengthen that brand even more."

The Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon Series started as a single race in 1998, and is now the ‘World's Largest Running Series' featuring a global tour schedule of 32 events in 2013. Race weekend in Raleigh will begin with free a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Raleigh Convention Center where all participants go to pick up their race number. The expo will feature several running and fitness retailers, exhibits with free nutritional samples and a series of interactive clinics.

Over the 16-year history of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, charity participants have raised more than $283 million for a variety of worthy causes and nonprofit organizations. For more information about the inaugural Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh Marathon, please visit RunRocknRoll.com/Raleigh

About the Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon Series
Organized by Competitor Group, the Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon Series is the ‘World's Largest Running Series' with more than 500,000 runners taking part in events around the world every year. Started in 1998, the simple idea of making running fun has transformed the U.S. running landscape by infusing the course with live bands, cheer teams and entertaining water stations, creating a block-party atmosphere for participants and spectators alike. Today, the series of marathons and half-marathons has spread to more than 29 destination cities, drawing visitors from around the world.

Race weekend kicks off with a free Health & Fitness Expo with more than 100 exhibitors offering samples and showcasing the latest in running gear, sports apparel, health and nutritional information and much more. Events culminate with an entertaining finish line festival featuring some of the biggest names in music, with headliners like Pitbull, FloRida, Cheap Trick and Bret Michaels. For more information, please visit RunRocknRoll.com or follow @RunRocknRoll on Twitter.

About the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance
The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance (GRSA) markets and promotes Raleigh and Wake County in order to generate and retain sports-related business (tournaments, championships, special events and meetings) for the purpose of economic development. The GRSA's 21-member Advisory Board takes a leadership role in helping to chart the future of the sports event industry in Wake County. The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance is a division of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.


Media Contacts
Ryan Smith, 919.645.2676, rsmith@visitRaleigh.com
Dan Cruz, 619.925.7671, dcruz@competitorgroup.com