Marathon Provides Big Boost for Raleigh Economy
Monday, July 07, 2014, 8pm
Raleigh, NC - July 8, 2014 - The inaugural Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh Marathon & ½ Marathon, presented by WRAL benefiting the V Foundation for Cancer Research, generated an economic impact of over $8 million for the local economy according to a study conducted by the San Diego State University Sports MBA program.
The event filled 7,444 room nights for Raleigh hotels, which translated into $363,107 in taxes and other tourism-related fees collected by local municipalities. The study revealed that 18,074 total visitors traveled from outside Wake County for marathon weekend.
"We are pleased with the report from San Diego State University," said Scott Dupree, Executive Director of the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance. "The numbers are even better than we had originally estimated. The economic impact and the tax collection validates what we thought all along, that the Rock ‘n' Roll Marathon Series would be a wonderful event for Raleigh and that it would provide our community with a major economic boost. We are delighted with our partnership with the Rock ‘n' Roll team, and we are already looking forward to Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh 2015."
The inaugural Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh Marathon & ½ Marathon took place April 13, 2014 and sold out with 12,500 registered runners descending on Raleigh from 49 states and 8 countries. The second annual event is scheduled for Sunday, April 12, 2015.
"With more than 50% of the participants coming from out of town, the economic impact study confirms the value of this new event for Raleigh and its potential to draw new visitors to the city," said Dana Allen, SVP of Competitor Group, operator of the event. "This would not have been possible without the strong partnership between the marathon, the City of Raleigh, the Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance and the local tourism community. We are looking forward to continued success in 2015 and beyond."
The positive impact of the race was felt in another way as the V Foundation for Cancer Research, one of the nation's leading cancer research funding organizations, raised more than $300,000 through its association with the event. As Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh's official charity partner, Team V was represented by 465 full and half marathon participants whose fundraising directly benefited cancer research and related programs.
For more information on the Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh Marathon or to register for the 2015 event, please visit RunRocknRoll.com.
About Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh
The Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh Marathon & ½ Marathon Presented by WRAL Benefiting The V Foundation for Cancer Research will return on Sunday, April 12, 2015. The event will welcome runners and walkers from novice to professional, while live bands and local high school cheerleaders entertain and cheer on participants along the scenic course. A two-day Health & Fitness Expo kicks off race week at the Raleigh Convention Center on Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11. All participants must visit the expo to pick up their race numbers and browse over 100 vendors from the running and fitness industry. Race weekend concludes with a finish line festival and post-race concert at the Red Hat Amphitheater. Further information about Rock ‘n' Roll Raleigh can be found at RunRocknRoll.com or follow @RunRocknRoll on Twitter.
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