CONTACT:    Carolyn Micheels
                       City of Oaks Race Committee
                       (919) 761-7073   

visitRaleigh.com Health and Fitness Expo to Launch at the 2008 Sony Ericsson City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon

Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau signs on as title sponsor of the official race expo

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA (July 28, 2008) - The Sony Ericsson City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon Race Committee is pleased to announce the launch of the visitRaleigh.com Health and Fitness Expo, the official expo of the 2008 race event. The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau has signed on as title sponsor of the expo, which will be held on race weekend, Friday, October 31 and Saturday, November 1, at N.C. State University's McKimmon Center. Sponsorship of the visitRaleigh.com Health & Fitness Expo is part of the destination's new visitRaleigh.com marketing campaign and Greater Raleigh brand that promotes Wake County as a premier visitor destination.

The expo serves as the official race packet pickup location for the Sony Ericsson City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon and will feature over 40 vendors. With nearly 6,000 athletes expected to participate in this year's race event, thousands of participants and their families and friends are expected to visit the expo on race weekend.

"The visitRaleigh.com Health & Fitness Expo provides the perfect setting to promote Greater Raleigh as a top-notch visitor destination," said Scott Dupree, vice president for sports marketing at the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Thousands of runners will be arriving from throughout the United States, and every one of them will be checking in at the Health & Fitness Expo." Dupree expects the title sponsorship to increase exposure to the new brand and drive traffic to the new visitRaleigh.com website.

The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau first partnered with the Sony Ericsson City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon in 2007 to help host the inaugural event. This year, the Convention and Visitors Bureau has stepped up its commitment, signing on as a platinum-level sponsor of the race. "We were very impressed with the event and its organizers," Dupree said. "And with more than 3,500 runners in the first year and the potential for tremendous growth in the years ahead, we believe the Marathon will become a signature event on Raleigh's annual sports calendar."

Race Director Jim Micheels is equally excited about the partnership. "The Race Committee is pleased by the Convention and Visitors Bureau's commitment to our efforts to draw visitors to Raleigh to participate in the race, enjoy the city and see all that Raleigh has to offer.

"The new McKimmon Center location provides a more-attractive, larger-capacity venue for this year's expo," Micheels said. "The expo will have a new look and feel and will host more vendors."

The second annual Sony Ericsson City of Oaks Marathon and Rex Healthcare Half Marathon will take place on Sunday, November 2. Both the 26.2-mile marathon and 13.1-mile half marathon begin at 7:00 a.m., with a start and finish on N.C. State University's Centennial Campus. The USA Track & Field-certified race courses were designed to showcase the city's best features, including Fayetteville Street, the State Capitol Building, Glenwood South, Hillsborough Street, Meredith College, and N.C. State University. The marathon course also includes a trek through scenic Umstead State Park, long a favorite running destination among area residents. The race awards a combined cash purse of $23,000, plus commemorative awards and other giveaways. Proceeds of the race benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Rex Hospital Foundation, the Umstead Coalition, and the Wounded Warrior Project.

Participants can register for the 26.2-mile marathon or the 13.1-mile half marathon at www.cityofoaksmarathon.com. All registration is being handled on line.