Rock 'n' Roll Marathon event coming to Raleigh in '14

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Rock 'n' Roll Marathon event coming to Raleigh in '14

Feb 27, 2013

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Raleigh, N.C. — The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, which has raised more than $283 million for charity in the last 16 years, will come to Raleigh in April 2014, Mayor Nancy McFarlane announced Tuesday.

The Greater Raleigh Sports Alliance has partnered with Competitor Group Inc. to host the two-day event, which begins April 13 and is expected to drawn thousands of runners to the Triangle.

Under the partnership agreement, the city will host the event for three years. It includes a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Raleigh Convention Center, a marathon and half-marathon.

“We welcome the Rock ‘n’ roll Marathon Series to Raleigh,” McFarlane said at a news conference in the lobby of the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts. “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 visit Raleigh each spring.”

The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau estimates the two-day event will result in $2 million in consumer spending in the area.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series combines musically themed marathons and half-marathons with live entertainment. The Competitor Group describes the races as "a 26.2-mile block party."

The Raleigh marathon will feature 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.

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RE: Rock 'n' Roll Marathon event coming to Raleigh in '14

I have ran in the R & R at VA beach twice. I totally love the race and if it were not for a knee injury, I would still be going to it. The race was very well organized, from signing up all the way to the finish line!!! The race was fun for my non-participating family members as well. The live bands that are around the course are great. The Expo is a great place to find all kinds of runner/fitness items. .....for those that say it will do nothing for our local economy, you are wrong. The bands (people)will be paid, hotels (that employ people)will be booked, restaurants (that employ people) will have lots of business and all those companies that have booths at the Expo (and people work for them) will sell merchandise....how is that not promoting local economy?

Hope for a good day

Raleigh is a tough place to marathon with all the hills and more or less unpredictable weather & humidity. I ran the 1st Raleigh marathon, it was a horrible experience in December several years ago. 20 degrees, the sweat was freezing on my body. The R & R could be a great marathon on a good day. The powers that be have a funny way of completely messing things up ... this is my biggest fear.

RE: Rock 'n' Roll Marathon event coming to Raleigh in '14

totally awesome

RE: Rock 'n' Roll Marathon event coming to Raleigh in '14

Why is it called Rock n Roll Marathon? It's not about rock & roll, it's about sports. The title of the event is quite misleading. I was hoping it was a major musical event, which Raleigh could use.
- Posted by sgpepr

There are bands throughout the race course and after the race there is usually a concert...

RE: Rock 'n' Roll Marathon event coming to Raleigh in '14

I really feel that there should be some feedback to the city fathers and to the general public at large on how big of a mistake this decision is. And with no input at all from the local running community. Right now ALL they are doing is trying to sugar coat this in the local media, that it's going to be a great thing. The city and the general population of Raleigh NEED to know that there is a very LARGE community of runners out here that are very mad about this decision. And I am basing that statement on the feedback I have received on social media in the last 24 hours since this announcement was made!!! Most of the people out here who are trying to push back on us and feel that we are being cry babies, are not true runners, who are passionate about our sport, and they don't care that it is being overrun by a large multi-million dollar corporation.

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