Road Runner Sports Named Presenting Sponsor for Seattle Marathon 5K Race

We are happy to announce that Road Runner Sports will be the presenting sponsor for the inaugural edition of the Seattle Marathon 5K Race on November 29th, 2008.

The Seattle Marathon Association Board of Directors were thrilled when Road Runner Sports signed on as sponsor. "The Seattle Marathon Association couldn't have asked for a more appropriate sponsor for the Seattle Marathon 5K. Road Runner Sports is a highly respected member of the running community and perfectly complements the Seattle Marathon 5K Run/Walk," they said in a prepared statement.

Road Runner Sports is the world's largest running store, with 22 stores in 10 states.

For more information about Road Runner Sports, visit www.roadrunnersports.com.

Marathon Centennial

"The notorious end to the 1908 marathon had officials helping Dorando Pietri of Italy over the finish line. This contravention of the rules led to his disqualification. He had entered the stadium in a near state of collapse, and, indeed, fell down five times on the last lap of the track. It has always been stated that the high temperature (78°F) of the day, allied to his strenuous exertions during the last few miles of the race, caused his sorry state. However, recently there has been the suggestion that perhaps the main cause of his distress was the little Italian’s habit of gargling with wine during the race, which did not go well with the heat. After a protest by the American team, the second finisher, Johnny Hayes, was awarded the gold medal." Quoted from: The BBC's 1908 London Olympics Gallery by Stan Greenberg.

We are pleased to announce that Amica Insurance will be the title sponsor for the 2008 Seattle Marathon. Amica Insurance will serve as the title sponsor not only for 2008 but also for the 2009 through 2011 races.

“Due to our great experience as a Platinum Sponsor last year, Amica was thrilled to become title sponsor and we are delighted that this event will now bear our name,” said Vince Burks, senior assistant vice president at Amica Insurance. “We were drawn to this event because marathoners are driven individuals that appreciate quality and understand better than anyone the importance of consistent performance over the long haul. Amica Insurance has been delivering nationally recognized customer service for over 100 years, realizing it is indeed a marathon, not a sprint, when it comes to setting expectations and then doing what it takes to deliver. Amica is really looking forward to being a part of the Seattle Marathon.”

The Amica Insurance Seattle Marathon, Marathon Walk, Half Marathon and Half Marathon Walk will take place Sunday, November 30, 2008. All events will start and end at the historic Seattle Center in downtown Seattle and will traverse the streets of the Emerald City, affording sweeping vistas of this important seaport town. The marathon course is USATF and AIMS certified and is a Boston Marathon qualifier.

“The Seattle Marathon has been growing strong for 37 years thanks to the support of devoted volunteers, runners and sponsors. Their passion for excellence has turned this race into a Northwest tradition,” said John Kokes, president of the Seattle Marathon Association. “I am extremely excited to have Amica Insurance as our title sponsor and look forward to the growth for this year and beyond.”

Amica Mutual Insurance Company, the nation’s oldest mutual insurer of automobiles, was founded in 1907. The company is a national writer of automobile, homeowners, marine, and personal umbrella liability insurance. Life coverage is available through Amica Life Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary. Amica employs more than 3,000 people in 39 offices across the country, including the Greater Seattle Office. Amica has been offering insurance in Washington since 1945.

For more information about Amica Insurance, see www.amicawashington.com .

Seattle Marathon Association Clarifies MP3 Policy

The Seattle Marathon Association has clarified its rules on iPods/MP3 players on the course for the 2008 event. Headsets will be allowed — as long as they are used safely — on the course on Race Day until 2:15 pm when the course opens to traffic.

Please note that the Road Runners Club of America does not encourage headphone use during its member races. However, it does not disallow them as long as they are used safely. For this reason, SMA will allow headsets on the course only if it does not pose a safety risk.

For safety reasons, it may be necessary for a course official to ask you to remove your headset/earphones during the race. You are required to comply or face disqualification and removal from the course.

For more information, see the Safety Rules .