New Jersey Marathon running to a new level

BY JOE FAVORITO

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

ON N.J. SPORTS MARKETING

While the focus for many sports fans coming to the area this week will be on the NCAA Eastern Regionals at the Prudential Center, another group will be making inroads into the area in the leisure and active lifestyle sports area that can have an even bigger, long-term effect on the area.

US Road Sports and Entertainment Group announced Friday that it has acquired the New Jersey Marathon and Running Festival from previous owners BDO Management. The race and festival celebrate their 15th anniversary in 2011, with the events taking place the weekend of April 29-May 1.

The New Jersey Marathon course starts and finishes on the oceanfront of Long Branch, with major sections along the beachfront of Asbury Park and Ocean Grove. The weekend will include everything from a fitness expo to events for kids in addition to the Sunday race, at a time of year when hopefully all are turning their thoughts towards outdoor fitness activities.

The move to US Road Sports also presents a great branding opportunity for New Jersey business to tie not just to a one-off event but to a very successful series of road races that occur under the parent company all year long. US Road Sports has made a concerted effort into enhancing the value and viability of the racing series, not just for elite runners but for everyone who is looking for a healthy lifestyle alternative.

However the true beauty of the event is a value well north of the prize dollars for anyone participating in either of the races or the expo. It is yet another opportunity for brands to line up to help the community become more active and health conscious, directly in line with First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” initiative.

A professionally run series brings more exposure to the Shore area and the added record-breaking cachet can bring more media attention to all the going’s on, all positive developments in an area (Long Branch) keen on rebirth and tourism. New Jersey sits between two of the world’s most popular marathon cities, Philadelphia and New York (both in the fall) and could be prime for a mega event of its own, or one that the business and sporting community can embrace on a grand scale to drive tourism and branding dollars.

Could this new revamping of the N.J. Marathon be the step to a bigger scale running, fitness and branding platform in the Garden State, the spring stop just behind Boston? Geographically it makes sense. The amount of brands to take interest in the space, especially in technology, pharma and lifestyle, also fit. The local interest in running is also a huge plus, as is the need for new tourism dollars in communities like Long Branch that are on the rebound. Could be a perfect time for running to make some sports business noise on the Jersey Shore.

For all the details, visit njmarathon.org.

Joe Favorito has over 24 years of strategic communications/marketing, business development and public relations expertise in sports, entertainment, brand building, media training, television, athletic administration and business. Visit him at JoeFavorito.com.