Posted: November 29, 2004

Athletics: Wave Start Announced for 2005 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon

SunTrust Signs as Presenting Sponsor to Sell Out Event

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - (November 22, 2004) - A wave start will be implemented at the 2005 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, a popular Labor Day Weekend event, announced Elite Racing, Inc. Along with the wave start, event organizers named SunTrust as the presenting sponsor to this annual sell out event, set for September 4, 2005.

The wave start will allow race organizers to increase participation to 20,000 entrants, 3,000 more than the previous two years. With the implementation of the new start, runners will have the opportunity to run their own pace with other participants of similar abilities.

"With this exciting change at the start, runners will be able to run comfortably throughout the scenic 13.1-mile course," said General Manager Elizabeth Hallock, "and crowding at the finish line along the Oceanfront Boardwalk will also be drastically reduced."

All runners will be staged in corrals, at the start, based on their projected finish time. The first corral will be released at 7:00am, while the rest of the participants are held at the start. At pre-determined intervals, approximately every 60 seconds, the next corral will be released, until every participant has crossed the start line.

Road closures will be extended to accommodate the additional start times. Race organizers are expecting certain areas of the course to remain closed for approximately one hour longer than previous years.

In addition, the community of Virginia Beach can expect an increased economic impact with the new wave start. The 2003 estimated economic impact in direct spending was $11.2 million with an estimated 35,000 room nights sold. With a 15% increase in runners, the city could potentially see a rise of 15%, or $1.68 million to the economy.

"Having SunTrust as a new presenting sponsor for 2005 illustrates continued support for the event in the Hampton Roads community," according to William K. Butler, President and CEO, Hampton Roads SunTrust. "Mayor Meyera Oberndorf and Jim Spore, City Manager, knew what they were doing when they partnered with Elite Racing. Virginia Beach is a very important market to SunTrust and we are proud to be the 2005 presenting sponsor of the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, an exciting Labor Day weekend event."

The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, the country's third largest half, is patterned after the popular Rock 'n' Roll Marathon® in San Diego, the Country Music Marathon & ˝ Marathon™ in Nashville, and P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & ˝ Marathon. It features bands at every mile along the 13.1-mile course to provide runners and spectators with continuous entertainment. The half-marathon has attracted some of the fastest runners in the world, vying for more than $80,000 in cash and prizes - making this the largest half-marathon purse in the U.S.

For more information on the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, visit www.RnRHalf.com.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.