New York, 4 October , 2006 � New York Road Runners announced today that a special prize bonus funded by ING has helped create the largest guaranteed prize purse in marathon history. The prize purse, totaling more than $700,000, includes a $130,000 first place payout for both the men's and women's champions at this year's ING New York City Marathon. ING, the global financial services company and advocate for the sport of running, has also extended its title sponsorship of the race through 2010, further emphasizing its commitment to the sport. As part of this extension, ING will provide an additional special bonus of $65,000 to the 2006 men's professional prize purse, bringing the men's purse to the same level as the women's.
�"New York Road Runners' belief in and commitment to our world-class athletes is steadfast. As so many of the world's best athletes prepare to join us for this year's ING New York City Marathon, we are delighted to add some additional gold to the pot at the end of the marathon rainbow thanks to our relationship with ING," said Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners and race director of the ING New York City Marathon.
�"Over the last four years, our relationship with New York Road Runners has flourished as we've worked together to further develop the sport of running through the ING New York City Marathon," said Toby Hoden, chief marketing officer for ING U.S. Financial Services. �"We are looking forward to building on this success through the end of this decade."
Injuries have forced two professional runners to withdraw their names from the ING New York City Marathon field. Mara Yamauchi, owner of Britain's second-fastest female marathon time and winner of the Fortis Half-Marathon in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on 10 September, will put her ING New York City Marathon debut on hold because of hip problems. The ING New York City Marathon 2003 champion, Martin Lel, who also won the 2005 Flora London Marathon, will not compete in New York this year due to a leg injury.
- In addition to naming rights to the marathon, ING has also committed to helping further enhance the race experience for elite and recreational runners, spectators and New York City children by:
- Boosting the marathon's 2006 men's prize purse by funding $65,000 in extra prize money, which will supplement the cash awards to the top four male finishers and bring ING's total prize money contribution to $130,000. In 2005, ING added a $65,000 bonus to the women's purse pushing the women's prize purse higher than the men's;
- Through its ING Run for Something Better program, funding track and field programs designed to introduce New York children to the sport of running and the benefits of living healthy, active lives. The program serves New York City children during the school year through the New York Road Runners Foundation and over the summer months through the City Parks Foundation, creating a 12-month fitness program;
- Creating special �"ING Cheering Zones" to serve as rallying points along the marathon race route to cheer the runners on and encourage community involvement and;
- Supporting the Run with Champions event, which gives children the opportunity to run their own race in Central Park on the Friday before the ING New York City Marathon. The young runners participate in a clinic and Q&A session with professional athletes competing in the marathon.
�"This is a red letter day as we add incentive for our athletes and thank ING for extending its commitment to New York Road Runners, our community, and our sport," said Wittenberg. �"ING shares many of New York Road Runners' values for promoting running, community service, and health and fitness, which make this relationship a perfect match."
�"The characteristics of marathon running are like financial planning, with a similar journey to success. With both, you start small, continuously improve, set goals and stay committed throughout the journey," Hoden said. �"Our goal is to help make it easier to achieve success, every step of the way-whether you're running or planning your financial future."
ING began its title sponsorship of the ING New York City Marathon in 2003, in a three-year deal with New York Road Runners. In 2005, the sponsorship was extended through 2007.
New York Road Runners
New York Road Runners, soon to celebrate its 50th anniversary, is dedicated to promoting the sport of distance running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and responding to community needs. Our road races and other fitness programs draw upwards of 300,000 runners annually, and together with our magazine and website support and promote professional and recreational running.
A staff of 60, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the ING New York City Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend plus many track and cross country events. NYRR's home base in New York, and its lifelong identification with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic status, attracting the world's top professional runners. Our youth programs provide running to 15,000 New York City schoolchildren who would otherwise have few or no fitness opportunities. For more information visit www.nyrr.org.
ING New York City Marathon
The premier event of New York Road Runners, the ING New York City Marathon is one of the world's great road races, drawing more than 90,000 applicants. The race attracts many world-class professional athletes, not only for the more than $700,000 in prize money, but also for the chance to excel in the media capital of the world before two million cheering spectators and 312 million worldwide television viewers. As any one of the 672,000 past participants will attest, crossing the finish line in Central Park is one of the great thrills of a lifetime. For more information visit www.ingnycmarathon.org.
About ING
ING is a global financial institution of Dutch origin offering banking, insurance and asset management to over 60 million private, corporate and institutional clients in more than 50 countries. With a diverse workforce of over 115,000 people, ING comprises a broad spectrum of prominent companies that increasingly serve their clients under the ING brand. In the U.S., the ING family of companies offer a comprehensive array of financial services to retail and institutional clients which include life insurance, retirement plans, mutual funds, managed accounts, alternative investments, direct banking, institutional investment management, annuities, employee benefits, financial planning, and reinsurance. ING holds top-tier rankings in key U.S. markets and serves over 14 million customers across the nation. For more information, visit www.ing.com.
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