The 4th Annual Baltimore Running Festival presented by Under Armour will take place Saturday, October 16, 2004. The Festival will feature the following races: The Under Armour Baltimore Marathon, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half-Marathon, GEICO Team Relay, Fila 5K, and Legg Mason Funds Kid's Fun Run.

The 2003 event drew thirty percent more registered runners than the 2002 event--more than 8,000 runners registered for this year's Festival. The addition of the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half-Marathon was well received by the running community, with 3,000 registered runners. Feedback from half-marathoners has been very positive with minor adjustments to next year's course in the works.

Under Armour Performance Apparel, a Baltimore-based company, will again be the title sponsor of the 2004 marathon. In addition to sponsoring the marathon, Under Armour will provide performance gear for those runners who register for the marathon, half-marathon, and team relay in 2004. Runners participating in the marathon and half-marathon in 2003 received an Under Armour LooseGear shirt.

"We have a great partner in Under Armour," said Lee Corrigan of Corrigan Sports Enterprises, the organizing group of the event. "With Under Armour's support and prestige, we feel that the event was elevated to another level and it will continue to be so in future years. The performance apparel for the runners, along with the addition of the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half-Marathon, were the first steps in bringing the City of Baltimore to the running community forefront."

"The Baltimore Running Festival is a great event for the city of Baltimore," commented Councilwoman and Honorary Co-Chair Catherine Pugh. "Along with the economic boost the marathon brings to the city, local charities receive much needed funds from the event. We're already looking forward to next year's event."

In this year's marathon, Erick Kimaiyo (Kenya) defended his marathon title with a time of 2:18:40. On the women's side, Elvira Kolpakova (Russia) won her third Baltimore Marathon title with a time of 2:48:49.

Runners who wish to register early for the 2004 Under Armour Baltimore Marathon or CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Half- Marathon will receive a $10 discount if registered by December 31, 2003. Register online.

For more information, contact Corrigan Sports Enterprises at (410) 605-9381.