SunTrust Signs On As Presenting Sponsor
Elite Racing, Inc. has announced that a wave start will be implemented at the 2005 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, a popular Labor Day Weekend event. Event organizers also named SunTrust as the presenting sponsor for this annual best-selling event scheduled for Sunday, September 4, 2005 in Virginia Beach, VA.

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 with participants of similar abilities.

"With this 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 reduced."

All runners will be staged in corrals, at the start, based on their projected finish time. The first corral will be released at 7:00 a.m., 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.

The community of Virginia Beach can expect an increased economic impact with more runners travelling to the event. 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 the size of the field to 20,000, the city could see a rise of up to 15%, or an additional $1.68 million to the lcoal economy.

The addition of SunTrust Bank as a 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 City Manager Jim Spore made a wise decision to partner with Elite Racing. Virginia Beach is a very important market for 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 is patterned after the successful Rock 'n' Roll Marathon(R) in San Diego,CA, the Country Music Marathon & Half Marathon in Nashville, TN, and P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & Half Marathon. The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 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 or call 858-450-6510.

Photo above by www.photorun.net. See the story on the 2004 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon