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February 2, 2011 Mitch Varnes/ info@themelbournemarathon.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Space Coast Credit Union Releases Running-Themed VISA Debit Card In Conjunction With This Weekend's State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Melbourne, Fla. - Space Coast Credit Union and the Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon are today announcing a running-themed VISA debit card featuring a group of runners competing in the 2010 Melbourne Marathon Weekend.
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January 31, 2011 Mitch Varnes/ info@themelbournemarathon.com State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon & NextEra Energy Resources Partner In Making The Running Weekend Extravaganza A Carbon-Balanced Event – First Ever In Florida Melbourne, Fla. – The Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend, East Central Florida’s premiere distance running event, today announces a partnership with NextEra Energy Resources, the country’s number one producer of renewable energy, that results in the weekend running festival becoming a “Carbon Balanced Event.” As such, the two entities have combined resources and coordinated to assert that all of the carbon emissions equal to the amount of energy used at this year’s marathon weekend will be balanced with 100% certified wind power in the form of a certified renewable energy certificate. “We are proud to work with the State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon this year,” said Rick Anderson, NextEra’s Senior Director of Renewable Energy Marketing. “Their commitment reduces the carbon footprint for the event by avoiding approximately 111,682 pounds of CO2 equivalent and has directly impacted the future growth of new renewable energy facilities across the U.S.” “We are very happy to have this new partnership with NextEra and especially pleased with what it says about our event and its direction,” acknowledged Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend founder Mitch Varnes. “We went into this year with a dedicated focus and lots of planned initiatives that would result in making our 2011 event one of the greenest and most sustainable running competitions anywhere. We still have a ways to go to catch up with some others, but this partnership is a big statement and step forward.” The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon is Melbourne’s Signature Sporting event and a USATF national and Florida state championship race featuring six running events over the course of February 5 & 6, 2011 – Ronald McDonald Kids Run, Florida Today 5k & 8k, the Top End/Paralyzed Veterans Association’s EuroAmerican Hand Cycling Championships and the State Farm ½ marathon and marathon. Information can be found at www.themelbournemarathon.com EarthEra, a program created by NextEra Energy Resources, North America’s largest producer of wind and solar power, provides companies and individuals the opportunity to reduce their carbon impact and participate in the development of future renewable projects. One hundred percent from the purchase of EarthEra product purchases are directed to the EarthEra Renewable Energy Trust and used to build new renewable energy facilities in North America. To date, the Trust has over $35 million in commitments from leading organizations and forward thinking individuals across the nation. For additional information, visit www.earthera.com and www.nexteraenergyresources.com # # # # #
Mitch Varnes/ info@themelbournemarathon.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Melbourne, Fla. - The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend Health & Fitness Expo is now sold out. The expo, which is presented by Brevard Physicians Network, will feature 35 exhibitors from various industries showcasing the latest in designs, technology, trends, health & nutrition, shoes, apparel and so much more. The Expo is open to the public and is free to attend. All race participants must attend to pick up their race packet, goody bag, and t-shirt. Walk up registration will be available at the expo, as online registration for the 5k, 8k, half marathon, half marathon relay and full marathon will be closing on February 2. The Health & Fitness Expo will also host an elite athlete Meet & Greet on Saturday, February 5, with a roster of former Olympic and NYC and Boston Marathon winners- Bill Rodgers, Zola Budd, Keith Brantly and Frank Shorter. The Meet & Greet schedule is as follows: Noon - Zola Budd at the Island Stride booth 1pm - Keith Brantly at the MIMA Orthopaedics booth 2pm - Bill Rodgers at the Brevard Physicians Network booth 3pm - Frank Shorter at the State Farm booth These elites will also participate in a panel discussion at the Pre-Race Pasta Dinner to be held at the historic Rossetter House in Downtown Eau Gallie on Friday, February 4. The Health & Fitness Expo will be held at the official marathon weekend host hotel, the Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront. Health & Fitness Expo Hours: Friday, February 4, 2011 - 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. The list of expo exhibitors can be found at: http://www.themelbournemarathon.com/2011/expo.php Additional information on East Central Florida's premiere running event can be found at www.themelbournemarathon.com. Tickets for the Pre-Race Pasta Dinner can be purchased at www.smoothrunning.org # # # #
January 19, 2011 FOR IMMEDIATE RELAEASE Mitch Varnes/ info@themelbournemarathon.com DEFENDING STATE FARM MELBOURNE & BEACHES MUSIC ½ MARATHON AND USATF NATIONAL MASTERS ½ MARATHON CHAMPION PAUL AUFDEMBERGE WITHDRAWS FROM February 6, 2011 TITLE RACE DUE TO INJURY MELBOURNE, FLA. -- For the first time since its inception in 2009, the State Farm Melbourne & Music Marathon Weekend will have a new ½ marathon winner when it is competed on Sunday, February 6. The event, which features the USATF National Championship Masters ½ Marathon race, has been won both years by Paul Aufdemberge, 45, of Redford, Michigan. Aufdemberge did not specify his injury when announcing his withdrawal from the race yesterday but did say via e-mail that he has been unable to run the past few weeks and will not be in competitive form anytime in the next several weeks. Aufdemberge has been a dominant force on the national USATF Masters running circuit the past few years and previously completed Melbourne's ½ marathon course in 1:08:05 in 2009 and 1:08:56 in 2010. "Paul is a class act and has been a great champion and spokesman for our race," said event founder Mitch Varnes. "We'll miss him this year and be looking forward to his return in 2012." "Melbourne is a fun and well organized race and a really nice community," Aufdemberge said via e-mail. "I am disappointed to miss the race this year, but I know it will be exciting to have a new champion." Melbourne's 2011 female champion and reigning USATF National Champion Masters ½ marathon runner Lori Kingsley, 43, of Wysox, Pennsylvania has again entered the event and looks to be a strong contender for a repeat win. In addition to the USATF National Championship Masters ½ Marathon, the State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend also hosts the USATF Florida championship 8k, ½ and full marathons clearly establishing it as East Central Florida's premiere distance running event. About 3,000 total runners from more than 40 states and 12 countries are expected for the running weekend that features the free Ronald McDonald Kids Run, the Florida Today 5k & 8k runs presented by Dick's Sporting Goods and the State Farm Melbourne & Beaches ½ and full marathon races. Complete information on the event, its initiatives and charities can be found at www.themelbournemarathon.com # # # # #
December 2, 2010 Mitch Varnes/ info@themelbournemarathon.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
STATE FARM MELBOURNE & BEACHES MUSIC MARATHON TO PARTNER WITH SOLES4SOULS; GO GREEN INITIATIVE AIMS TO COLLECT 1,000 PAIRS OF SHOES FOR THOSE IN NEED
Melbourne, Fla. - The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend and Old Hickory, Tenn. -based Soles4Souls are today announcing a partnership for the February 5 & 6, 2011 Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend with a goal to collect more than 1,000 pairs of gently worn shoes to be disbursed to needy individuals throughout the Americas.
"Most runners have not just a few but several pairs of shoes in their closets; some of which are often hardly worn," said Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon founder Mitch Varnes. "Soles4Souls is fulfilling an invaluable need by taking these donated shoes and getting them on the feet of needy people in the United States and all over the world. I am really happy to have them involved with the race weekend and will do what we can to maximize their good deeds."
Elite runner Jessica Crate of Melbourne recently joined the national staff of Soles4Souls and is motivated to increase visibility of the non-profit group and to build on its mission. "My dream, goal and vision is to use my running ability to raise funds and awareness so that a pair of shoes is not wasted, but donated or recycled and given to people in need."
Soles4Souls is an international organization, which has given and delivered tens of thousands of pairs of shoes to people throughout the United States and in scores of countries.
Soles4Souls will have collection boxes at the finish line of all races during the Melbourne & Beaches Marathon Weekend and also at the Brevard Physicians Network's Health & Fitness Expo, which will be held on February 4 and February 5 at the Crowne Plaza Melbourne Oceanfront Hotel in Indialantic.
Additional information on East Central Florida's premiere running event can be found at www.themelbournemarathon.com while information on Soles4Souls can be found at www.soles4souls.org and www.giveshoes.org/active. # # # # #
November 22, 2010 Mitch Varnes/ info@themelbournemarathon.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MELBOURNE & BEACHES MUSIC MARATHON PRE-RACE PASTA DINNER SET FOR FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 4 RUNNING ICONS KEITH BRANTLEY, ZOLA BUDD, BILL RODGERS & FRANK SHORTER TO HOST Q&A PANEL Melbourne, Fla. – The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend is today announcing that its traditional pre-race pasta dinner will be held Friday, February 4, 2011 on the grounds of the historic Rossetter House in the Melbourne suburb of Eau Gallie. The event will include all the usual pasta and carbo-loading foods and will be highlighted by an open panel forum with running legends Zola Budd, Bill Rodgers and Frank Shorter. The panel will be moderated by former Olympic Marathoner Keith Brantley. The pre-race meal will be catered by the Pizza Gallery & Grill and will be limited to 250 attendees. The cost of the dinner is $12.00 per person, and registration is now being taken through www.smoothrunning.org The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend is East Central Florida’s premiere distance running event and features five races – a 5k, 8k, ½ marathon, marathon and hand cycle – over the weekend of February 5 & 6, 2011. Additional information and registration can be found at www.themelbournemarathon.com # # # # #
November 2, 2010 Mitch Varnes/ info@themelbournemarathon.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: STATE FARM MELBOURNE & BEACHES MUSIC MARATHON WEEKEND ADDS RELAY DIVISION; TWO-PERSON TEAM MEMBERS WILL EACH RUN 6.55 MILES IN 13.1 MILE HALF-MARATHON RACE Melbourne, Fla. – Following the trend of several other races to make its event more accessible to everyday runners, organizers of the State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend are today announcing the addition of a relay division to its half-marathon run. East Central Florida’s premiere distance running event will be competed February 5 & 6, 2011 and includes a 5k, 8k, half and full marathon and a marathon distance hand cycle race. Teams made up of two runners will compete in their own division and run side-by-side with others participating in the full and half-marathon. Rather than running the entire distance, each relay team member will run 6.55 miles. Relay runners will be transported to and from the half-way transition area but will start and finish the race the same as full distance runners. The unique rectangular-shaped course twice crosses the Indian River -- once at the five-mile mark and then again at about the 12-mile mark – giving each team member their own bridge crossing – the signature mark of the event. “A half-marathon is a daunting distance for lots of people,” said event founder Mitch Varnes. “By breaking it up, we open the event to many more runners and also allow for more camaraderie and competition. It is a win-win for everyone.” The Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend is expected to draw more than 3,000 runners and 20,000 spectators to Melbourne and its neighboring towns. Registration forms and additional information on the event can be found at www.themelbournemarathon.com
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October 18, 2010 Media Contacts: Mitch Varnes mitch@themelbournemarathon.com / Chris Peterson, Invacare/Top End, cpeterso@invacare.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Paralyzed Veterans of America and Top End/Invacare Join State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon to Host Handcycling Marathon Championships
Melbourne, Fla. - Organizers of the Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend, one of the Southeast's premiere distance running events, today announced a joint partnership with Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) and Invacare/Top End, a leading maker of premium handcycles and racing wheelchairs, to create the "Top End/PVA Euro-America Marathon Championships." The event will be held on February 6, 2011 and will be competed in conjunction with the latter stages of the running marathon. Details on the overall event and online entry information can be found at www.themelbournemarathon.com . The Top End/PVA Euro-America Marathon Championships will offer racers a total cash purse of $5,000.00 and is expected to draw some of the world's very best handcyclists to what organizers foresee to become a staple event not only for the world's best but also for emerging handcyclists. The handcycling championships will have separate male and female divisions as well as divisions for Masters and Quadriplegic competitors. "The Top End/PVA handcycling event was one of the best and most inspirational elements of our marathon weekend last year," said State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon founder Mitch Varnes. "Having handcyclists out Racing on our course added a whole new component to the event and was a highlight for many of our spectators and staff. We are happy to have this partnership with Top End and the PVA and really look forward to making it a premiere handcyling race." "Top End is proud to team up with the State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon & the Paralyzed Veterans of America in sponsoring the Top End Euro-America Marathon Championship," said Invacare/Top End Director Chris Peterson. "This is the second year of this event and it is growing. The course is great, and the Melbourne area is fantastic! We all look forward to an exciting race." Interest in the handcycle event has been strong with entries already coming. Numbers are expected to increase, with racers like World champion Oscar Sanchez attending. "The Paralyzed Veterans of America is very excited to partner with Invacare/Top End and provide the greatest marathon opportunity for handcyclists. The PVA Racing Team will show up strong with a great number of veteran athletes ready to compete," said Geoff Hopkins, Associate Director of Sports/Cycling for PVA. The handcycle event will begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday, February 6, 2011 while the main running part of the race begins at 7 a.m. The later start time will enable the handcyclists to have open roads for much of the course as the majority of half-marathoners will have completed the race by this time. The Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Melbourne is the official hotel for handcycling competitors and is located just a few miles from the start and finish areas.The hotel has made an arrangement with Top End to provide complimentary double accommodations to the first 40 entrants for the night of February 5.For information or reservations, contact the hotel directly at 321-724-6400. You must use the code "Top End" to receive the special arrangement. Applicants can register online through the event website at www.themelbournemarathon.com. The field will be limited to 60 competitors up from 40 last year. A 2:30 Marathon qualifying time must be submitted upon registration.
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October 13, 2010 Contact: Mitch Varnes/ info@themelbournemarathon.com Jessica Crate/ Jessica/ 850-491-1087 jessica.l.crate@gmail.com
CENTRAL FLORIDA RUNNING ELITE JESSICA CRATE TO HOST OFFICIAL TRAINING CAMP FOR February 2011 STATE FARM MELBOURNE & BEACHES MUSIC MARATHON WEEKEND Melbourne, Fla. -- Smooth Running, LLC, the producer of the Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend, is proud to announce that Central Florida elite runner Jessica Crate has agreed to conduct the official training camp for the February 5 & 6, 2011 running of East Central Florida's premiere distance running event. Crate will be coordinating the camp with Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy coach and Masters elite Doug Butler and other Melbourne area runners, physical therapists and health and nutrition experts. The training camp is scheduled to begin the third week of October but will be accepting runners of all levels throughout its duration. Crate, 25, a former Canadian national champion runner and Varsity Collegiate athlete, has dominated the Central Florida women's - and in many cases the men's - running scene the past few years. She is the reigning and three-time champion of a local running series and last weekend completed the Steamtown Marathon in Scranton, Penn. with an outstanding time of 2 hours and 51 minutes - a 6:33 mile pace. She has qualified as an elite runner for the 2011 Boston Marathon and was recently chosen for the Florida's Finest Marathon Team to represent our state at the 2011 Disney Marathon. "Running is a gift to me," said Crate. "I love working with other runners and am excited to help grow and integrate an already vibrant and successful running community, bringing athletes and businesses together to achieve the ultimate goal of improved fitness and health as well as faster race times at any distance. The Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend is one of the top events in our area and offers challenges at several key distances," she continued. I am really looking forward to the training camp and the event." "Jessica is not just an amazing runner but is also an amazing individual," said Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon founder Mitch Varnes. "She really wants to help others and thrives on seeing and helping people accomplish their goals; whether they are beginning or advanced runners. From the event's standpoint, we couldn't have a better leader." The training camp is slated to begin on October 17th. For details on participating in the camp, contact Jessica Crate at jessica.l.crate@gmail.com. The Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon training camp is made possible through the support of State Farm, Beachside Physical Therapy, Pro Health Fitness and other local fitness and running backers.
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EARLY ENTRY PERIOD FOR FEBRUARY 2011 STATE FARM MELBOURNE & BEACHES MUSIC MARATHON WEEKEND EXPIRES AT MIDNIGHT SEPTEMBER 30
Event & Registration Info: www.themelbournemarathon.com Melbourne, Fla. - The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend, which takes place in the heart of historic downtown Melbourne on February 5 & 6, 2011, has announced its early entry fee period expires this week at midnight on September 30. Runners looking to participate in East Central Florida's premiere distance running event are encouraged to take advantage of the pricing discount before then. The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend is a family-friendly running event open to everyday runners, children and the sport's elites. With more than 20 musical acts lining the race course, it offers entertainment and fun for both competitors and spectators alike. Now in its third year, the Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend has become Florida's fastest growing running event. The event offers a total event cash and prize purse of more than $15,000.00 to top finishers in each race - 5k, 8k, ½ marathon, marathon and handcycle divisions. Additional news on the Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend and its new initiatives, categories and sponsors will be announced by mid-October. # # # # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: RUNNING LEGEND BILL RODGERS & BOSTON RED SOX ALL STAR TIM WAKEFIELD AMONG RACE STARTERS FOR STATE FARM MELBOURNE & BEACHES MUSIC MARATHON WEEKEND Melbourne, Fla. – Four-time Boston Marathon winner Bill Rodgers and Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield will be joining Florida Today Publisher Mark Mikolajczyk as the official race starters during the February 6 & 7, 2010 Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend. The running weekend attracts more than 2,000 runners from overseas and throughout the United States and is Melbourne’s Signature Sporting event. The weekend includes the USATF Florida state championship 8k, ½ marathon and full marathon races. The main feature of the event is the ½ marathon, which is the USATF National Championship Masters race. As such, it draws America’s best distance runners age 40 and over. Florida Today newspaper is the title sponsor of the 5k and 8k races, while State Farm insurance is the title sponsor of the ½ and full marathons. The 5k and 8k races are competed on Saturday, and the half and full marathon are on Sunday. Mikolajczyk will be the official starter of the 8k race and accepted this position after original starter, former Olympian and past 5,000 meter world record holder Zola Budd, decided to instead run in the 8k. Mikolajczyk will gun start the 8k and then line up to run the 5k, which begins 30 minutes later. Running icon Bill Rodgers of Boston returns to Melbourne for the second straight year and will also be competing in Sunday’s half-marathon “Melbourne is a beautiful area – especially compared to Boston in February – and I had a great time here last year,” said Rodgers. “It is a pleasure for me to be the official starter of the Florida Today 5k run.” Wakefield, is a Melbourne native and off-season resident. Still going strong in his 40s, the knuckleballer was named at age 42 to the 2009 American League All-Star squad. His stature as one of the best masters-age athletes in professional team sports qualifies him as a perfect starter for both the full marathon and Masters Championship Half-Marathon. Aside from great hospitality and a beautiful course, the Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon features more than 20 different musical acts along the race route. For more information, www.themelbournemarathon.com # # # # #
January 20, 2010 MELBOURNE & BEACHES MUSIC MARATHON DAY TO START WITH A SPACE SHUTTLE LAUNCH Melbourne, Fla. – Runners in the February 7, 2010 State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon & ½ Marathon will want to set their alarm clocks a little earlier than usual as the last nighttime launch in the Space Shuttle’s storied 29-year history is set for 4:39 a.m. on race morning. Nighttime launches are spectacular and visible along much of Florida’s coast. Melbourne is just 30 miles south of the Kenned Space Center and will be a prime viewing area with the best spots anywhere along the beaches of Cocoa Beach, Satellite Beach, Indialantic or Melbourne Beach. The Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon Weekend is East Central Florida’s premiere distance running event and attracts more than 2,000 runners to historic downtown Melbourne. More than 20 musical acts will be performing along the Marathon and ½ Marathon route, with six acts scheduled for the 5-k and 8-k runs. For more information, visit www.themelbournemarathon.com # # # # #
October 20, 2010 USATF OF FLORIDA AWARDS MELBOURNE MARATHON WEEKEND Melbourne, Fla. – Adding to the allure of the State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon weekend set for next February, the USA Track & Field Association’s Florida chapter has announced that its 2010 state championship 8-k, ½ Marathon and Marathon championship races will be held in Melbourne in conjunction with the weekend-long runfest. The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon debuted this past February and was so well received that organizers and the city opted to expand it from a Sunday run to a Saturday & Sunday event that features the Florida Today 5-k & 8-k on Saturday and the ½ marathon and marathon on Sunday. The inaugural event saw an estimated 25,000 spectators and almost 2,000 runners take to the streets of Melbourne, the beachside and its bridges in what the Melbourne-Palm Bay Chamber of Commerce dubbed, “ Melbourne’s Signature Sporting event.” In a near unprecedented move for a first time event and thanks largely to Florida’s wintertime climate, the USATF awarded the 2009 race its National Championship Masters ½ Marathon; an act that immediately put Melbourne on national running maps and on the agenda of the nation’s top distance runners age 40 and over. The USATF announced this past spring that Melbourne will remain the host site of the Masters ½ Marathon Championships through 2012. 2009’s list of competing elite Master runners included 4-time Boston and New York City Marathon winner Bill Rodgers, 1984 Boston Marathon winner Greg Meyer, top contenders Sean Wade and Dennis Simonaitis and winner Paul Aufdemberge. Former world record holder, Olympian and running icon Colleen DeReuck was the winning woman. Most of these runners will be back in Melbourne in 2010 along with the recent addition of another former Olympian and running legend; Zola Budd. “Having the USATF award us these state championship races in addition to the national one is incredible and an acknowledgement of all the city and community support that led to the creation and success of our State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon and Florida Today 5-k and 8-k,” said event founder Mitch Varnes. “USATF-Florida is delighted to have Melbourne host our 8-k, ½ marathon and marathon championships. This event is well organized and boasts a scenic waterfront course in the beautiful surrounds of Melbourne,” noted USATF-Florida Long Distance Running Chairman Joe Monks. “We are indeed excited to be affiliated with this great weekend of racing for family and friends.” The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon kicks off on Saturday, February 6, 2010 with the free Ronald McDonald’s Kids Run and the Florida Today 5-k and 8-k races. The ½ marathon and marathon will take place on Sunday, February 7. Information and race applications are available online at www.themelbournemarathon.com . # # # # # Press Releases
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