U.S. Bank OC Marathon Title Sponsor Recap June 2017
2017
“Few things in life match the thrill of a marathon.� - Fred Lebow
2017 Event Recap The 13th annual U.S. Bank OC Marathon Running Festival was a tremendous success! Tens of thousands of race enthusiasts came out in force during the weekend of May 5 to May 7, 2017. The event included the U.S. Bank OC Marathon, half marathon, Wahoo’s OC 5K and Kids Run the OC presented by Nutrilite and attracted some 22,700 registrants from 47 states and 15 countries. Sunday’s race event drew huge numbers of runners, volunteers and spectators all braving unseasonably cold temperatures, rain and hail all in the name of fitness, fun and philanthropy. The OC Lifestyle and Fitness Expo and the Ultimate Finish Line Festival were well attended and a rocking good time for all. The running festival kicked-off on Thursday evening with our annual VIP Reception at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Spa. More than 125 sponsor and charity VIPs, dignitaries, OC Marathon Foundation board members and Legacy Founders came out for the cocktail hour that included the induction of Andrea Kooiman to the OC Hall of Fame. John Wayne Cancer Foundation and WeRock charities were also spotlighted during the evening. New this year was the Saturday evening music festival following the Wahoo’s OC 5K, the USATF National Masters Half Marathon Championship event, and the deeply inspiring I Got Legs ReEnabled Course, a custom 3.1-mile route designed for individuals with physical challenges that picked up the Half Marathon course at Mile 10. Also new was the OC Marathon Corporate Challenge, with more than 450 competitors from area businesses squaring off in friendly competition designed to encourage employees to lead healthier lifestyles. Of the 46 participating businesses, Nutrilite had the most employees enrolled with eighty-six. Among the event’s big winners were the U.S. Bank OC Marathon Charity Partners who are continuing to raise funds for local and national charities. The leading Charity Partner is currently Team World Vision, raising more than $120,000 so far! One major highlight of this year’s race was the presence of Adam Gorlitsky, founder of I Got Legs, a 501c3 nonprofit. Gorlitsky is an athlete paralyzed from the waist down who walked the I Got Legs ReEnabled Course in a ReWalk motorized robotic exoskeleton.” The unusually cold, rainy May weekend made for perfect running weather and did not deter the athletes from enjoying their Gatorade, TruMoo, Perfect Bar and finally their Erdinger Non-Alcoholic to taste as a recovery drink and make their way to Wahoo’s Village to enjoy the Ultimate Finish Line Festival. The UPS Personal Item Storage collected, sorted and returned 6,000 bags of runners’ gear and over 1,600 runners were able to get those cold and sore muscles attended to by over 120 massage therapists from Massage Envy. We want to thank all our sponsors who helped make this year’s event such an unbridled success with a special thank you to the more than 2,000 volunteers who gave of themselves, many during difficult weather conditions to support the athletes over the weekend. This was truly a team effort and we are so very grateful for your support! We look forward to working together again in 2018, The OC Marathon Team
By the Numbers... • 1841 Marathon Registrants • 8410 Half Marathon Registrants • 2781 5K Registrants • 9633 Kids Run the OC Registrants DEMOGRAPHICS • 45% Male/ 55% Female • Average Age: 39 years old (Youngest: 3 years old, oldest 96) • 47.5% of participants live in Orange County • 95% of participants live in California • Runners come from 47 states and 15 countries • 18% of OC Marathon runners ran their first half marathon • 41 businesses participated in the first OC Marathon Corporate Challenge. • 24 U.S. Bank OC Marathon Ambassadors promoted the race by sharing their experiences on social leading up to race day. • 66 California running clubs participated in the events. • Kids Run the OC Participants come from 136 Orange County schools logging 26.2 miles of running over 12 weeks as part of the Kids Run the OC program. • 250,000 total miles completed by Kids Run the OC Participants LOGISTICS • • • • • • • •
6,700 gallons of water 170,000 cups 9,460 feet of fencing - almost 2 miles 18,000 bananas 2,500 volunteers 20,000 Perfect Bars 70,000 servings of Gatorade 23,000 bottles of water
Offshite Exposure
Offsite Exposure NAMING
• Name Recognition as the Official Title Sponor of the U.S. Bank OC Marathon, and associated events. • Category exclusivity continued on all OC Marathon events.
SOCIAL MEDIA
• All Social Media platforms listed U.S. Bank was the Title Sponsor. (35,000 Fans on Facebook, 5,500 Followers on Twitter, and 3,000 Followers on Instagram ) • 1,315,649 unique users engaged on the OC Marathon’s Facebook page in the 6 months leading up to the event with posts highlighting U.S. Bank as the title sponsor. • U.S. Bank was tagged and mentioned in Social media posts leading up to the event to prepare for expo and event weekend. • Facebook live post during event weekend to promote U.S. Bank involvement in OC Health and Lifestyle Expo • U.S. Bank OC Marathon Ambassadors encouraged to promote U.S. Bank OC Marathon via their social platforms.
RUNNER COMMUNICATIONS
• OC Marathon website banners on expo page, registration page, and results page updated to include U.S. Bank logos and messaging . • 250,000 unique users visited the OC Marathon website highlighting U.S. Bank as a sponsor at www.ocmarathon.com • Press release announcing the continuation of the partnership was released to many entitie • U.S. Bank OC Marathon’s online digital campaign featured U.S. Bank OC Marathon logos saw over 2 million impressions . • All printed race and marketing materials including pace charts, flyers, exhibitor booth materials, merchandise, featured U.S. Bank as OC Marathon title sponsor. • U.S. Bank was listed as Title sponsor in all email communications. (Database: 85,000) • The OC Marathon sent a special U.S. Bank message email to the OC Marathon’s full database regarding Expo/Event weekend presence. • Full page ad in Runner Spectator Guide available to all Runners/Spectators. (Total Exposure: 25,000) • Placement in the U.S. Bank Virtual Goody Bag available to all half and full marathoners opened .
Onsite Exposure
THURSDAY: OC MARATHON VIP RECEPTION Branding and exposure at the OC Marathon VIP Reception attended by VIP executives, local dignitaries, other sponsors and partners as the title sponsor of the U.S. Bank OC Marathon. Announcer recognition on stage as well as U.S. Bank Logo placement on videos, giveaways, and nametags. Joe Hensley, U.S. Bank OC Market President spoke about the partnership with the U.S. Bank OC Marathon at the event. FRIDAY & SATURDAY: HEALTH AND FITNESS EXPO 10x40 expo space with space for Credit Card Application process and giveaways. (Exposure: 25,000 Participants and Spectators). SATURDAY: KIDS RUN THE OC Presentation for $1,000 check to Kids Run the OC School – Schroeder Elementary. Announcements on stage regarding U.S. Bank’s commitment to give back to schools, and presentation by U.S. Bank Executives & U.S. Bank Volunteers placed in the finish line chute to help assist kids in Post Fuel and Fluid. SATURDAY: WAHOO’S OC 5K Premier Branding during expo, in finish line chutes and on Main Stage during Wahoo’s OC 5K race and post event finish-line expo as title sponsor of the U.S. Bank OC Marathon. SUNDAY: U.S. BANK OC FULL AND HALF MARATHON • All signage at Start line, Finish line, on Main Stage, on Mile Markers and throughout the event highlighted U.S. Bank as the title sponsor of the U.S. Bank OC Marathon viewable to over 50,000 participants and spectators. • U.S. Bank appeared on the front of all marathon medals and the ribbon of all full and half marathon medals (Exposure: 12,000 runners) • The U.S. Bank logo and branding appeared on all marathon and half marathon event t-shirts. (Exposure: 12,000 runners) • All marathon and half marathon race bibs featured the U.S. Bank/OC Marathon lock-up logo. (Exposure: 12,000 Runners) • The “finish-line” winner’s tape at the full and half marathon was held the U.S. Bank company designees. • U.S. Bank was given 50 Race entries with a choice of event. • Full access to VIP Finish Line viewing area and post race activities • Announcer recognition as the title sponsor throughout the event weekend included the Expo, start-line, finish line, and post-race festival and celebration.
Media • News coverage was once again achieved across several platforms including traditional and new media, print, broadcast and extensive online coverage. • Key story angles from this year’s race include Adam Gorlitsky’s story of the ReEnable race course and stories of raising money for U.S. Bank OC Marathon charities such as Project Independence and the National Stem Cell Foundation. • Nine Press Releases were distributed to various outlets and reporters throughout the U.S. Bank marketing period, including a Press Release specifically highlighting the continued partnership between U.S. Bank and OC Marathon. • Print media included coverage from the Newport Beach Independent, the Baltimore Sun, the Los Angeles Times, the Huntington Beach News, KABC Los Angeles, Stu News Newport, Locale Magazine, and Greer’s OC. • The OC Register provided two significant features: One focusing on the general U.S. Bank OC Marathon event and another featuring Kids Run the OC presented by Nutrilite participant, Austin Davis. • The Daily Pilot featured two significant stories including the story of Eva Scalzo, Newport Beach mom who ran in OC Marathon inspired by daughter who deals with diabetes. • KABC featured the U.S. Bank OC Marathon as an upcoming event on their Friday, May 5 news broadcast. • Greer’s OC featured three runners of all ages and their inspirational stories. • Nearly 160 online stories published on 42 different websites exceeding 62 million Unique Monthly Visitors.
Kids Kids Run theRun OC the OC The OC Marathon Foundation has been “Inspiring Kids to Fitness” with their KIDS RUN curriculum, a fun and dynamic training program with a 13-year track record of success through the Kids Run the OC presented by Nutrilite. Created to encourage healthier eating habits and battle childhood obesity in kids ages 4 to 13, the program has shown impressive growth each year. By the time the first heat began at this year’s Kids Run the OC (KROC) “Final Mile” event on Saturday, May 6th, nearly 10,000 young runners hit the pavement at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, representing 136 schools from 19 Orange County, CA districts. In an era when sedentary lifestyles and childhood obesity are on the rise, the directors of the OC Marathon Foundation are grateful the program is expanding its reach. “We’ve lost PE in many of the schools these days,” says Gary Kutscher, long-time OC Marathon race director. “We’re offering something that is fun and engaging and easily accessible.” “People see the beauty in this program, notice how well it works, and they tell other people,” says Kelsey Beall, KROC Program Director. “The program’s growth has been extraordinary.” The office continues to receive inquiries from new schools eager to adopt the KROC program for numerous reasons. The KIDS RUN program makes fitness available to many kids who might not otherwise have the means or encouragement to get into traditional sports programs. “I chose to start up a new program of Kids Run the OC at my daughter’s school,” says one mom volunteer, “because she had such an amazing time last year at another school. We had some fabulous coaches who really taught her to love running and being more active and having less screen time. I am thrilled to see how many of our 800 students are excited to run.” Kathy Kane, principal at Meairs Elementary in Garden Grove, which has doubled its participation in five years with the program, says, “It’s just a fabulous experience for everybody.” The program also fills a void in school physical education programs by offering a curriculum that is both easy to adopt and incorporate by schools, and fun and engaging for the kids. Students at each participating school are led through the popular training program by an OC Marathon certified coach. “From various games and activities to running and nutritional challenges, the KIDS RUN program is greater than the sum of its parts,” says Kutscher. Remarkably, after the completion of the 2017 event, nearly 50,000 kids will have finished their KROC “Final Mile” since the program’s inception. Anyone attending the event will be delighted by the smiles and enthusiasm of the children as they cross the finish line.
U.S. Bank Sponsorship Opportunities at Kids Run the OC • Space in Kids Run the OC Finish Line Chute for volunteers to hand out food to Kids Run the OC Finishers (Exposure: 9,000 Kids) • Presentation for $1,000 check to Kids Run the OC School – Schroeder Elementary. Announcements on stage regarding U.S. Bank’s commitment to give back to schools, and presentation by U.S. Bank Executives.
Charity Program Making miles matter. . . During 2017, the U.S. Bank OC Marathon (OCM) helped partner charities raise nearly $500,000. The world-class race has generated $5 million for local and national causes since its inception in 2004. Runners can choose from 30 official OCM charities or select their own. “Running a marathon or half marathon offers a tremendously compelling way to raise money for something bigger than yourself,” says Gary Kutscher, long-time OCM director. “Raising money for Leukemia Team in Training is what prompted me to start running at the 1996 Honolulu Marathon. I remember how excited I was to open my mailbox and find $100 checks from people I didn’t even know who were supporting my cause.” Charities of all sizes have deeply benefitted from funds raised through the OCM, including the four “Champion Charities”: John Wayne Cancer Foundation, OC Bar Foundation, OM Foundation and Marketplace Ministries Worldwide. The OC Bar Foundation has raised over $600,000 during their 13-year partnership with the OCM. Executive Director, Karen Ruan, says, “[We’re] more visible and have been able to reach a much larger population. The OC Marathon has been excellent in promoting the charities they support.” “The OC Marathon is super fun and makes it easy to reach a much broader audience,” says Jeff Davis, Board of Directors for Marketplace Ministries, now enjoying its third year as an OCM charity partner. “The running community is a generous subculture, and we’re grateful for their support. We’re sold on this event!” Charities involved in the 2017 U.S. Bank OC Marathon included: Empower Nepali Girls, Fact Alliance/ Let’s Respond, Free Wheelchair Mission, German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County, Girls on the Run Orange County, Huntington’s Disease Society of America, International Dyslexia Association, Kids Run the OC, Make a Wish Foundation, Marketplace Ministries Worldwide, National Parkinson’s Foundation, National Stem Cell Foundation, UCI HD-Care, The Orange County Bar Foundation, Outreach to the World, Project Purple, Save our Youth, John Wayne Cancer Foundation, Susan G. Komen Orange County, Team Laura’s House, Team World Vision, The OM Foundation, Team Jake, the Thomas House Family Shelter, UCP of Orange County, UNICEF, US Friends of the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Water Underground - Water Warrior Team, and We Run Orange County Kids.
Thank you for your sponsorship of the 2017 U.S. Bank OC Marathon!
We look forward to working together in 2018! Save the Date May 4th - 6th, 2018
2017