National Black Marathoners Association Will Gather at MetroPCS® Dallas Marathon

DALLAS – MetroPCS Dallas Marathon officials are pleased to announce that the National Black Marathoners Association (NBMA) has chosen to host its Southwest marathon gathering as this December's race. NBMA members from more than 43 states and five countries will meet in Dallas for the 43rd running of Texas' oldest marathon on Sunday, December 9.

"We are very excited about participating at this event and having an enjoyable weekend," said NBMA executive director Tony Reed. "I've run this marathon twenty times, since 1983, and look forward to the new course."

Dressed in red and lime green jerseys and black shorts, NBMA members of all athletic abilities plan to participate ineach of the Dallas Marathon's races. The NBMA serves as a vehicle for Black Americans to meet in mass at a single race each year and provides scholarships to deserving high school distance runners each year.

"This year's course, with a start and finish downtown and stretching all the way to White Rock Lake, will give our visiting runners a true taste of Dallas," said Kevin Snyder, chairman of the Dallas Marathon Board of Trustees. "We are honored to be selected by the members of the National Black Marathoners Association as their regional marathon of choice for 2012 and look forward to their participation in our event."

Dallas Marathon weekend includes a marathon, half marathon, 5-person relay race, The Mayor's Race 5K Presented by Cigna and Oncor and the Southwest's largest two-day Health & Fitness Expo.

For more information or to register for the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, visit dallasmarathon.com.

About the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon

The MetroPCS Dallas Marathon is a flat and fast race, featuring a scenic coursethat highlights the best areas of Dallas including the landmark Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, designed by Santiago Calatrava. The race is Texas' oldest running marathon and serves as a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon. Race activities occur the second weekend of December and include a two-day Health and Fitness Expo; the Mayor's Race 5K, presented by Cigna and Oncor; and the MetroPCS Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon, 5-Person Relay, and SMU Cox Corporate Relay Challenge, presented by Behringer Harvard.

The Dallas Marathon is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit; the primary beneficiary of proceeds from race weekend is Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

For more information, visit dallasmarathon.com.

About National Black Marathoners' Association

The National Black Marathoners'Association (NBMA) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging Black Americans and others to pursue a healthy life-style through running and walking. It is open to everyone, regardless of your athletic ability or previous marathon experience. The NBMA hosts an annual marathon gathering each year. Previous locations and events for the gathering have been Lewis & Clark Marathon (St. Charles, MO), New Jersey Marathon (Long Branch, NJ), Rite-Aid Cleveland (OH) Marathon, Lost Dutchman Marathon (Apache Junction, AZ), Cowtown Marathon (Ft. Worth, TX), ING (Atlanta) Georgia Marathon, Bermuda International Race Weekend, Deadwood-Michelson Marathon (Deadwood, SD), and Madison (WI) Marathon.

The NBMA's website is BlackMarathoners.org.