Competitor Group Announces Expansion to Miami Beach with Latin Music Theme – Dodge joins as title sponsor of first ever Latin Music Miami Beach Half Marathon

Miami Beach, Fla. (Dec. 15, 2010) – The Competitor Group (CGI), the leading media and event company in the endurance sports industry, was joined by the Dodge Brand today to announce the first-ever Dodge Latin Music Miami Beach Half Marathon, leaving runners and Latin music enthusiasts running and dancing in excitement. The inaugural half-marathon will join CGI’s flagship Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, with the new event scheduled for Sunday, December 11, 2011.

“As the Rock 'n' Roll series continues to grow, we take special care in choosing a city we know our runners will love,” said Peter Englehart, CEO of CGI. “We have great respect for the vibrancy and diversity of the Latin music culture and the Miami Beach destination brings a unique flavor to our series as we strive to provide the very best to our participants by creating world-class events nationwide.”

Vice Mayor of Miami Beach Michael Góngora joined Englehart for the official launch at the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach, which was also named one of the headquarter hotels for the event. The launch also saw appearances from actress Cindy Taylor, models Las Senadoras from Univision’s “Republica Deportiva,” and two-time Olympian Arturo Barrios, with a live performance from DJ IRIE.

“As the Dodge Brand continues to redefine itself through new ventures like the very unique Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon series, we’re excited to have a new presence in Miami and to reconnect with our Hispanic customers in our marketing and advertising initiatives,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand. “Our new 2011 Dodge product line is more full of life than ever before and nicely matches the vibrancy of the Latin Culture.”

In true Rock ‘n’ Roll fashion, Miami Beach runners will be treated to a post-race finish line concert after the event. All runners receive free entry to the concert, which in 2010 featured headliner acts including Everclear, Five for Fighting, Pat Benatar & REO Speedwagon, Blues Traveler, Neon Trees and Bret Michaels. Registration for the Dodge Latin Music Miami Beach Half Marathon is open on Competitor.com and the first 500 participants to register will receive a special $55 entry fee.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome the Competitor Group and their new brand to our community,” said Max Sklar, Director of Tourism and Cultural Development for the City of Miami Beach. “This event combines a free health fair, road race and concurrent musical performances culminating with a post-race concert. It’s truly a win-win for both the tourism industry and the residents of Miami Beach. We look forward to welcoming runners from around the world to visit next December.”

The Dodge Latin Music Miami Beach Half Marathon joins the Country Music Marathon in Nashville as extensions of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series umbrella. The half-marathon will be the eighteenth event in the national series of musically themed marathons and half-marathons, which are famous for lining race routes with live bands and fanfare at each mile. The series, which started in San Diego in 1998, is held across the United States in major markets such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas and Las Vegas, among others.

“The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon concept was truly the first of its kind,” said Barrios, a two-time Mexican Olympian and the first person to run a half-marathon under 1 hour. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the Competitor Group’s effort reaching out to the Latin community and I believe this Miami Beach event will attract new runners to the sport because the series has proven to positively influence people and grow the sport of distance running.”

“We are thrilled to be a headquarter hotel of the Latin Music Half Marathon taking place throughout Miami Beach in December 2011,” said David Siguaw, Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach Director of Sales & Marketing. “Adding the concept of Latin music to a running event here in Miami pays tribute to the strong culture and history that both Miami Beach and the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach are known for.”

For additional information about the Dodge Latin Music Miami Beach Half Marathon, or to register for the event, please visit Competitor.com. 

About Dodge

Dodge is a full line of cars, crossovers, minivans and SUVs that are agile, daring, sensible and inventive. The brand is on a tear for the 2011 model year, redefining itself with six all-new or significantly redesigned new vehicles, introducing new lifestyle packages designed to better meet the needs of its customers, launching catchy new ads that have started conversations with owners and potential owners, actively participating in new events and sponsorships and developing relationships with its long-loyal enthusiast base, as well as reaching out to customers who want cars that leave them wanting more.

The Dodge product line includes the Dodge Caliber, Dodge Avenger, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Charger, Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey and Dodge Nitro. Between the end of this year and early next, the brand will fill dealer showrooms with a vast array of new and updated products. The all-new Dodge Durango will lead the charge, followed by the all-new Dodge Charger and significantly revamped Grand Caravan, Journey, Avenger and Challenger.

About The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series

Organized by The Competitor Group, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series is famous for lining race routes with live bands and cheerleaders, massive participant numbers and rocking post race concerts. The original Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in 1998 is still recognized as the largest inaugural marathon in history with 19,979 entrants. Over the 13-year history of the series, more than 77,000 charity runners have raised more than $235 million for a variety of worthy causes and nonprofit organizations. Today, the series of marathons and half-marathons has spread to eighteen cities nationwide. For more information or to register for an event, please visit Competitor.com or follow us on Twitter @RunRocknRoll.

About The Competitor Group
Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI) is the leading endurance media and event entertainment company dedicated to promoting the sports of running, cycling and triathlon. CGI owns and operates 45 national endurance events, including the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, TriRock Triathlon Series and Columbia Muddy Buddy Series; which will deliver more than 400,000 professional and amateur participants in 2011. CGI publishes four magazine titles including VeloNews, Inside Triathlon, Triathlete and Competitor magazine with a combined monthly circulation of more than 800,000. In addition, the company holds a captive online endurance community at competitor.com delivering over 1.5 million monthly unique visitors and 25 million page views.

Further information about Competitor and its media properties can be found at www.competitormediakit.com.

Dan Cruz