RALEIGH, N.C. –
The 2014 Boston Marathon winner was on hand Monday afternoon to present an award to the City of Raleigh from SportsTravel Magazine.
SportsTravel Magazine, an industry publication dedicated to the sports-related travel and event industry, honored the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Raleigh as the Best New Sports Event in 2014.
Meb Keflezighi, who won the 2014 Boston Marathon, 2009 New York Marathon and a a silver medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics, presented the city with the award, as well as toured the course, which has been reconfigured for 2015. Councilman Bonner Gaylord accepted the award on behalf of the city.
“You can see the city coming in,” Keflezighi said. “You are on mile 24 of the marathon, mile 11 of the half marathon. You can see the city coming down — you are almost there you are almost home.”
The 2014 Rock ‘n’ Roll Raleigh Marathon and Half Marathon, which was held on April 13, generated more than $8 million for the local economy, according to a study by the San Diego State University Sports MBA program. The event filled more than 7,400 hotel rooms in Raleigh, which translated into $363,107 in taxes and other tourism-related fees collected by local municipalities.
The study further revealed that more than 18,000 visitors traveled to Wake County for the event.
While the event provided a boost to the local economy, it was not without controversy. The 2014 course passed around 20 churches and forced road closures on Palm Sunday, which caused some churches to move or even cancel services on what is considered one of the most important dates on the Christian calendar.
Now in its second year in Raleigh, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon will be April 12, the Sunday after Easter. Registration is $115 for the marathon and $110 for the half marathon.
“The one thing I would tell about marathons is be patient, be patient,” Keflezighi said. “Especially this course will teach you about patience — going up and down the hills. Don’t be too excited because there are going to be a lot of people. Don’t hit the wall too early.”
The event features live music each couple kilometers of the race course. The main headliner of the 2015 event is Smash Mouth.
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