OLATHE, Kan., February 25, 2014 – The Olathe Chamber of Commerce will hold the Garmin Marathon, In the Land of Oz on April 26, 2014. This year marks the 11th anniversary of the event, which began in 2004 as the Olathe Marathon. Presented by Garmin International Inc., the Garmin Marathon is an event for runners of all levels and ages that promises to be a wickedly fun race experience. Events include a 6K, half marathon, full marathon and a Munchkin Marathon, designed for children, kindergarten through sixth grade. This year’s Garmin Marathon also features a new Team Relay option for teams of 3-5 participants.
“We are thrilled to once again be partnering with Garmin and the City of Olathe for our annual marathon,” said Ashley Arnold, vice president, Olathe Convention and Visitors Bureau. “The Garmin Marathon was recently voted the best half marathon in Kansas and we’re confident that runners will enjoy the enhancements we’ve made for this year’s race events, including a unique 6K and Team Relay. There’s no place like Olathe, Kansas, and we look forward to hosting thousands of runners from all over the country here in April.”
Packet pick-up for the marathon will be held in conjunction with a Health and Wellness Expo, sponsored by Holmes Murphy, at the Hilton Garden Inn Olathe, 12080 S. Strang Line Rd. Race participants are encouraged to stop by the Expo, which will feature numerous on-site vendors, on Thursday, April 24, from 4-8 p.m. or Friday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In advance of race day, runners are also invited to attend the 2nd Annual Pasta Dinner, sponsored by Lockton Companies, at the Hilton Garden Inn Olathe at 7 p.m. Tickets to the pasta dinner are $30 and include a great carb-loading pasta buffet and the opportunity to hear from guest speaker Meb Keflezighi, 2004 Olympic silver medalist in the marathon and also the overall winner of the 2009 ING New York City Marathon. Seating for the pasta dinner is limited; those interested should contact Brett Vena (bvena@olathe.org) to reserve a spot.
The courses for all three running events are fast and relatively flat and the marathon is a Boston qualifier. Both the marathon and half marathon are USATF-certified. Races will start and finish at Garmin’s headquarters, 1200 E. 151st St. For more race details and registration, visit www.garminmarathon.com.
About the Olathe Chamber of Commerce
The Olathe Chamber of Commerce is the largest chamber in Johnson County and the second largest chamber in the Kansas City area. It was the first chamber in the state to receive Five-Star Accreditation from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce – a designation obtained by only 1 percent of the nation’s chambers. To date, the Olathe Chamber remains a Five-Star-Accredited Chamber. Its mission is to be the voice of business that advances the economic wellbeing and quality of life in Olathe.
About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin is a registered trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
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