May 10, 2005
SACO, ME, May 10, 2005 — The Maine Games is pleased to announce that the inaugural Maine Games 5k Race Series is being sponsored by the New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc., which has its headquarters in Boston, and has three manufacturing facilities in Maine.
The new title of the series will be the Maine Games/New Balance 5K Race Series. The 2005 series includes 23 quality 5K races throughout Maine and began on April 3, in Lewiston, with the third running of Morgan's 5K Run/Walk.
The Maine Games/New Balance 5k Race Series has begun registering runners throughout the state for this series which will crown 5k race champions in 22 age/gender-specific divisions. Awards will be presented at a banquet held in December, at a location to be announced. Winners in each division will be presented with New Balance jackets and a pair of running shoes, in addition to Maine Games gold, silver, or bronze medals.
Maine Games Executive Director, Jeff Scully, said that the sponsorship by New Balance for this series makes great sense for both parties. "New Balance has already been one of our best supporters in our first two years. In addition to sponsoring all of our medals, they also sponsor the Maine Games Male and Female Athlete of the Year Awards. The fact that they've added sponsorship of our 5K race is just icing on the cake for us, and solidifies their commitment to community sponsorship of organizations like the Maine Games."
"The Maine Games offers opportunities for Maine residents of all ages and abilities to participate in athletic events," says Amy Vreeland, company spokesperson for New Balance. "New Balance has a long heritage as a performance running brand, and we are proud to partner with the Maine Games on this exciting new 5K race series."
Maine distance runners who will compete in at least five of the series events, which are all independently operated by organizations around Maine as benefits for local charities, are encouraged to register for the series and begin collecting race points based on their finish in each race. The Maine Games/New Balance 5K Race Series was started to provide incentive to runners to compete in more races, but to also bring nearly two dozen quality races to the attention of runners from all over the state.
This is the third year of the Maine Games; New Balance has been a sponsor since their inception in 2003. Mainers between the ages of 3 and 82 participated in the first two Maine Games that included athletes from all 16 Maine counties and more than 160 different Maine communities. The mission of the Maine Games is to provide the opportunity for Mainers of all ages and abilities to participate in an Olympic-like sporting event. The Maine Games is a member of the National Congress of State Games and is recognized by the United States Olympic Committee.For more information about the Maine Games/New Balance 5k Race Series, log on to the Maine Games website at: www.mainegames.org.
