Run The Roads

It’s marathon week in New York City, and the NYC Marathon got some great news this past week, as financial company ING renewed their sponsorship agreement with the event until 2013.

In the latest issue of Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal, it is reported that the extension of the ING sponsorship is one both sides fully support, however, ING seems to be pulling its support of over a half dozen other races that it currently sponsors.

ING moving out of the road racing realm certainly poses financial problems for races they currently support.  In times of such economic uncertainty, many races have lost title sponsorship over the past year, causing a variety of problems.

One upbeat note out of the article mentions that ING is in discussion with the Competitor Group, Inc. as the two sides discuss possible sponsorship for the 12+ races in the Rock n’ Roll race series.

ING to Shift Strategy for Marathons? (Sports Business Journal)