CITGO Sponsors Team, Honors Boston's Strong Spirit in 2023 Boston Marathon

HOUSTON, April 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation, the official fuel sponsor of the 127th Boston Marathon, sponsored a team of runners in the prestigious race on Monday, April 17, 2023. This year's team included educators, non-profit workers, a first responder, and two first-time marathoners from Boston.

"The amazing communities throughout the entire course were so supportive. Nobody knows me around here, but they know CITGO. Every time I ran past, folks would yell CITGO, and it was like they were calling my name," said Matthew Doherty, a teacher at Lemont High School. "When you see that huge CITGO sign when you're a mile away, it's one of the coolest feelings — everyone's cheering and it's the loudest moment in the whole race."

"I work in a very low socio-economic area, so for CITGO to pick me…I can't describe my gratitude," said Cathy Delamore, a teacher from the Houston area. "Because people like me and the kids I work with really need support."

Kyle Hosek, a CITGO employee, said at the finish line: "You can do anything you set your mind to. I beat my personal best and had a great marathon on my birthday. Thank you."

This year's race marks a solemn anniversary — ten years since the bombing at the 2013 finish line. On Saturday, members of the CITGO team attended a memorial service for the three spectators and two policemen who lost their lives.

"It was a sobering event to think back on, especially there at the finish line, so close to where that horrible event occurred, and realize that there was a group of people doing exactly what  we are here to do today and that was tragically interrupted and taken from them," said Chris Kiesling, CITGO Assistant Vice President Light Oils Operations and Marketing. "But it was also uplifting to consider the people that ran to help instead of running away. It makes you proud to think about the spirit that the city of Boston has shown and continues to show as it holds this event."

CITGO also sponsored the marathon entries of two native Bostonians and Boston University students, Joshua Joseph and Douglas Alverado. "The CITGO sign is right next to my dorm," said Joseph. "Finishing will be like coming home." Alverado recalled the 2013 bombing. "I was actually at the finish line ten years ago," he said. "I left 30 minutes before the bombs went off. It feels amazing to be here and how much the city has recovered – just how really 'Boston Strong' it is." 

CITGO presence at the event also included a "cheer zone" beneath the CITGO sign in Kenmore Square, where company representatives and spectators encouraged runners as they approached the final mile towards the Boylston Street finish line.

"Our CITGO sign in Kenmore Square has been a symbol of Boston pride and resilience since 1965," said Carlos Jordá, CITGO President and CEO. "We are honored to continue our support of the Boston Marathon and its thousands of participants — particularly our first responders, teachers, health and social workers, who work hard and put themselves on the line to keep us all safe, healthy, and thriving."

About CITGO
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Lake Charles, La.; Lemont, Ill.; and Corpus Christi, Texas, and wholly and/or jointly owns 38 active terminals, six pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,300 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 769,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the fifth-largest, and one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 4,200 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets, all located east of the Rocky Mountains. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc.

SOURCE CITGO Corporation