MADRID and SAN DIEGO, April 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Competitor Group (CGI), the leading media and event company in the endurance sports industry, announced an agreement with the Madrid Marathon to create the first international event under the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series umbrella. The agreement enables CGI to develop its presence in additional markets outside of the U.S., creating an endurance sports platform that is truly global.

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The deal includes retaining the existing Madrid Marathon operations team, Elipse Iniciativas, to complement CGI's marketing expertise.  The event's rebranding as part of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series will focus on providing an enhanced on-course entertainment experience for runners, as well as create tremendous opportunities for partners to expand their global outreach to the growing numbers of affluent participants in the running sector.

"We believe there is a significant opportunity to extend the reach of the Rock 'n' Roll brand beyond North America and are thrilled to take that first step in the iconic European capital city of Madrid," said Scott Dickey, President of CGI. "Adding the Madrid Marathon to our event portfolio at this time presented us with an ideal situation, allowing the current operations team to remain involved. The deal represents an enormous opportunity for global expansion and we are excited to introduce our Rock 'n' Roll brand to the international running community."

The 34th running of the Madrid Marathon is set for April 17, 2011. First held in 1978, the event takes place each April in the capital of Spain and is one of 11 events with "IAAF Silver Label" Road Race status in Europe. Previously owned by MAPOMA (Asociacion Deportiva Maraton Popular de Madrid), the road race is one of the most important athletic events in Spain and annually attracts 15,000 entrants and 1 million spectators. In 2010 the race added a 10k that is held in conjunction with the marathon.

Historically, more than 40 percent of Madrid Marathon participants are local and 95 percent of race entrants are male. By comparison, nearly 70 percent of Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series runners travel from outside the local market and 60 percent of participants are female.

"We are pleased to join forces with Competitor Group," said Pedro Gonzalez, Director of Elipse Iniciativas. "We have a lot of respect for what the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series has achieved in the U.S. and we are particularly impressed with the quality reputation the events are known for. This deal represents a great opportunity for future growth and our runners can count on us to continue to deliver the same first class experience they have been enjoying for more than 30 years."

The 2011 event will utilize the existing race course that begins near Paseo de Recoletos, heads north past the Biblioteca Nacional de Espana and then to the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.  It runs past eight major landmarks, through Case de Campa Park, along the perimeter of Buen Retiro Park and finishes inside the park at Paseo del Duque de Fernan Nunez. The course is certified by the Association of International Marathons and is eligible for record performances.

The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series began in San Diego in 1998. Acquired during the formation of CGI, the series of musically themed marathons and half-marathons has expanded across the U.S. from five events in 2008 to 19 events in 2011. With the addition of the Madrid Marathon, the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series will increase to 21 events in 2012.

In addition to the agreement with Madrid, CGI recently announced a new spring half-marathon in Portland, Ore., set for Sunday, May 20, 2012. The company has also announced plans to move the start of the Zappos.com Rock 'n' Roll Las Vegas Marathon & 1/2 Marathon to night, which will make it the World's Largest Nighttime Running Event™.

For more information about the Maraton de Rock 'n' Roll Madrid, visit Competitor.com or Maratonmadrid.org.  

About the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series

Organized by Competitor, the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series is famous for lining race routes with live bands and cheerleaders, massive participant numbers and rocking post race concerts. The original Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in 1998 is still recognized as the largest inaugural marathon in history with 19,979 entrants. Over the 14-year history of the series, 75,000 charity runners have raised more than $249 million for a variety of worthy causes and nonprofit organizations. Today, the series of marathons and half-marathons has spread to 21 cities around the world. For more information, please visit Competitor.com or follow @runrocknroll on Twitter.

About Competitor Group

Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI) is the leading endurance media and event entertainment company dedicated to promoting the sports of running, cycling and triathlon. CGI owns and operates 55 endurance events, including the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, TriRock Triathlon Series and Columbia Muddy Buddy Series; which will deliver more than 400,000 professional and amateur participants in 2011. CGI publishes four magazine titles including VeloNews, Inside Triathlon, Triathlete and Competitor magazine with a combined monthly circulation of more than 800,000. In addition, the company holds a captive online endurance community at competitor.com delivering over 1.5 million monthly unique visitors and 25 million page views. Further information about Competitor and its media properties can be found at www.competitormediakit.com.

SOURCE Competitor Group