The Dodge Brand Races to the Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 Marathon

SAN DIEGO, June 2, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

• Dodge is the title sponsor of the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 marathon
• Dodge brand serves as the official auto sponsor for 2011 Rock 'n' Roll marathon series
• Runners and attendees will be immersed in the Dodge brand through test drives for charity, on-site vehicle displays and sweepstake opportunities
• Desiree Davila, third fastest American female marathoner, along with Scout Bassett and Beth Sanden, from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, to sign autographs at the Dodge Expo booth

The Dodge brand is lacing up its running shoes and heading to the starting line for the 2011 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon season. The brand kicks off its first marathon as the title sponsor and official automotive sponsor for the Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 Marathon To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society starting Friday, June 3 - Sunday, June 5. The Dodge brand serves as the official automotive sponsor for the entire Rock 'n' Roll marathon series and the title sponsor for races in San Diego (June 3-5), Seattle (June 23-25), Virginia Beach (Sept. 2-4), San Jose (Sept. 30-Oct. 2), Los Angeles (Oct. 28-30) and Miami Beach (Dec. 9-11).

"The Dodge brand is defined by passion, both for our products, as well as for enjoying life and living it to its fullest," said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO – Dodge Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. "The dedication it takes to train and ultimately participate in a marathon reflects the type of passion that comprises our own brand values. The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon series is an excellent opportunity to expose all of our new Dodge products to the more than 1 million people who are somehow involved in or touched by the series."

"Through their involvement with the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, Dodge has created a leadership role with their dedication and commitment to the active lifestyle movement, and we are delighted to be their partner helping them deliver a world-class experience to consumers," said Scott Dickey, President of Competitor Group, Inc., which owns and operates the marathon. "With the popularity of the half marathon, added last year, and a revamped finish line festival at SeaWorld, we are excited to continue the momentum in 2011 as San Diego's largest sporting event."

The Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is the original event in the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series. The series of marathons and half marathons combine entertainment and running in a unique way. Bands stationed at every mile of the race keep runners and walkers energized, engaged and entertained. With more than 300,000 runners participating at 19 events across the nation, it is the largest and most widely attended marathon series in the world.

To give runners and their supporters a chance to experience the Dodge product line, the brand is bringing its new products, including the all-new 2011 Dodge Charger and Durango, as well as the significantly refreshed 2011 Dodge Journey, Grand Caravan and Avenger, for test drives during the marathon weekends. For each test drive taken, the brand will donate $20 to one of the following three charities chosen by the participants:

• Challenged Athletes Foundation (http://www.challengedathletes.org)
• Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (http://www.clintonbushhaitifund.org) 
• The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (http://www.lls.org) 

Participants will also have an opportunity to fill in the name of their favorite charity and the brand will donate $20 to the designated charity.

Throughout the marathon weekend, attendees will have an opportunity to win an autographed guitar, valued at $2,000, or a number of Dodge-branded prizes by entering the Dodge "Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Sweepstakes and Instant Win Game." To enter, complete an entry form, available at the Dodge exhibit, and submit the form to a staff member who will scan the bar code on the form to display the prize-winning notification. Each person may only enter once per day during the marathon weekend. 

Athletes to sign autographs at the Dodge Expo booth

The Dodge brand will host several autograph signing sessions with marathon favorite Desiree Davila and Scout Bassett and Beth Sanden from the Challenged Athlete Foundation (CAF).

A San Diego-native, Davila is the 2011 Boston Marathon Runner-up and third-fastest American female marathoner. She will be on-hand at the Dodge Expo Booth to autograph posters on Friday, June 3 from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, June 4 from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

At an early age, Bassett lost her right leg due to severe burns and was abandoned at a Chinese orphanage to endure hardship, abuse and child labor. When she least expected it, a miracle occurred, and she was adopted by an American family at the age of seven, taking her from an uncertain future to a world of opportunity. With help from CAF, her family and friends and prosthetist Stan Patterson, Bassett actively competes in triathlons. In 2007, she qualified and competed in the ITU Triathlon World Championships in Hamburg, Germany, finishing in second in her division of her first international competition for triathlon. She claimed silver again in 2008 and 2010 at the International Triathlon World Championships. Scout is passionate about pursuing her athletic interests, educating people about the physically challenged and helping raise funds to allow remarkable individuals like herself to live active lifestyles.

During a 50-mile ride, training for 2002 California Half-Ironman Sanden crashed, crushing two vertebrae. Sanden was left with paralysis in her left leg, partial mobility in the right and chronic pain. Doctors said she would never walk again, but she didn't listen, she dug deep, prayed and put positive thinking to work. With support from her family and physical therapy, Sanden was determined and is now able to walk with a cane. Sanden has competed many years at CAF's San Diego Triathlon Challenge along with Handcycling in marathons such as Boston, New York, Rock 'n' Roll and recently the Great Wall of China.

Both Sanden and Bassett will be available to sign autographs and answer questions on Friday, June 3 from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, June 4 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Dodge Expo Booth.

For more information on the Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon and 1/2 Marathon visit www.Competitor.com.  

About Dodge brand

Dodge is a full line of cars, crossovers, minivans and SUVs that are agile, daring, sensible and inventive. The brand is on a tear for the 2011 model year, redefining itself with six all-new or significantly redesigned new vehicles, introducing new lifestyle packages designed to better meet the needs of its customers, launching catchy new ads that have started conversations with owners and potential owners, actively participating in new events and sponsorships and developing relationships with its long-loyal enthusiast base, as well as reaching out to customers who want cars that leave them wanting more.

For the 2011 model year, the Dodge brand is filling dealer showrooms with a vast array of new and updated products. The Dodge product line includes the all-new Dodge Durango and Dodge Charger, significantly revamped Dodge Grand Caravan, Dodge Journey, Dodge Avenger and Dodge Challenger, and the Dodge Caliber and Dodge Nitro.

About Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego

A Competitor event, the 14th annual Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 Marathon To Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society® will run through the streets of San Diego on Sunday, June 5. The sold-out race has draw nearly 32,000 entrants, with live bands and cheerleaders interspersed along each mile of the scenic course. A two-day Health and Fitness Expo presented by Power Balance at the San Diego Convention Center will kick off race weekend on Friday, June 3, featuring more than one hundred fitness retailers, exhibits and interactive clinics. Event weekend concludes with a finish line festival and post race concert headlined by Nada Surf. For more information about Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego, please visit www.Competitor.com or follow @runrocknroll on Twitter.

About Competitor Group, Inc.

Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., Competitor Group, Inc. (CGI) is the leading media and event resource in the active lifestyle industry dedicated to promoting the sports of running, cycling and triathlon. CGI owns and operates 45 national 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 more than 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 Chrysler Group LLC