Touchdown! Marriott Rewards Reunites Friday Night Lights Cast Members To Conquer A Spartan Super Race

BETHESDA, Md., June 14, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- This past Saturday, Marriott Rewards reunited cast members from the hit TV show Friday Night Lights - Taylor Kitsch, Minka Kelly, Zach Gilford and Aimee Teegarden - for the first time since the show went off the air five years ago, to compete against thousands of racers in the grueling eight-and-a-half-mile, 29-obstacle Spartan Super Race in Richmond, IL. As part of the Marriott Rewards global partnership with Spartan Race, the four cast members received intensive training with Elite racers. They joined with other members of the loyalty program on race day as part of the Marriott Rewards team, testing their stamina and endurance, ultimately prevailing and crossing the finish line together.

"Just as Friday Night Lights fans are passionate about the show, Spartan racers are passionate about competition, traveling the globe to compete against one another. Marriott Rewards jumped at the chance to fuel these passions by reuniting the cast and having them race alongside many of our members," said Thom Kozik, Vice President, Loyalty at Marriott International. "Whether it's traveling to challenge their physical and mental limits in a Spartan Race or experiencing faraway cultures, our members enjoy exclusive benefits so they can go the distance in their own journeys around the world."

Competing in the 9:30am heat on June 11, the cast members worked together, alongside Marriott Rewards members, to tackle each obstacle and cross the finish line together. Along the way…

• The cast members ran with Elite racer Rose Wetzel, who finished in first place, and Spartan Pro Ryan Kent, who finished in third place, in their respective Elite heats earlier that day. Rose and Ryan provided tips and motivation throughout the race.
• The squad demonstrated teamwork reminiscent of their time on Friday Night Lights by helping one another scale each eight-foot wall, leaving no one behind.
• On her most challenging obstacle of the day, the rope climb, Minka's team shouted encouragements, giving her the boost she needed to make it to the top and ring the bell.
• The team was cheered on throughout the course by Aimee's beloved dog Gizmo, Zach's mom and dad and other family and friends.

"It's always fun to cross the finish line, and having done a couple of these races before by myself, this was a totally different experience. There was a point where everyone took the lead, and there was a point where everyone lifted someone else up. It was a really special experience. I can't thank Marriott Rewards enough for putting this whole thing together," said Zach Gilford after completing the race.

As the official Global Hotel Partner of Spartan Race, Marriott Rewards provides obstacle course race enthusiasts exclusive, member-only tips, perks and benefits to fuel their training and help them complete the demanding courses, including:

• Access to exclusive Marriott Rewards Member Rates at participating Marriott properties near Spartan Race locations.
• Race registration discounts for new Marriott Rewards members as well as free VIP bag check and a $5-off coupon for Spartan Race merchandise.
• Race registration discount code for Marriott Rewards members.
• The chance to receive early start times for races through surprise & delight moments offered exclusively on Twitter by following @MarriottRewards (subject to availability).
• Spartan training and motivational tips and tricks from Spartan Pro Team member Ryan Kent and Elite Obstacle Course Race competitor Rose Wetzel.
• Free workout sessions featuring official, Spartan-certified SGX coaches in cities across the United States with exclusive Marriott Rewards giveaways for members.

Spartan Racers who are Marriott Rewards members will continue to enjoy program benefits long after they cross the finish line, including Member Rates (the lowest rate anywhere when they book direct via Marriott.com, Marriott's mobile app, 1-800-MARRIOTT and Marriott-branded hotels), free Wi-Fi, and mobile check-in, check-out, and mobile requests through the Marriott Mobile app.

To learn more about Marriott Rewards, which is free to join, please visit: www.MarriottRewards.com.

For images of the cast members reuniting and running the race with Marriott Rewards members, please visit: http://assignments.gettyimages.com/mm/nicePath/gyipa_public?nav=pr439062914

About Marriott Rewards
Marriott Rewards is Marriott International's award-winning loyalty program spanning 18 brands and over 4,300 properties worldwide. Marriott Rewards is free to join and has no blackout dates and members can earn and redeem points at Marriott International properties around the world and at Marriott Rewards exclusive luxury partner The Ritz-Carlton®. Members can also redeem points for frequent flyer miles, cruises, car rentals, merchandise and more. By making rewards accessible with a modern, easy approach, Marriott Rewards continues to be a leader in the industry. Marriott Rewards has won the Freddie Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program in the Americas" for the last eight years and is a two-time winner of the Frequent Travel Award for "Best Hotel Rewards Program." The program was ranked #1 in J.D. Power's 2016 Hotel Loyalty/Rewards Program Satisfaction Report. In addition, the program has been named best hotel rewards program by the readers of U.S. News & World Report, About.com, Business Traveler, Global Traveler, Executive Travel and BusinessWeek magazines. To enroll and for more information about Marriott Rewards, guests can visit MarriottRewards.com.

About Spartan Race
Spartan Race is the world's leading obstacle race company and the first of its kind to feature timing and global rankings. With more than 170 events in 25+ countries planned for 2016, Spartan Race has more than 1 million global participants, and offers open heats for all fitness levels as well as competitive and elite heats. With more than 5 million passionate social media followers, health and wellness products, as well as the popular NBC television series, Spartan Race has made obstacle racing one of the fastest growing sports—and lifestyles— in the world. Spartan Race features races at three distances, 3+Mile/20+ Obstacle "Sprint," 8+ Mile/25+ Obstacle "Super" and 12+ Mile/30+ Obstacle "Beast," culminating each year in the Reebok Spartan Race World Championship. Visit http://www.spartan.com for more information, a schedule of events, and to register for a race.

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