Newsroom
For Immediate Release
Monday, September 25, 2006
Contact: Emily Cassell 703-228-0875 (voice) 703-228-4743(TTY)
Media Alert: Arlington, “Home of the Marine Corps Marathon,” Kicks Off Race Season in Rosslyn
County and race officials to host outdoor ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday morning at corner of Wilson Boulevard & Lynn Street
NOTE TO REPORTERS: Arlington County Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman, Marine Corps Marathon Race Director Rick Nealis, and representatives from the Rosslyn and Crystal City Business Improvement Districts will speak Sept. 28 at 10:30 a.m. in front of the WJLA video display in Rosslyn. They will also be available for interviews following the ceremony.
ARLINGTON, Va. -- Arlington County is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony this Thursday, Sept. 28, at 10:30 am to launch its new partnership with the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM). As of this year, Arlington is the official home of “the People’s Marathon,” and is also home to a new 10K race sponsored by MCM. As part of Thursday morning’s events, U.S. Marines will join ambassadors from the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) in hanging 60 colorful banners along local streets in celebration of the upcoming October 29 race. Local businesses and their employees have also been invited to join in the festivities.
The corner where the ceremony is being held (Wilson Boulevard and Lynn Street) will be the northernmost point of Rosslyn’s new race-day Finish Festival. During and after the marathon, runners and spectators will be able to celebrate in the heart of Rosslyn – enjoying local restaurants and street activities – rather than in the park surrounding the Marine Corps War Memorial. The Finish Festival will feature the Marine Corps Base Quantico Band, WMZQ-radio’s live broadcast, a concert by country singer and former National Guardsman Luke Stricklin, and an array of foods along Rosslyn’s Restaurant Row.
Arlington will also host another major event on race day: the Crystal City Street Spectacular, held at Miles 22 and 23 of the marathon route. This family-friendly festival will include live entertainment from local bands, as well as restaurant tastings and a variety of other activities.
Hosting the MCM events draws an estimated 34,000 runners and 120,000 spectators to Arlington on race weekend, resulting in a more than $10 million boost in the County’s economy in just a few short days. The Marine Corps Marathon also raises nearly $5 million for charities each year, many of which are local.
Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the "10 miles square" parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency's highest award for "Smart Growth" in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world - including the Pentagon - Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
