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Austin Marathon Introduces Austin Gives Miles Charity Chaser

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High Five Events is excited to introduce Chikage Windler, CBS Austin Chief Meteorologist, as the official Austin Gives Miles Charity Chaser for the 2017 Austin Marathon® presented by NXP. Windler will begin the marathon as the final participant and earn $1.25 for a chosen Austin Gives Miles Charity for every runner that she passes.

This is the third year that the Charity Chaser has started as the final participant on behalf of Austin Gives Miles. In addition to starting last and raising money for a charity on race day, Windler will generate awareness for the Austin Gives Miles Program, engage all 27 Official Charities, and help the AGM Program surpass its goal of $500,000. Windler will run on behalf of the charity that wins a month-long campaign that will run from Dec. 14th to Jan. 16th. The selected organization will be determined after calculating donations made during that month-long timeframe, engagement through a social media photo contest, and votes from an online poll.

“I’m honored to even be considered for this year’s Charity Chaser,” said Windler, who’s running the Austin Marathon for the the second year in a row. “What better motivation to train harder and run faster than knowing it will help a charity earn that much more money!”

Chikage grew up in a family of runners, but only started distance running a few years ago. She hopes to qualify for Boston someday, or at least have fun trying. She’s the captain of Team CBS Austin, running races across Central Texas with her coworkers.

“This has been one of the harder Austin Marathon secrets to keep because we were so thrilled when Chikage agreed to be our Charity Chaser,” said Carly Samuelson, Charity Manager, Austin Gives Miles Program. “We appreciate her willingness to lend her miles and her platform to positively impact the Austin Gives Miles program and Central Texas nonprofits.”

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 26th year running in the capital of Texas. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 20+ countries around the world. With start and finish locations just a few blocks apart, and within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants, the Austin Marathon is the perfect running weekend destination. Participants can still register for the marathon, half marathon, or 5K.

Austin Marathon and St. Edward’s University Broaden Partnership

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Collaboration will focus on enhanced economic impact and highlight St. Edward’s University experts

High Five Events is proud to announce the expanded partnership between St. Edward’s University and  the Austin Marathon® presented by NXP. Two of Austin’s more recognized entities will work together to showcase the marathon’s economic impact on Austin by engaging faculty expertise at The Bill Munday School of Business.

“The Austin Marathon’s economic impact has always been a stimulator for the local economy” said Stacy Keese, co-owner of High Five Events. “Strengthening our relationship with St. Edward’s will magnify what we’re doing and provide a report that better represents the true economic impact.”

By expanding the partnership with St. Edward’s University, the Austin Marathon will have access to some of the top economic experts in the country, including Associate Dean, Ali Dadpay, who is leading the research for the economic impact report. The 2017 report will include High Five Event’s localized spending, volunteer contributions, jobs created, vendor and supplier additions, and sponsors’ spending. Like previous reports, how much money was spent by participants on hotels, travel, entertainment, and meals will be included.

“This economic impact study allows The Bill Munday School of Business to continue its mission driven work by engaging Austin’s business community in finding answers to important questions for our regional economy,” said Ali Dadpay, MBA director for The Bill Munday School of Business. “As Austin continues to grow as a hub of innovation and economic activity, it is important to generate knowledge locally – about local challenges and opportunities – using globally accepted methods and benchmarks.”

The 2016 Austin Marathon contributed $25.7 million to the Austin economy.

About NXP Semiconductors: NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ:NXPI) enables secure connections and infrastructure for a smarter world, advancing solutions that make lives easier, better, and safer. As the world leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, NXP is driving innovation in the secure connected vehicle, end-to-end security and privacy, and smart connected solutions markets. Built on more than 60 years of combined experience and expertise, the company has 45,000 employees in more than 35 countries and posted revenue of $6.1 billion in 2015. Find out more at www.nxp.com.

About St. Edward’s University: St. Edward’s University is a private, liberal arts college in the Catholic, Holy Cross tradition with approximately 4,600 students. Located in Austin, Texas, it is one of the top universities in Texas and offers undergraduate and graduate programs, including MBA programs and a master’s degree in counseling. With a network of partner universities around the world, St. Edward’s is a diverse community with programs designed to inspire students with a global perspective. St. Edward’s University has been recognized for 14 consecutive years as one of “America’s Best Colleges” by U.S. News & World Report and ranks in the top 20 Best Regional Universities in the Western Region. For more information on St. Edward’s University, visit stedwards.edu/about.

Austin Marathon, Red Bull Announce Partnership

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High Five Events, one of the largest privately owned event production companies in the United States, is thrilled to announce that Red Bull will be an official partner for the 2017 Austin Marathon® presented by NXP. The partnership will provide participants with Red Bull during their race day experience. Additional race day activations are still being planned and will enhance the finish line festival.

The original Red Bull energy drink and Red Bull sugarfree will be available to all participants at the start and finish lines and at every aid station along the full and the half marathon course. Red Bull, first created 29 years ago in Austria, is well-known for their sponsorship of and involvement with sports, racing, and extreme adventures. In addition to product support throughout the course, the Red Bull team is currently working on additional audio and visual race day activations.

“Having Red Bull involved with the Austin Marathon is a unique opportunity,” said Jack Murray, co-owner of High Five Events. “They’re going to bring an energy that will brighten the course and provide participants the jolt needed to get them to the finish line.”

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 26th year running in the capital of Texas. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 20+ countries around the world. With start and finish locations just a few blocks apart, and within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants, the Austin Marathon is the perfect running weekend destination. Participants can still register for the marathon, half marathon, or 5K.

Mayor Steve Adler Invites Runners to Austin Marathon

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Austin Mayor Steve Adler extends an open invitation to all runners to come run the Austin Marathon® presented by NXP. Adler, a former finisher of the Austin Half Marathon, talks about the Mayor’s Cup, challenges businesses to sign up for the Corporate Challenge, and highlights what makes the Austin Marathon one of the greatest marathons in the country.

“Whether you’re an elite runner or you’re just going to take a leisurely 26.2-mile stroll around Austin, it’s going to be a beautiful course,” said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. “There is no better city to recover in. Come see us in Austin.”

Mayor Adler has given his stamp of approval to the Mayor’s Cup, which will reward the top elite athletes and the business that wins the Corporate Challenge.

Elite Athlete Program applications are still being accepted and elite marathoners can apply on the Austin Marathon’s website. Athletes that meet the program’s standards and are accepted will be given one comp entry to the 2017 Austin Marathon, a complimentary ride from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to downtown and back to the airport, and the option of a hotel room or home stay for two nights at no cost.

The Corporate Challenge, powered by FitRankings, will challenge businesses to engage in a friendly competition with one another and allow their employees to track their training and race-day activity. FitRankings ranks companies and individuals using real-time data from the latest wearable devices and fitness apps. Sign up for the Corporate Challenge, add your company, and join the Austin Marathon Challenge.

The Austin Marathon will celebrate its 26th year running in the capital of Texas. Austin’s flagship running event annually attracts runners from all 50 states and 20+ countries around the world. With start and finish locations just a few blocks apart, and within walking distance of many downtown hotels and restaurants, the Austin Marathon is the perfect running weekend destination. Participants can still register for the marathon, half marathon, or 5K.