FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Samantha Pruitt, Race SLO Founder & CEO (805) 458-0655

samantha@RaceSLO.com

SLO Marathon & Half Event Seeks New Home After Nearly a Decade in San Luis Obispo

SAN LUIS OBISPO, California – (December 6, 2019) – The 9th annual SLO Marathon & Half event is searching for a new home. The SLO Marathon, the largest running and fitness festival in the County, has been hosted in San Luis Obispo City since 2011. The weekend-long fitness festival includes a marathon, half marathon, relay races, 5K and two kids running races. Every year, a local who has made a significant contribution to the running community is acknowledged and introduced into the RaceSLO Hall of Fame. The YogaMusic Fest was added in 2018 to round out the three day weekend. The weekend long festival with food, beverages, music and vendors is free to the public. The event will be on hiatus for 2020 and will resume at it’s new Central Coast location in 2021.

“Our dedicated team of locals and I have spent the last 13 years building a thriving community around endurance sports and outdoor fitness here on the Central Coast,” said Samantha Pruitt, RaceSLO Founder and CEO. “Nationally, we have helped to put RaceSLO Town on the endurance map, showcasing the best of what San Luis Obispo has to offer in running, cycling, healthy lifestyle and human connection. Our tribe has selflessly created both economic and social impacts unique to our beloved hometown. My heart is heavy, not just for our company and my team but for the over 35,000 nationwide athletes, local sponsors, local vendors and suppliers, volunteers and beneficiaries who are all losing something they also hold dear. Though we have had our share of uphill obstacles, we always continued to work diligently with our community partners to overcome them. However, without a long-term commitment of venue and support from city and county stakeholders, we simply cannot continue to call San Luis Obispo our home. We’re deeply grateful for our loyal sponsors and community members who continue to support us as we look towards the future and open up the invitation to one of the surrounding cities to become our new hometown location starting in 2021.”

Based on an independent study by Productive Impact LLC, the​ ​SLO Marathon & Half generated $2.44 million​ in economic impact every year and countywide. An average of 56% of the race’s athletes came from out of town and stayed all weekend. Additionally, for every one dollar spent by RaceSLO itself just putting on one of their local sporting events, $5.63 worth of ​additional ​economic impact was generated into San Luis Obispo County. The annual race weekend hosts anywhere from 3,000 to 4,000 athlete guests and an additional 6,500 to 8,000 spectators. Collectively, RaceSLO’s endurance sporting event portfolio generates over $4 million for the local economy annually. Full report can be​ ​downloaded here​.

The human power behind the SLO Marathon & Half fitness festival weekend includes over 1,200 local volunteers and 40 local staff members. The event is also supported by over 35 local sponsors and suppliers. Since its inception, the event has helped to raise and donate over $265,000 to local beneficiaries, including Jack’s Helping Hand, Land Conservancy of SLO, Grizzly Youth Academy, Special Olympics, Challenged Athletes Foundation, Team Red, White and Blue, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team, among others.

After two years of steadily increasing traffic control and course permit costs, the race faced too many hurdles out of the organizers control. These added pain points forced the organizers to make the difficult decision to leave the City of San Luis Obispo, according to Pruitt. First, the event’s long term race venue, the Madonna Inn, decided not to renew its contract. The City of San Luis Obispo generously offered a new venue location across town. Unfortunately, they could not commit to a specific race course and could not grant a long term/multi-year commitment to the venue or the event date, which made future planning and stability of the event impossible to manage. Finally, Visit SLO CAL, the countywide destination marketing and management organization responsible for bringing tourism to the county, granted