Athletics Canada names B&O Yorkville Run host of inaugural Canadian 5K Road Race Championship

Partnership to draw Canada's fastest runners and Toronto's top fundraisers to the country's premier athletic event

TORONTO and OTTAWA, Ontario, March 10, 2014 /CNW/ - Athletics Canada, the national governing body for track and field, road running and cross country, is pleased to announce a five-year partnership with the B&O Yorkville Run, a premier 5K charity run, that will see the annual event host the country's top elite runners at the inaugural Canadian 5K Road Race Championship. The 5-kilometres event will take place at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 7, 2014 in Toronto, Ont., and will be immediately followed by the fifth annual B&O Yorkville Run. Registration for past participants of the B&O Yorkville Run and elites opens on March 15.

"Athletics Canada is thrilled to add a fourth Canadian Championship to our annual road running series," says Rob Guy, Chief Executive Officer, Athletics Canada. "Our new Athletics in Canada strategic plan places an emphasis on growing our road running programs over the next quadrennial. The B&O Yorkville Run stages a first-class competition, serving as a great platform for this new event."

The inaugural Canadian 5K Road Race Championship promises to draw 200 of the country's best-in-class runners, including Olympic and Pan American Games contenders, to compete for the title and a total of $8,000 in prize money. The elite event is managed by the B&O Yorkville Run committee and coordinated by Megan Brown, one of Canada's top distance runners and female course record holder for the B&O Yorkville Run.

"I am very excited to join forces with the B&O Yorkville Run and help Athletics Canada grow its road racing series," says Megan Brown. "The Canadian 5K Road Race Championship provides a unique opportunity for both middle and long distance runners to showcase their talents on the fastest course in the country, right in the heart of Toronto."

The B&O Yorkville Run – a premier luxury race experience

Since its inception in 2010, the B&O Yorkville Run has brought together local businesses and runners to raise over $200,000 for YWCA Toronto's women's shelters. This year, the event is also partnering with Prostate Cancer Canada, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Jesse Ketchum Public School to raise funds for local programs and initiatives. Fundraisers who raise more than $500 are rewarded with high-end prizes from Bang & Olufsen Yorkville, Kimberfire, Enduro Sport, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Hermes, and other Yorkville boutiques.

"Bang & Olufsen Yorkville is proud to host this top-tier athletic event," says Jordan Korenzvit, co-founder, B&O Yorkville Run and owner, Bang & Olufsen Yorkville. "By offering a luxurious experience unlike any other 5K run, we attract a unique and dedicated audience who fundraise substantial amounts for the local community. The addition of the Canadian 5K Road Championship reflects our dedication to high performance athletics and to promoting a healthy lifestyle."

The event provides a luxurious experience to its 1,000 participants—from its high-end race kit valued at $365 and includes a pair of B&O PLAY Form 2 headphones, technical t-shirt from New Balance, complete sport-fuelling system from Vega, and premium tea from David's Tea — to its oversized finishers medals and après-run hors d'oeuvres served by white-gloved waiters courtesy of Yorkville restaurants.

Spearheaded by Bang & Olufsen Yorkville — the only Toronto retailer of Bang & Olufsen's high-end, custom-made consumer electronics products — the B&O Yorkville Run is sponsored by Mizrahi Developments, Lexus Downtown, and New Balance Toronto with additional sponsorship from Rebate4U.ca, Fiera Capital, Linda Chu of Sotheby's International Realty, TD Securities, David's Tea, Vega, Equinox Fitness Clubs, The Running Room, Judy Haber of Performance Sponsorship Group, Inc., and Catalyst Health.

Early registration for the Canadian 5K Road Race Championship and B&O Yorkville Run opens March 15 with public registration beginning April 15. The registration fee for the Canadian 5K Road Race Championship is $50, and $100 for the B&O Yorkville Run.

For more information on the Canadian 5K Road Race Championship and B&O Yorkville Run, please visit:http://yorkvillerun.com/

For more information on Athletics Canada 2014 Canadian Road Race Series Championships, please visit:http://www.athletics.ca/home.asp

To schedule an interview with a representative from the B&O Yorkville Run or Athletics Canada, please contact:

Elana Ziluk
Director, Public Relations & Events, Bang & Olufsen Yorkville / Manager, B&O Yorkville Run
[phone]
[email protected]

Emily Hooper
Coordinator, Communications and Marketing, Athletics Canada
[phone] x 3332
[email protected]

Bang & Olufsen was founded in Struer, Denmark, in 1925 by Peter Bang and Svend Olufsen, two innovative, young engineers devoted to high quality audio reproduction. Since then, the brand has become an icon of performance and design excellence through its long-standing craftsmanship tradition and the strongest possible commitment to high-tech research and development.

Still at the forefront of domestic technology, Bang & Olufsen has extended its comprehensive experience with integrated audio and video solutions for the home to other areas such as the hospitality and automotive industries in recent years. Consequently, its current product range epitomizes seamless media experiences in the home as well as in the car and on the move.

For more information on Bang & Olufsen, please visit http://www.bang-olufsen.com.

Located at 175 Avenue Road in Toronto, Bang & Olufsen Yorkville is the largest B&O showroom in North America and the exclusive retail provider of Bang & Olufsen products in Ontario. For more information, please visit www.beotoronto.com.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140310/CG79560

Image with caption: "The B&O Yorkville Run is partnering with Athletics Canada to host the inaugural Canadian 5K Road Race Championship on September 7, 2014. The event invites 200 elite runners from across the country to compete for the title and $8,000 in prize money. (CNW Group/Bang & Olufsen Yorkville)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20140310_C4188_PHOTO_EN_37721.jpg

SOURCE: Bang & Olufsen Yorkville

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