Sports Backers, CarMax announce partnership for CarMax Richmond Half Marathon

April 30, 2021

Nation’s largest used car retailer to sponsor signature hometown race

RICHMOND, VA – Sports Backers announced today a new partnership with CarMax, making the Richmond-based retailer of used cars the title sponsor of the CarMax Richmond Half Marathon starting with the 2021 event on November 13. The event is slated to return to downtown Richmond in 2021, along with the VCU Health Richmond Marathon and Allianz Partners 8k. Registration is currently available at www.richmondmarathon.org.

CarMax has been a longtime supporter of Sports Backers and its nonprofit mission to inspire active living opportunities in all corners of the Richmond region. Continuing the partnership through the CarMax Richmond Half Marathon will help CarMax and Sports Backers work together toward building active communities while highlighting the Richmond region as an attractive and vibrant place to live, work, and visit.

“We are honored to be the lead sponsor of the CarMax Richmond Half Marathon and continue our longtime support of Sports Backer’s mission,”said Leslie Parpart, Director of Community Relations at CarMax. “We look forward to cheering on participants as they run past our new office being developed at the Sauer Center, scheduled to open later this year. We are excited to continue to grow CarMax’s presence in our hometown of Richmond and support events that enrich our community.”

2021 will mark the 14^th running of the CarMax Richmond Half Marathon and it is consistently recognized as a premier fall race, earning accolades as a top U.S. half marathon from industry sources such as All About Marathon Training and Daily Burn. It draws participants to run Richmond and experience a flat, fast course, scenic neighborhoods, and first-class organization from registration through race day. Sports Backers plans to return the race to downtown Richmond with the traditional finish line at the intersection of 5^th Street and Tredegar Street that offers sweeping views of Brown’s Island and the James River, with the flexibility to adjust race operations to follow the most up-to-date public health guidelines and promote participant safety.

“At Sports Backers, our mission is to inspire active living on a daily basis and create active living opportunities for residents and visitors alike,” said Jon Lugbill, Executive Director of Sports Backers. “The CarMax Richmond Half Marathon is a great celebration of our mission, and the race festivities show off the best that our region has to offer. CarMax is a tremendous community partner and we are honored to work alongside them to support active living and help race participants achieve their goals.”

Kids Run RVA is the official charity partner of the VCU Health Richmond Marathon, CarMax Richmond Half Marathon, and Allianz Partners 8k. Kids Run RVA is an initiative of Sports Backers that reaches thousands of young people across the Richmond region and has run clubs in dozens of schools and neighborhoods, including many underserved communities. Over the past year, Kids Run RVA has innovated and modified their offerings through virtual challenges and video workouts to give youth the chance to have fun while being physically active. Kids Run RVA works to break down barriers and provide all kids the opportunity to participate in daily physical activity while establishing healthy habits that are critical to their long-term physical, emotional, and social development.

Registration for the 2021 CarMax Richmond Half Marathon is currently open, and more information on the event, as well as training teams for the marathon, half marathon, and 8k, can be found at www.richmondmarathon.org.

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About CarMax

CarMax, the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, revolutionized the automotive retail industry by driving integrity, honesty and transparency in every interaction. The company offers a truly personalized experience with the option for customers to do as much, or as little, online and in-store as they want. CarMax also provides a variety of vehicle delivery methods, including home delivery, contactless curbside pickup and appointments in its stores. During the fiscal year ending February 28, 2021, CarMax sold more than 750,000 used cars and more than 425,000 wholesale vehicles at its in-store and virtual auctions. In addition, CarMax Auto Finance originated more than $6 billion in auto receivables during fiscal year 2021, adding to its near $14 billion portfolio. CarMax has 220 stores, over 25,000 Associates, and is proud to have been recognized for 17 consecutive years as one of the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For®. For more information, visit www.carmax.com.

About Sports Backers

With a key message of Let’s Go, RVA, the mission of Sports Backers is to inspire people from all corners of our community to live actively. A non-profit organization, Sports Backers is dedicated to producing nationally recognized quality sporting events and programs that motivate residents and visitors alike to be more active, supporting youth running and fitness programs, and advocating for safe and connected networks of bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Learn more at www.sportsbackers.org.