The Sold Out 52nd Annual BMW Dallas Marathon Festival Weekend Commences at Scottish Rite for Children

December 8, 2023

DALLAS (Dec. 8, 2023) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The sold out 2023 BMW Dallas Marathon Festival weekend kicked off this morning, bringing together representatives from Scottish Rite for Children, the race’s primary beneficiary, and title sponsor BMW of North America.

This will be the 26^th year of Scottish Rite for Children partnering with the BMW Dallas Marathon Festival. Charles Peyton, Chairman for runDallas, expressed his immense gratitude for the relationship the organizations have sustained through the years.

“What greater organization to benefit from this than Scottish Rite?”, Peyton said. “Their tireless effort to make lives better for children is just incredible. What they do is amazing, and we’re so lucky to have this partnership.”

Since the festival named Scottish Rite for Children as their primary beneficiary in 1997, it has raised more than $4 million for the world-renowned institution.

“It’s just going to be an absolutely beautiful weekend,” said Bob Walker, President and CEO of Scottish Rite for Children. “We have been the beneficiary of the marathon for 26 years now, and we’re so grateful for this partnership. It has been a great year for Scottish Rite across all campuses. We’re seeing more patients than ever before, and that is really the bottom line — to expand our reach.”

Walker recognized this year’s Patient Champions and Junior Race Directors, 10-year-old Vivi, 10-year-old King, 11-year-old Bailey, 12-year-old Josie, 11-year-old Phinehas, and 11-year-old Viona. All of the Junior Race Directors and Patient Champions will be cheering on participants throughout the weekend.

“I’m excited to watch all the runners take off, and getting to place their medals on their necks will be cool,” said Junior Race Director Vivi.

Junior Race Director King is excited for his role at this year’s event. “I’m so excited to sing the National Anthem and cheer on the kids,” said King.

In celebration of their partnership for the eighth year in a row, BMW has wrapped a vehicle with artwork from patients at the Scottish Rite for Children. The artwork is a product of Scottish Rite for Children’s one-of-a-kind art therapy program offered to its patients and their families funded in part by the BMW Dallas Marathon Festival.

“We’re here for our eighth consecutive partnership, and I stand here with a heart full of gratitude and honor,” said Curtis Snyder, Marketing Manager for BMW of North America. “This is more than just a partnership, it’s a collective dedication to hope where it is needed most. It’s a way to spread joy, not just today, but throughout the entire year.”

Weekend Events

The weekend-long festival will begin at 7 p.m., December 8, with the third annual Friday Night Lights Mile. This is a two-lap Grand Prix-style race around Dallas City Hall Plaza that will include multiple heats for runners of all abilities. Things begin heating up on Saturday, December 9, at 8:30 a.m., with the 10K, followed by the 5K/5K Team Challenge at 8:45 a.m. and the 5K Walk beginning at 8:50 a.m. By 10:15 a.m., it’s the kids’ turn to start racing, starting with the 100M Dash. At 11 a.m., the Oncor Kids’ Race will begin. Both kids’ events are free of charge.

Sunday, December 10, at 8:30 a.m., the Full, Half, Half Marathon Walk, 50K Ultra Marathon and the Shell Energy Relays (two-person half marathon and five-person marathon) kick off. These races begin in downtown Dallas and showcase some of the most notable areas of the city. Along the course, there will be exciting cheer stations and on-course entertainment before the finish line at Dallas City Hall Plaza. In addition to these races, the Shell Energy two-person and five-person relays will also be held on Sunday. These team-building races will be held in both a half-marathon and marathon distance. Spectators can attend all events for free.

For more information about the BMW Dallas Marathon Festival’s 52^nd anniversary running, please visit rundallas.com. For unique story opportunities throughout the weekend, please contact Silver Hogue at Silver.Hogue@hck2.com or at (214) 697-3113. 

About Dallas White Rock Marathon

The Dallas White Rock Marathon is a nonprofit organization with a focus on promoting health and physical fitness through running events and related activities. The organization is comprised of 15 volunteer board members and a full-time staff with various backgrounds and running experiences that help carry out the mission of runDallas as support the growth and impact of the runDallas portfolio of events in the Dallas-Fort Worth community. Dating back to 1971, the organization hosts year-round events culminating with Dallas’ largest and Texas’ longest running marathon: the BMW Dallas Marathon. Now in its 52nd running, the marquee event, with 12 event distances to select from throughout the weekend of events, attracts runners from across the globe and tens of thousands of spectators to Dallas’ largest single-day sporting event. The BMW Dallas Marathon course highlights iconic Dallas landmarks and is recognized as the official marathon of the City of Dallas. Since naming a primary beneficiary in 1997, the Dallas Marathon has donated more than $4 million to Scottish Rite for Children. For more information, visit rundallas.com.

About Scottish Rite for Children

Scottish Rite for Children has been dedicated to giving children back their childhood for more than a century. The institution is a world-renowned leader in the treatment of pediatric orthopedics, such as scoliosis, clubfoot, hand differences, hip disorders, sports injuries and fractures, as well as certain related arthritic and neurological disorders and learning disorders, such as dyslexia. The organization conducts innovative research and provides high-level education opportunities for medical professionals around the world. Scottish Rite operates two campuses, including a hospital in Dallas and an ambulatory surgery center in Frisco, Texas, and is known for being a bright, child-friendly place that does not look, feel or smell like a health care institution. Patients receive treatment regardless of their family’s ability to pay. For more information about services available at the Dallas or Frisco campuses, volunteering or donating, visit scottishriteforchildren.org.

BMW Group In America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars; Designworks, a strategic design consultancy based in California; technology offices in Silicon Valley and Chicago, and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is the BMW Group global center of competence for BMW X models and manufactures the X3, X4, X5, X6 and X7 Sports Activity Vehicles. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 348 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 147 BMW motorcycle retailers, 121 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Silver Hogue

(214) 697-3113
Silver.Hogue@hck2.com

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