yurbuds Honors Boston Marathon Runners Unable to Finish Last Year’s Race with Sponsored Team for 2014 Event
St Louis, MO (PRWEB) March 13, 2014 -- yurbuds®, a company rooted in its strong connection to the running community, is honoring those who were affected by last year’s tragic events at the Boston Marathon by sponsoring four runners at this year’s event. The yurbuds #neverstop team is going back to Boston after all runners were unable to finish the 2013 race due to the tragic bombings.
This year, yurbuds is celebrating the courage and dedication of these athletes by sponsoring them to fulfill their dream of finishing the Boston Marathon. Facing different hurdles and coming from all over the country, the four runners are true examples of yurbuds’ brand philosophy: #neverstop.
“As avid runners and previous Boston finishers, the tragedy resonates strongly with our team,” said Daniel DeVille, Director of Marketing for yurbuds. “We are humbled to honor and give back to fellow members of the running community and support their amazing passion, commitment and ability to #neverstop.”
The team of yurbuds runners includes Erica Nash, a runner with Cerebral Palsy who was unable to finish last year’s race at mile 25.7 due to the sudden stop of Boston 2013 and a muscle seizure, which caused her to spend time at Massachusetts General Hospital. The working mother from Seattle, Washington is now training diligently to complete the 2014 race, even if it takes eight hours to finish. Currently the only way she can run is to use an Alter-G, an anti-gravity running unit. But she is determined to come back running on her own this year.
Julie Benson will also make the return to the Boston Marathon in 2014. Benson, a mother of two children and an elementary school guidance counselor from New Hampshire, was participating in last year’s race to raise funds for the Sandy Hook Elementary School’s PTA when she was stopped at mile 25.8, about four minutes shy of arriving at the scene of the bombings. Her story took an even more terrifying twist a few days later when her husband, a police officer, was called to Watertown, MA to find the bombing suspects. He returned home safely and she is excited to join the yurbuds team at the Boston start line this year.
The third runner to join the yurbuds #neverstop team is Ginger Cross from Tucson, Arizona, a qualifying marathon runner who was approaching the finish line and caught between two bombs in the 2013 race. Recognizing the impact that the events of the day had not only on the runners but their families, Cross created an online community where Boston marathoners could come together to heal. Named in honor of the 5,700 runners who were unable to finish Boston 2013, Cross created the 5700 Boston Strong Facebook page that has become a hub for those looking to move on together, without forgetting the past.
The final team member, Ryan Polly, was one of the first in the running community to respond to the Boston tragedy. Polly created a race in his hometown of Williston, Vermont to raise funds for victims and their families. His race received national coverage and raised more than $17,000, which was donated to Massachusetts General Hospital and The One Fund. In the weeks that followed, Polly rallied, with a petition of more than 20,000 signees on behalf of the runners whose race was cut short. Through his efforts, the 5,700 runners who did not finish the race now have the ability to run in the 2014 race and see their dream come to fruition, together with the running community.
“The yurbuds #neverstop team symbolizes all of the heroes that ran in the Boston marathon last year and shows the strength of the running community,” said DeVille, “We hope sponsoring these four runners not only gives them both motivation and inspiration, but also shows our support for the Boston community and honors all those affected by last year’s tragedy.”
For more information on yurbuds and the #neverstop athletes, go to yurbuds.com.
About yurbuds
yurbuds was founded in 2008 by Seth Burgett, President and CEO, an active triathlete and Richard Daniels, COO, a 24-time marathoner. Burgett and Daniels left their corporate roles and joined forces to improve personal performance. They have been joined by Craig Ceranna, CFO and Managing Director, to realize the company's mission: transform the athlete's experience through personalized service and exceptional audio products that integrate ergonomics and emotive design.
As a company, yurbuds was recently honored by the 2013 International CEA Innovations Design and Engineering Awards for the Focus Limited Edition. yurbuds has also been awarded for its marketing, including a 2011 “Site of the Day” for A http://www.rds.com and a 2010 GOOD DESIGN AWARD. Forbes also named yurbuds the 9th Most Promising Company in America for 2009.
Ironman is a registered trademark of World Triathlon Corporation. Used here by permission.
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Carolyn Anger, Martz Parsons, +1 6024055107, [email protected]
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