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ING NEW YORK CITY MARATHON

November 4, 2011

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

RICHARD FINN: Another pleasure of this week, and 365 days a year is to introduce our President and CEO of New York Road Runners, Mary Wittenberg.
MARY WITTENBERG: Thank you, Richard. I want to begin by congratulating Amby, and as George said well, Amby is always a step ahead.
Another thing to highlight is the public health benefits of running. I think, really, Amby was championing that before many, so it's another hat's off to Amby in our honor, really, to celebrate him today. I think Amby represents the very best of this sport, and the sport is so much better off for our having had him. Hopefully we have many decades ahead, so congrats to Amby.
As we celebrate friends today, and people who made a difference in this sport, it's entirely fitting to be welcoming our friends from ING. Rob Leary and his entire team at ING have been part of what has been, I think, an incredibly dynamic decade of this event and of this sport.
Ten years ago, 2003 or almost ten years ago, eight years ago, when we first talked about a title sponsorship with ING, we talked about three things: A commitment to excellence, a commitment to the sport, and a commitment to the community. And ING has stood steadfast in focus and effort, together with us in ensuring those three things were fundamental to this event and really to the sport in general.
This spectacle that this event has become is absolutely a result of partnerships. You've heard us talk about our partnership with the city, and our partnership with ING has been a huge part of the success of this race, and it's a huge part of it today. We're so pleased that last year we renewed our deal. We'll hit 2013, we'll be a full decade into the partnership, and I can promise you you're going to see nothing but more and better year in and year out.
What I just want to highlight most is the community aspect of this. From the beginning, it was important to all of us. As all of you know, we're all about positive impact through the marathon, through New York Road Runners. It's remarkable the level of commitment ING has shown, especially to our youth running programs, and to youth running programs throughout the nation.
So what I'd like to do is introduce Rob, the CEO of ING U.S., and really in so doing, say a huge, from the bottom of my heart and our entire team's heart, thank you, and we're really excited to share this weekend once again.
ROB LEARY: Thank you so much. We feel very much the same way about the partnership. And we are delighted to be here and be part of it again. I'd like to also add my congratulations to Amby and to his award. Huge fan of Runner's World, and what he's done there. Always following people's personal bests and the people on the cover, it's actually depressing to me, because I'm just not there, but what I can say?
So as Mary mentioned, this does mark our ninth year as the title sponsor of the ING New York City Marathon, and the beginning of a new three-year extension. It's been a great partnership with the New York Road Runners. If I look back to 2003, ING was a new brand in the United States. We were looking for ways to grow our reputation as a financial services company, and one opportunity we saw was to partner with the most recognized or one of the most recognized sporting events in the country in the heart of the financial capital of the world.
Fast forward nine years, as the first-ever title sponsor of the ING New York City Marathon, we're proud to see this race continue to succeed year after year. Mary and her team at New York Road Runners continue to outdo themselves. In fact, last year the race was named the Sports Event of the Year at the annual Sports Business Awards, beating out such high profile events as the NBA All-Star Game, and the NCAA Final Four. That's big company, so congratulations, Mary.
But more than the race itself, ING and New York Road Runners share a passion to give back to the community as you mentioned. One way to do this is our ING Run For Something Better and Orange Laces Program. You can see I've got some props here with me. In conjunction with our marathon sponsorships, we've been introducing children to the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through running and fitness. We've developed the ING run for something better to help combat childhood obesity, which is one of the most significant health concerns facing the United States today.
Here in New York, as Mary mentioned, we partner with New York Road Runners and its Mighty Miler Program which has helped to create school and community-based running programs around the city. Yesterday about a thousand students ran with the Run With Champions on the marathon course in Central Park. Since our ING Run For Something Better initiative began, nearly 100,000 children have run 3.5 million miles. But it doesn't stop there. We enlisted the help of runners to promote fitness by creating Orange Laces, a public service campaign that encourages everyone to show their support for kids' fitness. When someone donates $10 or more, ING gives them a special pair of orange shoe laces as a token to show they are tied to supporting kids' fitness. These are the real thing. I want to let you know. I run with these. They're good. They hold up. Andy too.
With these ING funds, we began a grant program for school-based running programs throughout the United States. Nationally, ING and individuals have committed over 2.5 million to fund grants for these school-based running programs through ING Run For Something Better. Here in New York, marathon entrants can donate through the registration process through the marathon. This year, marathon participants contributed nearly $100,000 to the Orange Laces effort, and 100% of that money stays here in New York.
While I'm always thrilled to talk about our youth programs, there is nothing like seeing them in action or talking to the participants. So we're very pleased to have with us today, and I'd like to introduce Ivette Benitez, and Karen Wong.
Girls, would you like to come up, please.
KAREN WONG: Hello, my name is Karen. Thank you, ING, for your support. When I run, I feel like a sparrow flying in the air. I can't think of anything else but running. New York Road Runners taught me teamwork, confidence, and determination. Now I believe in myself. Thank you again, ING.
IVETTE BENITEZ: Good morning, everybody. First off, I would like to thank ING for their support. If they didn't support us, I don't know where I would be without running. Running has caused a great impact on me. Three years ago I would have never dreamed of me doing a half marathon. Last summer I completed two, and I can't wait for more. Hopefully one day I'll run the New York City Marathon when I'm older. But right now I can't stop saying thank you, and you're a wonderful organization.
MARY WITTENBERG: What is your favorite part about running?
KAREN WONG: Finishing -- well, crossing the finish line.
MARY WITTENBERG: I think that's everybody's favorite part. That's pretty good. How about you, what is your favorite part?
IVETTE BENITEZ: My favorite part would be once you're almost to the finish line, all the people cheering for you. After you run a good four miles all alone, you don't hear anyone on the side and then you're just getting there. And you hear all the noise, yeah, come on, you're almost there. And just to finish is a wonderful experience.
MARY WITTENBERG: Have you found running to be fun?
KAREN WONG: Yes.
MARY WITTENBERG: Fun, hard?
KAREN WONG: Yesterday I just ran Run For Champions for a mile, and it was really fun for me.
MARY WITTENBERG: Fantastic, a mile's really tough. That's super. And what time did you run?
KAREN WONG: 7 minutes and 47 seconds.
MARY WITTENBERG: That's fantastic. That's fantastic. How about you? Did you do the mile yesterday?
IVETTE BENITEZ: No, I was in school. But I don't feel when I run, I don't have a challenge. My only challenge would be keeping my pace up and making sure that I get there with my goal time. Trying to beat my goal time. That is one of the most challenging parts.
MARY WITTENBERG: Can you tell us how old you are and what grade you're in and your school?
KAREN WONG: I'm 11 years old, I go to Nest+M.
IVETTE BENITEZ: I am 17 years old, and I am part of Rabbit's Club Young Runners Team.
MARY WITTENBERG: Thank you, ladies. Anything you want to know? Are you good?
ROB LEARY: I'm good. Thank you, girls so much.
MARY WITTENBERG: Great job. Ladies, I should also tell you, we really believe running can help these young women and men not only get healthier and fitter, but help them focus in school. So some day when you can be an executive, Rob's actually President and CEO of ING, but ran the marathon, I should have said that, two years ago.
So our hope for these kids is not only they get healthier and fitter, but they learn how to set goals that will hopefully translate to so much more in their lives.
ROB LEARY: Thank you so much, Mary. And thank you, girls. Ivette, I have a feeling you'll run the ING New York City Marathon. I'm pretty confident about that. I was going to say, I'll see you passing me pretty quickly.
We're also pleased to have Dr. Andy Baldwin with us today. While some of you may recognize Andy from his time on the television show The Bachelor, he's also a highly accomplished individual who we're thrilled to have as our favorite ambassador for the Orange Laces and the ING Run For Something Better program. Andy, who I ask had to ask him, he's only 34, he's a naval physician and a diver, in his Navy career he assisted the U.S. Surgeon General in a program called Healthy Youth For a Healthy Future, and currently serves as an advocate for the Let's Move Campaign headed by First Lady, Michelle Obama.
Andy is not just an advocate for running, he's an accomplished marathoner and tri-athlete. This year will mark his fifth ING New York City Marathon, and he arrived yesterday from Kenya, where he not only provided medical assistance to a local region there, but he ran the Nairobi Marathon last week. I have a feeling he ran faster than my 4:18 a couple years ago. So it is with great pleasure, Andy, that we welcome you.
ANDY BALDWIN: Thank you, Rob. It is a distinct honor to be here once again as ambassador for ING and the run for something better program. This has definitely become my favorite marathon in the world. Being my numerous times doing this year after year and getting to see how it grows and getting to see Mary again, and all the orange of ING, it really, really is an honor to be an ambassador for this program.
As Rob said, I did just fly back in yesterday from Kenya. I was over there for a month's time providing humanitarian assistance as a Navy physician, and I just got to impart one story from my time over there. Every morning I would get up very early, and I would go running and there would be cows in my way and always little kids barefoot running along with me. I brought some of these Orange Laces with me over there, and I gave them to the children. I said, "One day when you get shoes, you put these Orange Laces in them, and they'll help you go really fast. What is your dream?" And this one little boy said to me, "My dream is to one day go to America and run the ING New York City Marathon."
Just so you know that international nature of this sport and what running can do to provide hope for children, not just in our country, but all around the world, and ING embodies that, as Amby Burfoot said earlier, the public health nature of running and what it can do for people here in this country in and around the world is so, so very important. You see Ivette and Karen, and how it has changed their lives. It just brings smiles to my face to see the dedication that ING has with the Run For Something Better Program, for all of the youth around our country, getting them into running programs.
Now I work for the Surgeon General. I proudly said I believe ING deserves a Surgeon General Championship Award for the work they're doing, and it gave me great pleasure to bestow that honor upon them. I'll be back year after year after year, and thank you again for having me here, Rob and Mary, and I'm looking forward to pounding the pavement.
Hopefully, I'm in my second marathon two consecutive weeks, two marathons on two different continents, we'll see if I can do it on Sunday. Thank you.
MARY WITTENBERG: How are you feeling? I want to know how your legs are feeling?
ANDY BALDWIN: I'll be honest, they're a little sore, but you know what, it's a little higher elevation out there in Nairobi, so hopefully that will come into play and give me a little advantage there on Sunday. But the name of the game is just being out there and participating, in this international community and the greatest marathon in the world.
So just look for me with my smile out there and sporting my Orange Laces. Come by, pick up some Orange Laces and show that you're tied into the cause of ING Run For Something Better.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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