Posted: December 22, 2004

Athletics: St. Pete Beach Classic 5K/10K and Health & Fitness Expo Set for January 2005

Event Supports Tampa Bay Watch/Scholarship Fund/Free Clinic

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. - (December 20, 2004) - Motion Sports Management (MSM) is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual St. Pete Beach Classic 5K/10K Run & Walk and Health & Fitness Expo, January 15 & 16, 2005. The St. Pete Beach Classic is hosted by the TradeWinds Island Grand and is expected to draw health and fitness enthusiasts from the metro Tampa Bay area and from around the Southeastern United States. During last year's inaugural event, more than 1,500 runners participated. Charitable beneficiaries include the St. Pete Beach Recreation Department Scholarship Fund, Tampa Bay Watch and the St. Petersburg Free Clinic.

"We have an outstanding venue, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world and ideal weather," said Wendy Johnson, president of Motion Sports Management. "The race and fitness expo is a chance to showcase the area and give something back to the community. We are thrilled at the response."

The St. Pete Beach Classic is made possible through an alliance of MSM, the City of St. Pete Beach, the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Visitors & Convention Bureau and TradeWinds Resorts. The event is owned by Beach Charities and is developed with the purpose of raising awareness of St. Pete Beach and Pinellas County as a family vacation destination and to support the Beach Charities.

"We want the underserved of our community to be included in everything the area has to offer," said Johnson. "In addition, we want to educate people about the importance of the environment and leaving a legacy for generations to come."

The St. Pete Beach Classic includes fun and activities for the entire family. The weekend event gets underway with the Health & Fitness Expo on Saturday, January 15th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the St. Pete Beach County Park across from Dolphin Village. The day will feature expert speakers on nutrition, alternative medicine & various types of exercise. Free health screenings will be available and patrons may speak with representatives of fitness related products and businesses. An added feature this year is a Beach Party & Bonfire adjacent to the County Park behind the Dolphin Beach Resort.

On Sunday, January 16th, the day starts with a 10K Competitive Run at 8:15am. A 5K Run/Fitness Walk follows at 8:30am and at 9:45am the Chick-fil-a Children's Races take place. At 10:00am Bennigan's Post Race Party begins and is free to all participants. Extra wristbands are $5 for adults; $3 for children ages 5-16, free to children 4 & under. You must have a wristband on to enter the Bennigan's Post Race Party, hosted by Bennigan's, Publix Supermarkets and Michelob Ultra. There will be live music, great food & beverages. Fantastic giveaways including: beach cruisers, restaurant gift certificates, travel prizes, beach weekends and much more.

Motion Sports Management is based in St. Pete Beach, with a goal of helping athletes meet their goals. MSM has two primary focuses: management services for road races and triathlons and coaching services for triathletes. Each member of the MSM team brings unique skills and experience whether it is as an athlete, coach or race director. This collective knowledge provides a strong foundation and forms the basis of our state-of-the-art approach to serving our customers and their unique needs. For more information about MSM, visit www.motionsportsmanagement.com.

Register at (727) 363-8881 or enter on-line at www.stpetebeachclassic.com. For media information on The St. Pete Beach Classic, please call Rob Sumner at (727) 821-8578.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.