For Immediate Release

RUNNING WITH THE BALLOONS OFFERS A SETTING LIKE NO OTHER,

RACE IS USATF SANCTIONED

READINGTON, NJ --- The 3rd annual Trinitas Regional Medical Center “Running with the Balloons” 5K Race and Family Fun Run presented by Gatorade G Series at the Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning offers a setting like no other: hitting the ground running through the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America while 100 hot air balloons are in the skies above you.

The Festival’s newly designed course will integrate the roads surrounding the Festival grounds at Solberg Airport. As a result, the “Running with the Balloons” is now a USATF-NJ sanctioned Grand Prix event worth 500 points. The fast, flat, low-impact course promises very fast times for all runners.

Runners will start and finish right in the heart of the Festival and be cheered on by thousands of attendees on Sunday morning, July 29.

The top male finisher and the top female finisher will each win a free ride in a hot air balloon. The top 3 overall male and female finishers will receive non-cash prizes, with medals presented to the top 3 finishers in the following age groups: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, and over 70.

All 5K and Family Fun Run entries include a full-day pass to the Festival, which includes Festival admission, lawn seating for Sunday afternoon’s teen sensations concert by R5 featuring Ross Lynch from Disney Channel’s Austin & Ally and lawn seating to the Sunday afternoon headlining concert by rock and reality TV star Bret Michaels presented by PNC, and access to both the morning and evening scheduled hot air balloon mass ascensions.

Registration is open online at www.balloonfestival.com/entertainment/5k. Advanced registration for the 5K is $40 ($50 at the gate) and $32 for adults for the Family Fun Run ($45 at the gate) and $22 for children ($30 at the gate). All runners receive a $2.00 discount off additional general admission tickets purchased online for families and friends.

In keeping with the Festival’s belief in “doing well by doing good,” a portion of the proceeds from the 5K and Fun Run will benefit the Center for Educational Advancement (CEA).

Race time for the 5K is 8:00 a.m. with the Family Fun Run taking place at 9:00 a.m.

The race continues to grow more exciting each year and attract new sponsors such as Gatorade G Series and Reebok.

The 30^th annual Quick Chek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning in Association with PNC Bank is the largest summertime hot air balloon and music festival in North America. The three day Festival at Solberg Airport in Readington in Hunterdon County features twice a day mass ascensions of more than 100 sport and special shaped hot air balloons from around the world, live concerts, and 39 hours of family entertainment and attractions.

The largest event of its kind, the Festival attracts upwards of 165,000 people and has been named one of the Top 100 Events in North America five times by the ABA and the No. 1 Thing to Do in New Jersey in 2012 by New Jersey Monthly magazine.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Russ Mensch

Mensch & Company, Inc.

Public Relations & Event Marketing

phone: 201-797-2448

email: [email protected]