ABBOTT PARK, Ill., Oct. 1, 2015
/PRNewswire/ -- In its second year as an Official Sponsor of the
Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Abbott (NYSE: ABT) will again
demonstrate its commitment to helping people achieve their goals
through good health. From experienced runners and wheelchair racers
to first-time participants, marathons prove that when people are at
their healthiest, they can do more, achieve more and experience
more in life.
Abbott's sponsorship of the 2015 Bank of America Chicago
Marathon, which takes place in the global healthcare company's
hometown, complements its title sponsorship of the Abbott World
Marathon Majors (AWMM). Since announcing its AWMM sponsorship at
the same race last year, Abbott has celebrated and supported tens
of thousands of marathon participants at the Tokyo Marathon, the
Boston Marathon, the Virgin Money London Marathon and the BMW
Berlin-Marathon. Next month, Abbott will celebrate people living
active, healthy lives at the TCS New York City Marathon – the sixth
iconic race in the AWMM series.
This year, Abbott will again be the title sponsor of the
pre-race Abbott Health & Fitness Expo where they'll invite the
expected 140,000 runners and supporters to its booth to describe
what living fully means to them. All over the world, people
have their own ideas about how this looks and feels. But there's
one thing they have in common: they each want to live the best life
they can. Abbott is asking a million people to share their stories,
and at the Expo participants will have the chance to take part in
interactive quizzes and other experiences to express what they do
to become their best possible selves. Find out more at
www.lifetothefullest.abbott.
Those who participate at the Abbott booth by taking a quiz will
be entered for a chance to win a free entry to the 2016 Bank of
America Chicago Marathon. In addition, at 1
p.m. CT on Friday, Oct. 9,
Abbott will host an on-stage presentation, featuring
record-breaking marathoner and former Olympian Joan Benoit
Samuelson plus Abbott neurologist and dietitian Dr. Beth McQuiston. The duo will talk about the
mental and physical aspects of training for and racing a marathon,
and how participants can use the experience as a tool to live a
full life.
For the thousands of registered participants – including
approximately 30 Abbott employees from around the world – Abbott
will again have a high-energy "Cheer Zone," just as it did at the
2014 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and earlier this year in
Tokyo, London and Berlin, where Abbott also has large employee
bases. Abbott employees and families will come out by the hundreds
to cheer people on at mile 25 and celebrate what people can do
through their best health and the right will and determination.
As title sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, Abbott is
encouraging the sharing of health "best practices" among the six
iconic races that make up the series. At the Bank of America
Chicago Marathon, Abbott will provide portable blood analysis
systems called the i-STAT®, which perform commonly
ordered blood tests – such as those for checking heart function or
monitoring physical exertion – within minutes and empowers the
marathon medical staff to administer care onsite.
"Marathoners bring to life the idea that when people are at
their healthiest, they can tap their potential and achieve
remarkable things," said Elaine
Leavenworth, senior vice president, chief marketing and
external affairs officer at Abbott.
"Through our partnership with the Bank of America Chicago
Marathon, we're thrilled to celebrate all the participants, who are
dedicated to preparing their minds and bodies to accomplish such an
amazing feat."
"We are inspired by the thousands of people who train for and
participate in the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. They are
extremely driven to reach a personal goal, which is anchored in the
power of living a healthy life," said Carey
Pinkowski, executive race director, Bank of America Chicago
Marathon. "As a company committed to healthy living and with deep
Chicago roots, Abbott is an ideal
partner."
About Abbott:
At Abbott, we're committed to helping you live your best possible
life through the power of health. For more than 125 years, we've
brought new products and technologies to the world—in nutrition,
diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic
pharmaceuticals—that create more possibilities for more people at
all stages of life. Today, 73,000 of us are working to help people
live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150 countries we
serve.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and
@AbbottGlobal.
About Bank of America Chicago Marathon
In its 38th year, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon welcomes
thousands of runners from more than 100 countries and all 50
states, including a world-class elite field, top regional and
masters runners, race veterans, debut marathoners and charity
runners. The race's iconic course takes runners through 29 vibrant
neighborhoods on an architectural and cultural tour of Chicago. In 2014, an estimated 1.7 million
spectators lined the streets cheering on a record 40,659 runners
from the start line to the final stretch down Columbus Drive. As a
result of the race's national and international draw, the Chicago
Marathon assists in raising millions of dollars for a variety of
charitable causes while generating $253
million in annual economic impact to its host city. The 2015
Bank of America Chicago Marathon, a member of the Abbott World
Marathon Majors, will start and finish in Grant Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct.
11. In advance of the race, a two-day Abbott Health &
Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on
Friday, Oct. 9, and Saturday, Oct. 10. For more information about the
event and how to get involved, go to chicagomarathon.com. Visit the
Bank of America newsroom for more Bank of America news.
Photo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20151001/273070
Logo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150928/271488LOGO
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbott-celebrates-living-fully-through-the-power-of-health-as-an-official-sponsor-of-the-2015-bank-of-america-chicago-marathon-300152730.html
SOURCE Abbott