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Running Up A Profit

Burlington, Vermont - May 23, 2003

At 8:00 Sunday morning thousands of runners will hit the streets of Burlington. The annual Vermont City Marathon gets bigger every year and while runners are out training months in advance, Vermont businesses are busy gearing up for their arrival.

Select Design is responsible for printing all the t-shirts for the marathon. That's 6,000 runners, 1,700 volunteers, and then several hundred extras that go on sale to the public.

"Big event in Burlington and it's great to be a part of it," says Heather Rowe of Select Design. "We started the process actually back in March where we created some items that VCM sold online to get things going for the 15th anniversary."

The sponsors are displayed right on the sleeve of each shirt. It's a reminder that this race wouldn't happen without them and is no small undertaking.

Vermont Pure keeps the marathoners hydrated before during and after the race by supplying 4,000 gallons of spring water. Nearly 7,000 of bottles are shipped from Randolph to Burlington for the big event each year.

And it's not just big companies that help feed the marathon frenzy. At Myer's Bagels, owner Lloyd Squires is getting ready to roll 250 dozen bagels all for Sunday morning, all by himself.

"I said I'd rather make 'em than run," says Squires. "When it's the marathon we usually bake the whole day and then we close the day of the marathon so we bake about 25 straight hours."

The investment of time and treats is well worth it for this baker. He says he donates bagels to every event and charity in the area that needs them.

"I believe that you gotta give back to the community and this is a good way to do it. It helps the city. It helps business, actually." He adds, "if you don't give back, you shouldn't be here."

Beyond t-shirt, bagels and water, there are the shops, restaurants and hotels that benefit from thousands of people coming to town. The Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce estimates the marathon is a million dollar weekend for the Queen City area.

"The participants, there are about 6,000 participants in the marathon, they bring about 2.5 people with them for the weekend so you're gonna find people in city - spending money staying in local hotels," says Scott McIntosh of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce.

But that spending doesn't stop when the runners leave town. Officials say after they've had a taste of all the Vermont products - including bottled water, micro-brewed beer and baked bagels - they're more likely to buy Vermont long after they cross the finish line.

Caroline Allen - Channel 3 News