By Murphy Grant and Reid Kelly
Co-Editor-In-Chief and Staff Writer
Run, run as fast as you can to support the local economy, Dare Education Foundation (DEF) and Outer Banks Relief Foundation (OBRF). The mission of Outer Banks Sporting Events (OBSE) is to organize and promote sports competition and healthy living resources, provide financial resources for needed relief, and provide support for public education while making an economic impact on the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
Economic Impact
OBSE has been putting on a variety of races since 2006 while bringing in thousands of participants to support the local economy.
“We currently have four events: Flying Pirate Half Marathon, Storm the Beach, Outer Banks Triathlon and the Outer Banks Marathon,” OBSE director Denis DiRaimondo said. “As a whole, the events produced by OBSE help sustain the economy during the shoulder season.”
The races bring money to the community during the off-season by providing businesses with activity.
“The race events bring people to our community. This adds to our local economy through overnight accommodations and meals purchased at area restaurants,” said Karen Brown, President and CEO of the Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce. “The races have certainly become a hallmark of the area with people planning their vacations to the area around those events.”
Restaurants see an increase in sales during the low tourism periods because of the high volume of people visiting for the events. Extra work hours also become available to employees before tourism season starts.
“We actually were not open during the first November marathon but soon realized the benefits,” said Kevin Cherry, owner of Mama Kwan’s and Bonzer Shack. “I’ve seen a 20 to 25 percent increase in sales from when we didn’t open to when we did. It is also good advertisement for the Outer Banks. I am very pleased we are having the races. It is a win-win situation. The participants get to enjoy the Outer Banks and the employees have an opportunity to make more money.”
Local runners also understand the importance of the race’s attraction to tourists.
“The races are well-organized and very crowded,” freshman Hunter Crook said. “Because so many participants aren’t from here, it brings a lot of attraction to the Outer Banks. So not only do we have our locals, but we have tourists who are giving to the Outer Banks too. I’d say it is a pretty big part (of the Outer Banks) because it brings in people from all over.”
The 2014 races are on track to being bigger than previous years, DiRaimondo said.
“We expect to see growth in 2014 as our early registration numbers are very strong. We have made a few changes that we hope will excite potential runners and walkers to try our events,” DiRaimondo said. “One thing I would like to point out is that we offer 5k and 10k race distances for those who might not be ready for the half or full marathon distance. We also have a variety of family-friendly fun runs.”
The 2013 Outer Banks Marathon weekend had 5,834 race finishers from 10 countries and 48 states. Each participant brought an average of two guests, which is about 17,500 visitors, according to DiRaimondo.
“The 2013 Marathon can be credited with $2.63 million in economic impact in November, which is on pace with the economic impact from the previous years,” DiRaimondo said. “Since the inaugural marathon in 2006, the total local economic impact from all events is approximately $38 million.”
Volunteerism
It takes between 800 to 1,000 volunteers to make the November marathon even possible, according to DiRaimondo.
“We are very fortunate to have such a supportive community. Our volunteers come from a variety of student organizations, social groups and local residents. The students of First Flight and Manteo schools have routinely stepped up and made a huge, positive impact on our events,” DiRaimondo said. “I hope that this trend can continue and grow in the future. We can always use fun and energetic volunteers. Our race participants constantly tell us that our volunteers are the best you will find anywhere.”
The events also provide opportunities for students to complete community service hours and internships. There are a number of opportunities for students to volunteer that can help students learn what types of job-related tasks are their strengths, while also developing skills such as leadership, accountability, collaboration and creativity.
“The AVID students who volunteer at the races are making community contacts. These students are known by active, involved citizens in Dare County,” AVID teacher Lisa Duke said. “Many students have made contacts to help with writing recommendations for college and scholarships. Their participation also makes them feel more comfortable in many different settings.”
Volunteers impact the runners in many ways.
“When you volunteer for races, it’s so neat being able to motivate people and congratulate them on their finish, whether they finished first or 60th,” senior Emma Gilbert said. “When I run in (the races), it can definitely get boring running by yourself for that long, but the volunteers always cheer you on and it really does help you in the race. I love doing it.”
Community Impact
One hundred percent of net proceeds from the events are split between the DEF and the OBRF. DEF strives to promote excellence in education in Dare County Schools while OBRF helps people on the Outer Banks in need, such as those with debilitating diseases and giving assistance to citizens on the Outer Banks in crisis.
DEF is able to invest more than $100,000 annually into improving the quality of public education here in Dare County because of OBSE donations, according to DEF Executive Director Elisabeth Piff.
“Because many of the runners that come and participate in the events are from outside Dare County, it means that our local schools get a benefit, but Dare County citizens are not solely responsible for shouldering the cost of that improved quality of education,” Piff said. “Regardless of which set of benefits you choose to focus on for DEF, OBSE’s events give us the ability to more effectively fulfill our mission of promoting excellence in education through active partnership with the community.”

http://www.flyingpiratehalfmarathon.com/
http://www.obxmarathon.org/
http://www.stormthebeach.org/
http://www.outerbankstriathlon.com/

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