Houston IM News | Wednesday, September 14, 2011
NOTE: This newsletter was originally sent out yesterday morning. Since then, we've updated our mailing list substantially, so we're re-sending this issue to those who didn't receive it yesterday. Our apologies if you receive a duplicate copy.
Hi everyone! We hope you've enjoyed a fine year of skating so far. The 2011 Houston Inline Marathon & Fun Skate is coming up fast! It seems kind of amazing to contemplate, but this will be our fifth annual end-of-the-season skate marathon race in the heart of Houston, Texas.
Event dates
As with every year since 2007, this year's Houston IM will be held on the first weekend in November. Pre-race activities, including packet pickup, late registration, a pre-race social, and a casual skate tour of Houston's vibrant downtown district, will take place on Saturday, November 5th. The inline and quad skate marathon and half-marathon races, as well as the beginners' Fun Skate on the race course, will happen Sunday morning, November 6th. We're also planning a post-race shindig at a great downtown watering hole for Sunday afternoon. Please visit our website to check out the details as the event weekend draws closer.
Online registration is now open!
Race weekend is less than eight weeks away. If you haven't registered yet, it's time to get on the stick! Online pre-registration for the 2011 Houston Inline Marathon is now open!
![[ "Register Now!" button ]](http://gallery.mailchimp.com/f64eecbaad2c9de8e1edb3a19/images/btn_register_now.gif)
By the way, this year we're happy to continue our tradition of offering special discounts for skaters younger than 16 on race day: $10 off for the half- or full marathon, and $5 off for the Fun Skate.
IMPORTANT: Minimum registration threshold
The Houston Inline Marathon & Fun Skate is the only skate marathon in North America that's held in the very center of a major metropolitan area. While this gives the event a unique appeal, it also also makes it very expensive to produce. We receive no financial or material support whatsoever from the City of Houston. Our course on beautiful Allen Parkway costs thousands of dollars to obtain and secure, and that's only the beginning. Total expenses for the full event exceed $10,000. Clearly, a minimum number of registered participants is required to make the event financially viable.
Accordingly, we must reach a threshold of 150 registered participants by September 27th in order to hold the event. If we fail to reach this cutoff, the event will have to be cancelled, and all registrations made up to that point will be refunded. However, if we do make the cutoff, the event will be confirmed and registration will continue.
You can help us reach this critical threshold! First and foremost: don't wait, register yourself now! Second, promote the event to everyone you know who has an interest in skating. If you're on Facebook, join our Facebook Page and suggest it to your friends. Visit our 2011 event page on Facebook, use it to RSVP that you're coming, and share it with your friends. If you frequent a skating-related website or forum, spread the word there. If you'd like to post flyers at your workplace, gym, skating rink, or other public place, please contact us and we'll be glad to assist you. Every bit of promotion helps!
Remember, the Houston Inline Marathon & Fun Skate is produced by skaters, for skaters, as a way to celebrate, promote, and expand the skating community. Together, we can continue to make it happen. Thank you for your support!
Join us on Facebook and become a Fan!
Since we created the official Facebook Page for the Houston Inline Marathon two years ago, it has grown to over 880 followers. Are you among them? Our Fans on Facebook get quick event updates, answers to questions, skating tips, pointers to sales on skating equipment, links to interesting articles, and more — plus opportunities to meet other Houston IM skaters! If you're on Facebook, don't miss out — visit our Page and become a Fan now!
![[ "Find us on Facebook" button ]](http://gallery.mailchimp.com/f64eecbaad2c9de8e1edb3a19/images/btn_facebook.jpg)
Even if you don't have a Facebook account, we invite you to visit our Page and read the fun comments and informative Q&A going on there.
View photos from the 2010 race!
Feast your eyes on about 2,000 photos from the 2010 Houston Inline Marathon, taken by seven volunteer photographers! The collection is hosted on Flickr, so please feel free to tag people, make comments, and save favorites to your heart's content. And if you took any photos of your own that you'd like to add to the collection, please let us know!
More to come...
That's all for the moment, but you'll be hearing from us again soon, with more tips and info about the 2011 Houston Inline Marathon. Until then, skate safe, train hard, and keep the urethane side down! (And don't forget to register!)
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