Dedicated to the money and marketing behind running
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You Won't Believe The Month I've Had
The year is off to an unbelievable start for the Biz Runner. My email address is featured prominently on the website and its a great source of tips from my readers. It turns out that the email address is also incredibly lucky. In January alone I won 151,771,168 British Pounds – or nearly $242 million US Dollars! PLUS a BMW X6. Amazing.
How you ask?
No, it doesn't involve a Goldman Sachs bonus. I won the UK National Lottery – twice. I won the UK International lottery, as well as the British National Lottery. I won 250,000GBP from Microsoft. I also won 1,000,000GBP in a Tobacco Promotion. But my luck didnt end there, I also won 2,000,000GBP as part of the 2010 British Government Poverty Alleviation and Financial Empowerment Program. Here's the really amazing part. I don't even live in Britain. These are worldwide programs!
Of course, as the rapper Notorious B.I.G. once said, "Mo Money, Mo Problems", money brings the opportunity to generate more money. I've gotten quite few of those emails as well. I have a proposed $19.2 million dollar deal on the table in Dubai. There’s also a potential $19.5 million deal but it’s only a 70/30 split, with me getting the 30%. I’ll have to think on that one. There’s also a $23.5 million deal. It’s a sad story really, with this wealthy businessman’s car getting blown up and now his money is trapped in the bank. I am one of the few people that can help get it out. This is 55/40 split, with me once again on the short-end. 5% goes towards bank expenses of course.
As the saying goes "To whom much is given much is expected". There’s lot to think about my friends. A lot to think about.
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All Out of Krispy Kreme's
(February 1)
"Donuts. Is there anything they can't do?"
-Homer Simpson
Sold. Out. Two words runner’s are being accustomed to hearing the last couple of years. You can now add the Krispy Kreme Challenge to the list. The run added 500 spots this year – bringing the total capacity to 6,000. Last year a field of 5,500 raised $40,000 for the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. Not bad for a race that started five years ago with just 10 people.
Never heard of the KKC? It’s a “run” organized buy students at North Carolina State. The challenge? Run two miles to the local Krispy Kreme. Stop and eat a dozen donuts (for those keeping count that’s 2,400 calories and 144 grams of fat). Run two more miles. Do it all in under an hour.
So how do they know you really eat the doughnuts? They check your box at the finish! Spotters watch for doughnut dumping. You do have the option of registering as a “casual” runner, in which case you are not required to eat the dozen doughnuts – you are free to do with them what you please.
There’s nothing casual about the timing. They use a chip timing system. The record? 24:31. Yep, four miles and a dozen doughnuts at just over 8 minutes a mile. Nothing casual about that.
http://www.technicianonline.com/news/krispy-kreme-challenge-reaches-capacity-of-6-000-1.2154769
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The Most Popular iPhone "Running" Apps
(January 28)
That's right, it filets, it chops, it dices, slices,
Never stops, lasts a lifetime, mows your lawn
And it mows your lawn and it picks up the kids from school
It gets rid of unwanted facial hair, it gets rid of embarrassing age spots,
It delivers a pizza, and it lengthens, and it strengthens
And it finds that slipper that's been at large
under the chaise lounge for several weeks
And it plays a mean Rhythm Master,
It makes excuses for unwanted lipstick on your collar
And it's only a dollar, step right up, it's only a dollar, step right up
-Tom Waits , "Step Right Up"
If you watched any of the Apple presentation unveiling the iPad, you might have thought the above quote was from Steve Jobs. The hype heading into the iPad announcement was huge and Jobs laid it on thick.
In 2001, (was it really that long ago? yikes) Apple revolutionized the music – and some might even say the running world – with the creation of the iPod. Jobs announced that as of few weeks ago Apple has sold over 250 million iPods. They sold over three BILLION dollars worth last year alone. It’s just too bad the headphones stink. (I’ll have more on that at a later date).
Apple continued to transform the running world when they partnered with Nike to create the Nike+iPod running system. According to SportsOneSource, which tracks these sorts of things, Nike market share when the Nike+iPod system launched in 2006 was 48%. By the end of 2008 it had grown to 61%.
While the iPod got the ball rolling and computers might be what they are famous for, it might surprise you to learn that Apple as currently figured is really a phone company. The iPhone makes up 36% of Apple’s total revenue, generating more money than desktop and portable computers - combined. Analysts say the iPhone is responsible for doubling Apple’s sales the last two years.
The iPhone hasn’t just been good for Apple. It’s been a boon for software creators who make applications to run on the iPhone. Some of the earliest creators of iPhone applications made some serious money. But the boom is over now. With over 100,000 applications in the Apple iPhones App store the market is saturated. It’s too hard to break though and major companies have entered the space, making it hard for the little guy to make his money.
But starting today, there is another gold rush in place: to create applications for the iPad. Hopefully this means there are some great running applications in the works. So while the programmers get busy on the iPad, let’s take a look at the best selling running related iphone applications, as of Thursday January 28.
The Biz Runner went through the top 100 most popular apps as listed in the iTunes App store. The following represents "Apps" which appear to have a running related use and indicates where that App ranks in the current Top 100 list Apple provides. This is based on the Top 100 list for the category of Health and Fitness. Please note this is not an endorsement of any these, The Biz Runner does not have an iPhone or iTouch and has never seen any of these in action.
Healthcare and Fitness
Top Paid Apps
1. Ifitness $1.99
14. C25K (Couch to 5K) $2.99
20. Couch to 5K $2.99
21. Runmeter GPS Running Stopwatch $4.99
29. RunKeeperPro $9.99
30. iTreadmill: Pedometer Ultra $1.99
36. iMapyRun+ $4.99
44. Get Running (Couch to 5K) $1.99
57. Running Log $1.99
58. Couch to 10K $2.99
84. THI Personal Trainer $.099
Top Free Apps
19. RunKeeper Free
30. DailyBurn – Calorie, Workout and Weight Tracker
37. Nike Women Training Club
42. Distance Meter Free
48. iMapMyRun
52. iPedomater LITE
55. Virtual trainer
75. Running Log Free
78. THI Personal Trainer Lite
87. Pedometer By Hamway
95. Running Trainer Lite
TIME IS RUNNING OUT: have you submitted your entry for the best race t-shirt of 2009? Enter to win a FREE pair of Brooks!
http://www.thebizrunner.com/2010/01/which-race-had-best-t-shirt-of-2009.html
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Honda Loves LA
(January 27)
What a difference a year makes. Last year was a year the LA marathon would like to forget. From a disastrous date change to temporarily losing one of its main sponsors, it was a horrible year for what should be one of the best races in the country.
But like the red carpet on Oscar night, things are looking good for LA. Honda has agreed to be the title sponsor. This marks the first time in the marathon’s 25 years history that the race will have a title sponsor. Honda had been a “presenting” sponsor for many years.
The new race orgaziners are one of the most active in the conutnry, with a tremdous online presence that does a nice job of engaging runners and generating buizz fo the race.
The biggest move by far is the new route – from Dodger Stadium to the sea in Santa Monica. That’s tough to beat.
Here’s a look at some of the landmarks passed along the way:
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Raider Nation Hits the Streets
(January 27)
When I think about Oakland Raiders football, the first thing I think of is the old NFL Films video, with its one-of-kind music and the voice of the legendary John Facenda:
The Autumn wind is a pirate
Blustering in from sea
With a rollicking song he sweeps along
Swaggering boisterously.
His face is weatherbeaten
He wears a hooded sash
With a silver hat about his head
And a bristling black mustache
He growls as he storms the country
A villain big and bold
And the trees all shake and quiver and quake
As he robs them of their gold.
The Autumn wind is a Raider
Pillaging just for fun
He'll knock you 'round and upside down
And laugh when he's conquered and won.
Classic. What doesn’t always come to mind is the Raiders running game – especially when you think about their hard core fans, known as Raider Nation.
But in what is a pretty unique marketing deal, the Oakland Raiders have signed on to sponsor the inaugural Oakland Running Festival. As part of the deal, the Raiders will sponsor the first mile of the marathon course and the Raiders cheer leading team - the Raideretts, “Football’s Fabulous Females” - will be at the finish line to cheer for runners. Festival participants will have the chance to buy a specially priced ticket package and be honored on the field in a pre-game ceremony at a 2010 Raiders Home Game.
It’s an unusual attempt to sell tickets but in this economy teams are starting to go well outside the box in terms of their more traditional marketing practices. For a team that has struggled as much as the Raiders lately, sponsoring a local event is a great PR move. This is a win-win for everybody and if you are a Raider fan the chance to be honored on a pregame ceremony is pretty amazing.
The logical next question – how many Raider pirate costumes can we expect to see on the race course? Quite a few I bet. The Oakland Running Festival is March 27-28, 2010.
http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/1st-and-Goal-Oakland-Raiders-to-Sponsor-Oakland-Running-Festival/1fd69599-fc29-4c2c-913e-44ddd2801fb3
Have you submitted your entry for the best race t-shirt of 2009? Enter to win a free pair of Brooks!
http://www.thebizrunner.com/2010/01/which-race-had-best-t-shirt-of-2009.html
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Hall Steps Foundation Releases Boston Marathon Info
(January 26)
Anyone shut out of Boston and looking for entry into this years race can run with Ryan Hall – provided you have world-class speed. More likely you’ll be running behind him. But you can now run FOR his recently created foundation.
The Steps Foundation has a limited number of sports available for Boston. You’ll need to raise $5,000 as a minimum. In addition to a spot in the raise you’ll receive Steps Foundation apparel and a chance to celebrate with Ryan after the race. Since he’s got a good shot to win any race he enters – you could potentially be celebrating with a Boston Marathon winner – how often can you say that?
The Steps Foundation is also accepting anyone who already has a spot in the race that is interested in running as part of the Steps team.
For anyone interested, here is the their website and email:
http://www.thestepsfoundation.org/
thestepsfoundation@gmail.com
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