November 26, 2007
Just 1% of Seattle Marathon money goes to charity
By Nick Perry, Seattle Times staff reporter
When thousands of runners lined up near the Space Needle early Sunday for the half-marathon event at the 37th annual Seattle Marathon, the announcer said: Remember, you are running to benefit UW Medical Center patient housing today.
What many runners may not have realized was that not one cent of their race-entry fee — which costs up to $95 for the half-marathon and $120 for the full marathon — is destined for charity. Only money that runners decided to donate on top of their entry fees will go to charity.
Last year that amounted to only $12,000 — 1 percent of revenue — at an event that now pulls in more than $1 million annually.
The Seattle Marathon Web site plays up the charity connection, with a logo at the top that says "To benefit UW Medical Center Patient & Family Housing Fund." The Web site also states prominently that the marathon "is organized and run by volunteers in the community."...
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004035180_marathon26m.html