The Rock 'n' Roll Running Series is a collection of road running events owned and operated by the IRONMAN Group's Competitor Group, part of Advance Publications. The series is known for lining race routes with live bands, cheerleaders and themed water stations.

Events There are 11 events in the Rock 'n' Roll Series spanning 6 countries. In 2012, Competitor Group organized its first marathon outside North America when it acquired the organizing rights for the Madrid (Spain) Marathon.

Marathons and Half Marathons

Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon – Phoenix, Tempe, and Scottsdale, Arizona Rock 'n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, 10k and 5k – Las Vegas, Nevada Maratón de Rock 'n' Roll Madrid – Madrid, Spain Rock 'n' Roll Manila Marathon – Manila, Philippines Rock 'n' Roll Mexico City Half Marathon – Mexico City, Mexico Rock 'n Roll Quito Half Marathon - Quito, Ecuador Rock 'n' Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon – Nashville, Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon and Half Marathon – San Diego, California Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon – San Jose, California Rock 'n' Roll Santiago Half Marathon – Santiago, Chile Rock 'n' Roll Taipei Half Marathon - Taipei City, Chinese Taipei Rock 'n' Roll Washington, D.C. Half Marathon – Washington, D.C.

Past Events Rock 'n' Roll Atlantic City Half Marathon and 5k (2022) - Atlantic City, New Jersey Rock 'n' Roll Beijing Half Marathon (2019) – Beijing, China Rock 'n' Roll Brooklyn Half Marathon (2015-2017) – Brooklyn, New York Rock 'n' Roll Cancún Marathon (2019) – Cancún, Mexico Rock 'n' Roll Carlsbad 5000 (2008-2018) - Carlsbad, California Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon (2009-2019) – Chicago, Illinois Rock 'n' Roll Chengdu Half Marathon (2017-2019) – Chengdu, China Rock 'n' Roll Chongqing Shapingba (2018) - Shapingba, Chongqing, China Rock 'n' Roll Cleveland Half Marathon (2013) – Cleveland, Ohio Rock 'n' Roll Clearwater Half Marathon (2023) – Clearwater, Florida Rock 'n' Roll Dallas Half Marathon (2010–2018) – Dallas, Texas Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon (2010–2019) – Denver, Colorado Rock 'n' Roll Dublin Half Marathon (2013-2019) – Dublin, Ireland Rock 'n' Roll Edinburgh Half Marathon (2012-2013) – Edinburgh, Scotland Rock 'n' Roll Estado de México (2021-2023) - Toluca, Mexico Rock 'n' Roll Guangzhou Huadu Half Marathon (2018-2019) – Guangzhou, China Rock 'n' Roll Lima Half Marathon (2019) – Lima, Peru Rock ‘n’ Roll Lisbon Marathon (2013-2019) – Lisbon, Portugal Rock 'n' Roll Liverpool Marathon and Half Marathon (2014-2021) – Liverpool, United Kingdom Rock 'n' Roll Los Angeles Half Marathon (2010-2018) – Los Angeles, California Rock 'n' Roll Luoping Half Marathon (2018) - Yunnan, China Rock 'n' Roll Medellín Half Marathon (2019, 2022) – Medellín, Colombia Rock 'n' Roll Mérida (2015-2018) – Mérida, Mexico Rock 'n' Roll Miami Beach Half Marathon (2011–2012) – Miami Beach, Florida Marathon Oasis de Montreal (2012–2019) – Montreal, Canada Rock 'n' Roll New Orleans Marathon and Half Marathon (2010-2022) – New Orleans, Louisiana Rock 'n' Roll New Year's Eve (2011, cancelled before event) - Indian Wells/Palm Desert, California Rock 'n' Roll New York 10K (2011–2013) – New York, New York Rock 'n' Roll Nice 10 Miles du Carnaval (2014) - Nice, France Rock 'n' Roll Oaxaca Half Marathon (2018-2019) – Oaxaca, Mexico Rock 'n' Roll Oslo Half Marathon (2013-2014, cancelled before event) - Oslo, Norway Rock 'n' Roll Pasadena Half Marathon (2012–2013) - Pasadena, California Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon (2010-2019) – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Rock 'n' Roll Pittsburgh Half Marathon (2013, cancelled before event) – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Rock 'n' Roll Providence Half Marathon (2011–2013) – Providence, Rhode Island Rock 'n' Roll Portland Half Marathon (2012–2015) – Portland, Oregon Rock 'n' Roll Querétaro Marathon and Half Marathon (2015-2018) – Querétaro, Mexico Rock 'n' Roll Raleigh Marathon and Half Marathon (2014-2018) – Raleigh, North Carolina Rock 'n' Roll Salt Lake City Half Marathon (2023) – Salt Lake City, Utah Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon and Half Marathon (2008–2024) – San Antonio, Texas Rock 'n' Roll San Francisco Half Marathon (2013-2019) – San Francisco, California Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon and Half Marathon (2011-2021) – Savannah, Georgia Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon and Half Marathon (2009-2019, 2022) – Seattle, Washington Rock 'n' Roll Shanghai Chongming Half Marathon (2017) – Shanghai, China Rock 'n' Roll St. Louis Marathon and Half Marathon (2011-2017) – St. Louis, Missouri Rock 'n' Roll St. Petersburg Half Marathon (2012–2013) – St. Petersburg, Florida Rock 'n' Roll Vancouver Half Marathon (2014–2016) – Vancouver, Canada Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon (2001-2021) – Virginia Beach, Virginia

Charity controversies In 2008, the Competitor Group took over Elite Racing, the company that had been organizing the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. The following year, 2009, an internal audit revealed that the charity in whose name the race had been run, Elite Racing Foundation for Children, Education & Medical Research, had been improperly commingling funds with the for-profit Elite Racing. It further found that the foundation was being operated "in many instances for the benefit of the for-profit,” and that the charity's role in hosting the races had been overstated. As a result, the race had benefited improperly from hundreds of thousands of dollars in public subsidies and grants. In announcing the results of the audit, Competitor said it would return $190,500 to San Diego County and $152,544 to the city of San Diego, spend the remaining foundation funds on health and wellness causes, file amended tax returns, and dissolve the foundation. Competitor Group made the final payments in October 2009. Altogether the company returned $344,176 to the city and county.

In September 2014 Saint Louis University School of Law professor Yvette Joy Liebesman sued Competitor Group,LIEBESMAN v. COMPETITOR GROUP, INC., No. 4: 14-CV-1653 RLW alleging a violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act in the handling of volunteers for the October 2012 race in St. Louis. The class-action lawsuit claims the company partners with charities to create a “a veneer for recruiting free labor” but the race events are for-profit and do not serve a charitable purpose under the law. The company asked the judge to dismiss the lawsuit, but this was denied, allowing the suit to go forward.

References

External links Official website