“This shows that the Columbus Marathon is not only the largest marathon in Ohio, but also one of the most impactful events affecting the local economy,” said Kurtis J. Roush, JD, MBA, Executive Director of Fisher Professional Services. “My team determined that on average, each dollar of participant registration dollars generated $10 of positive impact on Central Ohio.
Bill Burns, Chairman of the Columbus Marathon Board of Trustees, added: “We also recognize that our impact goes beyond economics, and generates wonderful benefits in terms of the improved and sustained health of our athletes – many of whom change their life by training for and taking part in our event.”
The portion of the study that tracked the economic benefits of increased fitness levels of event participants focused on central Ohioans who trained for the event and, in the process, became healthier. The study found that the estimated healthcare savings for central Ohio was $687,055 in the first year alone based on an estimated 2,005 central Ohioans becoming physically active as a result of the Columbus Marathon. Participants were also surveyed for demographic information, residence location, retail expenditures, nonprofit fundraising, travel expenditures, food and beverage expenses and number of guests/supporters.
On a more local level, I wonder what is the economic impact of the half and full Marathons held in Ireland? While the obvious focus might be on entry fee's, what about the economic boost it gives to an area? What about the likes of say Bantry or Dingle where the races there are outside the normal tourist season? Is it a 10:1 ratio like the example in Ohio?
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