SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diamond Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq:DMND) announced today that its Emerald® brand will, once again, sponsor the final five miles of the 2012 ING New York City Marathon to reach thousands of runners and millions of spectators with Emerald's natural energy message. Diamond Foods has shipped extra product to the marathon to be given out to all those individuals working the race and working to get the Metropolitan New York Region back to running at full speed.
"We are happy to once again partner with the ING New York City Marathon particularly this year as New York City works hard to get back on its feet," said Andrew Burke, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Diamond Foods. "Our thoughts will be with those who are working hard to rebuild and restore the entire Metropolitan New York Region from the devastating impact of Hurricane Sandy."
Diamond's Emerald® brand products will support several activities to help runners and spectators enjoy the natural energy that Emerald brand products provide. During the race, Emerald teams will be handing out product samples and cheer cards allowing spectators to cheer on their favorite runners. When runners reach mile 22, just as they turn into Central Park at 90th Street and 5th Avenue, they will be greeted by members of the Emerald Cheer Zone welcoming them to the final miles of the race.
Emerald® is also the title sponsor of several runs throughout the year including the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Emerald Nuts Midnight Run through New York City's Central Park on New Year's Eve and the Emerald Across the Bay 12K over the Golden Gate Bridge, which is held each March in San Francisco and has been called the "Best Bridge Run in America" by Runner's World magazine.
About Diamond
Diamond Foods is an innovative packaged food company focused on building, and energizing brands including Kettle Brand® Chips, Emerald® snack nuts, Pop Secret® popcorn, and Diamond of California® nuts. Diamond's products are distributed in a wide range of stores where snacks and culinary nuts are sold. For more information visit our corporate web site: www.diamondfoods.com.
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About NYRR
New York Road Runners was founded in 1958 when a small group of passionate runners vowed to bring running to the people. Over the past 54 years, NYRR has grown from a local running club to the world's premier community running organization. NYRR's mission is to empower everyone, of all ages and abilities—beginners and competitive athletes, the young and the elderly, adult professionals and underserved schoolchildren—to improve their health and well-being through the power of running and fitness.
NYRR's races, community events, instruction and training resources, and youth programs give hundreds of thousands of people each year the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to start running and keep running for life. NYRR's premier event, the famed ING New York City Marathon, attracts the world's top pro runners and committed amateurs alike while also raising millions of dollars annually for charity and driving economic impact for the City. But NYRR is equally committed to the runners of tomorrow, passionately providing youth fitness programs that educate and inspire more than 100,000 kids in underserved communities in New York City, all 50 states, and around the world.
Headquartered in New York City, NYRR implements a unique nonprofit model that teams contributed and earned income to make all its efforts possible. To learn more, please visit www.nyrr.org.
About the ING New York City Marathon
NYRR's premier event, the ING New York City Marathon is the most loved and most inclusive marathon in the world, attracting elite athletes and recreational runners alike for the challenge and thrill of a lifetime. The race has grown tremendously since it began in 1970 with just 127 runners racing four laps of Central Park. Now, almost 50,000 participants from all over the globe flock to New York City every November for an adrenaline-filled road tour of all five boroughs, starting on Staten Island at the foot of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and ending in Central Park. Some run for prize money or bragging rights, others for charity or their personal best. All are cheered on by more than two million live spectators and a TV audience of 330 million.