Glastonbury, CT - The Hartford Marathon Foundation's Sandy Hook Run for the Families was awarded "Best Amateur Single-Sport Event" by SportsTravel Magazine at the TEAMS '13 Conference & Expo in Salt Lake City last week. The Hartford Marathon Foundation donated its resources to produce the Sandy Hook Run for the Families and enlisted support of longtime business, community and civic partners in honoring the memories of victims and supporting all of those affected by the tragedy in Newtown. The event hit maximum registration capacity of 15,000 and is recognized by Running USA as the world's largest inaugural 5K with 9,479 timed finishers and an additional 897 registered participants in the Kids Run.

100% of registration fees combined with fundraising efforts of race participants totaling $450,143.00 was donated to The Sandy Hook School Support Fund, administered by the United Way of Western Connecticut in partnership with Newtown Savings Bank. The Hartford Marathon Foundation estimates more than $400,000 of services was donated by industry partners including shirt donations by Reebok, race bib donation by Electric City Printing, signage and banners by XL Color, finishers' pins by Ashworth Award, staging and sound by Powerstation Events and screen printing by HJ Hoffman.

"This recognition speaks to the combined efforts of so many incredible volunteers, industry partners and runners that wanted to show support for the families of Sandy Hook, the first responders and the Newtown community," said Beth Shluger, executive director and founder of the Hartford Marathon Foundation. "It was an honor for the Foundation to produce the Sandy Hook Run for the Families and provide an opportunity for thousands to come together in an emotional outpouring of support for our neighbors in Newtown."

Shluger was presented with the Best Amateur Single-Sport Event award on November 7th at the TEAM (Travel, Events And Management in Sports) event, the world's largest gathering of event organizers and travel planners from the sports industry.

"The Sandy Hook Run for the Families offered individuals, civic groups and businesses alike the opportunity to step forward and get involved, at a time when we all were looking for ways to help the families of Newtown," explained Michael Van Parys, President of the Connecticut Convention & Sports Bureau (CTCSB), which nominated the event for the award. "This truly was a statewide ‘community' effort that was meaningful and memorable for everyone who supported it."

About the Hartford Marathon FoundationThe Hartford Marathon Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 to create and manage fitness events that inspire people to be healthy and fit. Located in Glastonbury, Connecticut, the Hartford Marathon Foundation organizes nearly 42 annual athletic events, including the ING Hartford Marathon, and 25 training programs. For more information, visit www.HartfordMarathon.com and on Facebook at HMF Events.