JACKSON, Miss., September 18, 2017- Organizers of the Mississippi Blues Marathon are pleased to announce that Continental Tire the Americas has signed on to serve as Presenting Sponsor of the eleventh annual event, which will be held Saturday, January 27, 2018, in Jackson, Mississippi.  In 2016, Continental broke ground just outside of Jackson on its most technologically advanced tire manufacturing facility in North America and will begin production in 2019. The Mississippi Blues Marathon ‘Runs on Continental’ and so will the top overall male and top overall marathon winners in 2018. Each will receive a set of tires courtesy of the race’s new Presenting Sponsor, Continental.

Blues Marathon Race Director John Noblin stated, “We are pleased to announce Continental Tire as our new presenting sponsor.  Their support not only means this event, which means so much to this city and state, can continue, but also that Continental is serious about being a respected corporate and community citizen in both Mississippi and the Jackson area.  And the reputation of the Continental Tire brand worldwide will be great for the continued growth of the Blues Marathon.  We are very excited about moving forward with planning for the 2018 event.”

“Continental is proud to sponsor the Mississippi Blues Marathon as part of our growing commitment to the state of Mississippi,” said Paul Williams, executive vice president of Continental’s Commercial Vehicle Tires division for the Americas. “As a company, we believe that mobility is paramount to the human experience, and what better way to showcase that than by supporting this premier running event."

"Continental Tire is proving to be a good corporate partner to the state, before even opening its doors," said Gov. Phil Bryant.  "Continental Tire is not only investing in the state's economy, but also in our people through its title sponsorship of the Mississippi Blues Marathon."

Race officials are also looking forward to a new date on the calendar as well.  The race will move to the final Saturday in January, which is January 27 in 2018.  Race registration will open September 20 at 10:00 a.m. C.D.T. on the race’s website, www.msbluesmarathon.com. 

2018 will be the eleventh year of the Mississippi Blues Marathon, Mississippi’s premiere running event that has attracted runners from all 50 states and more than 15 countries.  The Mississippi Blues Marathon events include a marathon, half-marathon, quarter marathon and marathon team relay.  The event is sponsored by Continental Tire the Americas.

Continental Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2017, Continental generated preliminary sales of around €44 billion and currently employs more than 233,000 people in 56 countries.

The Tire Division currently has more than 24 production and development locations worldwide. The broad product range and continuous investments in R&D make a major contribution to cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility. As one of the world's leading tire manufacturers with around 52,000 employees, the Tire Division achieved sales of €10.7 billion in 2016.

Continental Commercial Vehicle Tires is one of the largest manufacturers of truck, bus and commercial specialty tires worldwide. The business unit is continuously developing from a pure tire manufacturer to a solution provider, offering a broad range of products, services and tire-related solutions.