For the first time in its 11-year history, the San Francisco Giant Race presented by Alaska Airlines is going Virtual. Previously scheduled for the Labor Day Holiday Weekend (Sept. 4-6) at Oracle Park in San Francisco, the Giant Race Series’ flagship event will now be held virtually on Sunday, September 6, due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. This annual Series, held in Scottsdale, Sacramento, San Jose and San Francisco, is produced by Giants Enterprises, the development and entrepreneurial arm of the San Francisco Giants Major League Baseball franchise.
“We will miss all of our participants gathering before dawn at Oracle Park and the endless finish line high-fives, but the decision to change to a Virtual event is for the collective safety of our participants, fans the and staff,” said Stephen Revetria, President of Giants Enterprises.
With a vision to deliver participants as much of the same great experience, they would’ve received during the live event, the Giant Race is offering an unforgettable virtual race week. The event welcomes participants from all over the world to run/walk on their own. Each competitor will receive a Giants-branded neck gaiter, curated audio playlists from the Giants coaching staff (including favorites by MLB Coach and Giant Race alum Alyssa Nakken) and a downloadable custom virtual finisher certificate. Additionally participants can create a DIY finish line and receive race goodies unparalleled in the running industry – including official Giant Race runner tee, medal, bib and the coveted annual Official Bobblehead.
The Giant Race has also enlisted some of its Giants baseball staff’s next-generation Mental Skills Coaching to help motivate runners during this unique time with a series of #MindfulnessMonday posts shared via the event’s Instagram channel.
This year, Renel Brooks-Moon, Bay Area media celebrity and the voice of Oracle Park, joins as lead Ambassador of the Giant Race 2020. The Public Address Announcer for the Giants since 2000, a past Giant Race participant and everyday fitness fanatic, Brooks-Moon will share customized messages of Motivation, Health & Wellness, host dedicated Q&A sessions and serve as the promotional lead for Giant Race content. Additionally, she will be featured in unique virtual activations and surprises, all of which are delivered exclusively to registered Giant Race participants.
Giants Enterprises is also proud to announce the 2020 Giant Race Official Bobblehead is modeled after Renel. This limited-edition bobblehead features Brooks-Moon posing mid-run and carrying her iconic PA microphone in one hand with a baseball in the other. Renel was last featured as a Giants-themed bobblehead in 2008 as part of African-American Heritage Night.
“I am thrilled and honored to serve as Ambassador for this first of its kind Giant Race. At a time when many of us are challenged with finding ways to exercise, myself included, I hope to inspire and motivate Giants fans to prioritize mental and physical fitness,” Brooks-Moon recently exclaimed.
The charitable partner of the 2020 San Francisco Giant Race presented by Alaska Airlines is the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA, an organization personally selected by Brooks-Moon for its effort to engage the Bayview Hunters Point community in living a healthy lifestyle focused on wellness for youth and families alike. Located near Oracle Park, the Bayview YMCA serves the community in and around the ballpark by providing health and wellness opportunities for the community, expanding opportunities for young people in education and workforce development and delivering family support services. Most recently Bayview YMCA is also providing emergency services for kids, adults, seniors and families in response to the Covid19 pandemic. Throughout Giant Race’s 11-year history, the event and its participants have raised more than $2,500,000 for various local non-profit causes.
“We are thrilled to partner with Renel and the San Francisco Giant Race. Now more than ever, community partnerships are so important to ensure we continue to provide the critical services needed so our communities can thrive in these uncertain times” – Tacing Parker, Senior Executive Director, Bayview Hunters Point YMCA.
A pillar of the Giants Organizational Health & Wellness initiative, the event draws individuals from around California and the country. This year, given the different landscape as a result of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, a special emphasis for the event is connecting Giants fans with Healthy Living. Fans can participate in a variety of virtual challenges and train along with the Giants all summer long. The Giants are committed to helping fans live healthy lifestyles and build healthy communities. From nutrition tips to mental skills techniques to workouts with the team, our Health & Wellness offerings are designed to help fans build a comprehensive approach to being their best self.
The Giant Race presented by Alaska Airlines is supported by PAC-MAN®, Lexus, Decathlon, Diageo, Dignity Health, McBride Sisters Wine and Bellwether Farms. To learn more about the Giant Race Series and register for the 2020 Virtual San Francisco Giant Race presented by Alaska Airlines, visit GiantRace.com
EVENT DETAILS
Virtual event information and registration opportunities can be found at GiantRace.com
San Francisco Giant Race presented by Alaska Airlines
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Virtual 5K / 10K / Half Marathon
Kids Race / Family Relay Team
2020 Virtual Giant Race Series Events
Scottsdale Giant Race Virtual 5K
Sacramento Giant Race Virtual 5K
San Jose Giant Race Virtual 5K
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About the Giant Race Series: The Giant Race Run/Walk Series presented by Alaska Airlines represents the perfect combination of running and baseball. With annual events held in Scottsdale, Sacramento, San Jose and San Francisco, the Giant Race unites an array of Giants-inspired themes at every level of professional baseball. After stops in Scottsdale during Spring Training and at Minor League facilities in Sacramento and San Jose, the Series ends on the field at Oracle Park with a 20,000-participant race on the flattest and fastest course in San Francisco. The San Francisco Giants and Giants Enterprises have worked together to give baseball fans and running enthusiasts an unforgettable journey of run, walk, fitness, and training experiences all season long. For more information, visit www.giantrace.com.
About Giants Enterprises: Giants Enterprises is dedicated to the curation and development of new ventures complementary to the San Francisco Giants franchise by delivering larger-than-life experiences to millions at Oracle Park and beyond. At the intersection of sports, entertainment, meetings, events, tourism and hospitality, Giants Enterprises provides the rare combination of people and places to create giant impressions for locals and visitors from around the world. When it comes to making memories, Giants Enterprises believes in being bold as illustrated by past programming including the notable sports events such as the 34th America’s Cup, Rugby World Cup Sevens and the annual Giant Race series. For more information visit www.giantsenterprises.com.
About Dr. Renel Brooks-Moon: Renel is a Bay Area native, entering her 21st season as P.A. Announcer for the San Francisco Giants. She is a graduate of Woodside High School, and received a B.A. in English Literature from Mills College. She spent 35 years as a local radio and television broadcaster, including stints at 106 KMEL, 98.1 KISS-FM, 102.9 KBLX and CBS-5, among others. Renel has been recognized by the Baseball Hall of Fame as the first woman to Public Address Announce a world championship game in any professional sport, following Game 3 of the 2002 World Series. Renel has received numerous awards, including honors from American Women in Radio and Television, Multi-Ethnic Sports Hall of Fame, 100 Black Women, Bay Area Black Journalists Association and Girls, Inc. Renel was a founding member of Friends of Faith, a non-profit that served low-income Bay Area breast cancer patients. March 18, 2005 was proclaimed “Renel Brooks-Moon Day” in San Francisco by Mayor Gavin Newsom, honoring her broadcasting career and community activism. Renel was profiled in O, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine, as “The Woman Who’s Changing Baseball”. In 2008, Renel received an honorary doctorate from her Alma Mater, Mills College, and in 2018 she received an honorary doctorate from the University of San Francisco and delivered the commencement address. In 2017, Renel was honored to MC the historic inauguration of San Francisco’s first African-American Female Mayor, London Breed. Renel is a 2019 Nor-Cal Emmy Award winner as host of the television series “Forever Giants”. She is a member of the San Francisco Historical Society Advisory Board, and she is featured on a limited edition 2020 TOPPS baseball card.
About Bayview Hunters Point YMCA: A branch of the YMCA of San Francisco, the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA makes accessible the support and opportunities that empower people and communities to learn, grow and become healthy. With a focus on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y nurtures the potential of every youth and teen, improves the Bay Area’s health and well-being, and provides opportunities to give back and support neighbors. At the YMCA of San Francisco strengthening community is our cause. Every day, we work side by side with our neighbors to make sure that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to improve their lives and their community. For more information about the Y of SF, please visit www.ymcasf.org.
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