Freescale New Presenting Sponsor of the Austin Marathon

Freescale Semiconductor announced it will be the Presenting Sponsor of the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon at a special event at its Austin headquarters with Freescale President and CEO Gregg Lowe, Mayor Lee Leffingwell and race director John Conley. Freescale (previously known as Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector) helped create the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon in 1991 and produced the race through 2006. The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon presented by Freescale will take place on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2014.

Donation proceeds raised from the race will go to the newly created Freescale Foundation for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives. Registration for the event, which includes a marathon (26.2 miles) and a half marathon (13.1 miles), is open now at www.youraustinmarathon.com. Since its inception, the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon has generated more than $75 million dollars in economic benefit for the Austin economy and generated over $5 million in proceeds for Austin nonprofits. In its 22-year history, more than 100,000 runners from all 50 states and more than 30 nations have crossed the finish line to earn the Austin Marathon a place as one of the most prominent race events in the United States.

"Freescale and the Austin Marathon are Austin's original power couple -- and together we're bringing the race back home," said Gregg Lowe, president and CEO of Freescale. "We are committed to the Austin community and we plan to leverage the marathon and Freescale Foundation to inspire students to pursue STEM-related careers. Freescale wants this race to be a catalyst for the next generation of innovators and scientists."

"The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon presented by Freescale represents the revival of a great partnership worth celebrating," said Mayor Leffingwell. "It's wonderful to once again have Freescale and the City collaborating on an event benefiting STEM education, one of our community's most critical needs."

"We could not be more excited to partner with Freescale as the Presenting Sponsor," said John Conley, race director of the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon. "Since the very beginning, we imagined this event as a world-class road race that unites the community, brings international attention to the region, promotes health and fitness and serves as a fundraising engine. With Freescale as presenting sponsor, the event is back home and it feels great to partner with a sponsor that has a strong focus and legacy in its cause and in this community."

With approximately 4,000 employees who live and work in the community, Freescale has a strong and healthy presence in the Austin area and is dedicated to improving global education through its new Freescale Foundation. The foundation was created to inspire and encourage students to pursue STEM careers and build tomorrow's generation of engineering talent.

The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon is one of the largest combined marathon and half marathons in the United States. It has hosted runners from all 50 states and more than 30 countries around the world. The race began as the Motorola Marathon in 1992 with 605 marathon runners and in 2013, hosted more than 15,000 runners in the marathon and half marathon categories. The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon has a Silver Certification for sustainability efforts from the Council for Responsible Sport and continues to be among the most environmentally friendly public event in the country. In its 22-year history, the race has helped nonprofits raise more than $5 million to support their causes. The 2014 race will take place on Sunday, February 16. For more information visit www.youraustinmarathon.com.