Virgin Sport And Mary Wittenberg Launch New Fitness Festivals

Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group is aiming to change the face of fitness with the launch of Virgin Sport, headed up a woman the running community knows well: the former President/CEO of the New York Road Runners and Race Director for the New York City Marathon, Mary Wittenberg. As a refresher, she was the first woman to direct a major marathon.

With the launch of Virgin Sport came news of four festivals of sport in the UK and US this year—Hackney in London (April 30), Westminster in London (July 9), San Francisco (October 14-15) and Oxford in England (October 2017)—which will offer something for every athlete, no matter skill level.

Each festival of sport will include a distance run, short run and group fitness classes, combined with local food, music, art and culture to really make it feel like a festival experience—think the fitness version of Coachella or Austin City Limits. For example, at the Hackney festival, there is a half marathon and 5.5K on tap with the opportunity for free yoga and bootcamp classes, as well as a dance party to round out the experience.

“We are so excited to welcome you to the starting line of Virgin Sport and share our vision for a healthier, more active world,” shares Mary Wittenberg, CEO of Virgin Sport. “We aim to enhance lives by making sport accessible, irresistible and connected to our host neighborhoods. We hope you will join us for our first steps this year, and many more miles together in the coming years.”

Registration for the festival of sport in Hackney is now open, and you can register your interest for the other events and find more info at the Virgin Sport website.