IRVING, TX - The Dallas-Fort Worth-area offices of GE - the global provider of solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance - today announced their title sponsorship of the Irving Marathon on April 5. Approximately 2,000 people are expected to participate.

Hosting a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and one-mile fun run, the GE Irving Marathon will showcase downtown Las Colinas and the Campion Trails system. This is the second year that GE has sponsored the Irving Marathon. It is a Boston Marathon qualifier race.

Through a partnership with the Irving Healthcare Foundation, the marathon will benefit Our Children's House at Baylor Irving (OCHI), which specializes in caring for children from six weeks to five years old who have moderate to severe medical needs. This includes cerebral palsy, autism, Down syndrome and brain trauma.

The sponsorship is part of GE's HealthAhead program, the company's internal effort to improve the health of employees and their families proactively by creating a healthy and engaged workforce and promoting a culture of wellness. One hundred fifty GE employees and their families are expected to participate in one of the five related events. In addition, GE volunteers will assist in the preparations for the marquee event, the GE Irving Marathon; they will also volunteer during the event by helping with logistical needs.

"Healthy lifestyle habits take time to develop, so GE is excited to partner with the DFW community in a healthy endeavor for the second year in a row," said Diane Cooper, head of GE Capital, Equipment Finance and HealthAhead leader for GE Capital, Americas. "Sponsoring the marathon is just one facet of our community outreach efforts, which are aimed at keeping employees, their families and our neighbors healthy."

Cooper noted that the marathon is a fun and healthy complement to GE's Developing Health program, which provides grant funding and volunteer support to targeted not-for-profit healthcare centers that focus on delivering primary care to underserved populations. In the DFW area, the GE Foundation provides support to Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Family Clinic.

The Irving Marathon Series is a multi-race, multi-event running circuit that aims to encourage area residents of all fitness levels to achieve better health and fitness through running. In collaboration with the city of Irving, the Irving Marathon Series - with its marquee event, the Irving Marathon - is poised to become the next big running attraction in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Marathon series in North Texas
The GE Irving Marathon is the fourth marathon series in the North Texas region. The other three marathons are the Big D Texas Marathon and the metroPCS Dallas White Rock Lake Marathon, both located in Dallas; and the Fort Worth Marathon, located in Fort Worth. The GE Inaugural Irving Marathon is the only marathon in the North Texas region located in Irving. For more information, click here.

Participating GE Businesses
GE employs 1,500 people in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The largest portion, 40%, is part of GE Capital's Equipment Finance business, located here. The following DFW-area GE businesses are participating in the marathon:

  • GE Capital, Equipment Finance
  • GE Capital, Real Estate
  • GE Capital, Transportation - Rail Services
  • GE Capital, Retail Financial Services
  • GE Energy (including the former Dresser Inc.)
  • GE Aviation
  • GE Healthcare

To keep in touch with GE's activities in DFW, follow us on Twitter.

About HealthAhead
HealthAhead is GE's culture of health. Our goals are to partner with GE employees and their families to help them live and work in the healthiest way possible. To accomplish this, GE promotes employee health and well-being through programs in areas including physical activity, nutrition, weight management, tobacco cessation, and stress management. As of the end of 2013, more than 450 sites across GE have met a series of robust requirements to be considered healthy work places.

About GE Capital, Equipment Finance
GE Capital, Equipment Finance businesses include Vendor Finance, Transportation Finance and Healthcare Financial Services-Equipment Finance. With more than $36 billion in lease and loan transactions since 2007, GE Capital's Equipment Finance business manages over 40 manufacturer financing programs that span 10+ industries, including transportation, construction, technology, golf and turf, healthcare, office imaging and manufacturing. It maintains relationships with approximately 200,000 business customers through its network of dealers and distributors, and evaluates more than 1,000 financing applications daily.

GE Capital offers consumers and businesses around the globe an array of financial products and services. For more information, visit www.gecapital.com or follow company news via Twitter.

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works.www.ge.com.


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