Become a Brand Sponsor of the 2023 Pike Lake Ultramarathon
Now in its fourth year of hosting incredible trail running experiences, TINAR Race Series presents the 2023 Pike Lake Ultramarathon, including the rugged 60km (37 mi) ultramarathon and beginner-friendly 12km (7 mi) trail race. Held over the final weekend of October, the fall colors complement the trails of Pike Lake State Park and Forest perfectly as runners from all over the country come to test their fitness against the deceptively difficult hills of Southern Ohio. Thus the race earns its tagline:
REMOTE. RUGGED. OHIO.
Brand Sponsors are an important part of our trail races, as they allow for both financial support and provide valuable resources to our race efforts. We strive to find novel and unique partnerships for each event, and fully integrate the brands who sponsor our events.
We encourage brands to send one or more representatives to the race to speak with runners directly about their organization, and TINAR follows this up before and after the race with email, print, and social media marketing on behalf of each brand.
Given that our races are smaller in size (100-200 runners) than many running events, it is feasible to reach nearly everyone in attendance and have meaningful conversations with runners.
We also provide compensated entries to brands (depending on sponsorship level) to allow runners from your organization to compete and fully experience the Pike Lake Ultramarathon.
Sponsorship Levels
Tier 1 - $250
Logo, brand, and info placed on race website, race registration page, email blasts, and social media
Logo displayed on race bib, physical signage, digital signage, and print media
Ability to place swag/flyer/product in participant swag bags (at packet pick-up)
Ability to table event in person (sale of product requires approval)
One free race entry to 60km ultra or 12km trail race
Tier 2 - $500
All benefits from Tier 1, plus:
Premium logo positioning, including on Start/Finish Truss
Dedicated e-mail blast about your brand from TINAR (without any reference to other sponsors, except title sponsor)
Dedicated social media post (Instagram and Facebook) about your brand (exclusively) and its relation to our trail race
Additional race entry (12km or 60km)
Premiere Sponsor (1/3 available)
$1200
All benefits from Tiers 1 & 2, plus:
Custom 50’ scrim lining portions of the course
Brand logo added to official event t-shirt
Custom brand positioning: “Pike Lake Ultramarathon is sponsored in part by…” or “powered in part by…” on all race listings (digital, print, media)
Title Sponsorship
The title sponsor of the Pike Lake Ultramarathon represents a brand that is fully integrated with the race—a brand that both believes in what TINAR is doing, and one that TINAR can faithfully support as well.
In 2022 our title sponsor was VIRUS International, a premium clothing & athletic apparel company from California. Our tagline became “Pike Lake Ultramarathon powered by VIRUS.”
The title and naming rights of the 2023 race are available on an exclusive basis for $3000. Please read our addendum to understand how to we manage contributions that are both financial and “in-kind.”
Full brand integration through the race weekend, and on advertising and media leading up to the event
Naming rights in perpetuity for 2023 event (ex. “Pike Lake Ultramarathon p/b…” on YouTube videos)
Complete signage integration including scrim, start/finish truss, custom barricade tape lining the course, and top position on event t-shirt
Four complimentary race entries: 2 for the 60km ultra and 2 for 12km trail race
Audio announcements on PA system before/during race; dedicated to time slots to address runners at event
All benefits from above levels, except race entries (which are described here)
Additional Sponsorship Opportunities
Prime/Sprint Award - $500
(1/1 available)
Each year at the race, we offer a bonus award called a prime (French for “bonus”) for the fastest two runners from both scoring categories who reach a designated timing mat first. This sprint occurs about 1.5 miles after the start, after a demanding climb on the Mitchell Ridge trail. The sprint point is visible from the start/finish, so spectators enjoy watching this sprint play out in real time during the first lap of the race. The award amount (typically $100-200) and exact location is not revealed until race morning, adding to the excitement of the race.
This year, we are seeking a brand to sponsor the sprint point itself, becoming the sole sponsor of this “race within a race.” We will use signage and marketing to highlight this race, for example “The Brand X Sprint Point,” and customize the award for each winner with your brand’s logo, color scheme, and design in mind. The winner of this prime receives a physical award (plus cash), giving yet another opportunity for brand awareness during the ceremony.
The brand who commits to this sponsorship will also receive all benefits from Tier 1, listed above.
Race Photography Sponsor - $2000
(1/1 available)
As the photos on this page indicate, race photography is a vital part of the TINAR experience, and runners love receiving and using their photos after the race. We contract exclusively with Misty Dawn Photography, who shoots trail races around the country. Her photos for the 2022 race can be viewed here.
For 2023, we want to modify the way we deliver the photos to runners and add a valuable piece of advertising for one brand. The photos are always available for free to download, and we do not plan to change that. By becoming the race photography sponsor, your brand’s logo will be permanently embedded on all race photos (bottom right corner), and these photos will only be available from your branded race photo website (not from Misty’s website, or the TINAR website).
A single-focus email will be sent to runners inviting them to download their race photos on this hosted website (managed by TINAR on the back end) that can display your brand’s imagery, text, video, and more. This photo website will stay online in perpetuity, allowing brand exposure to anyone who wishes to view the photos from the 2023 race.
Because this is a new sponsorship type for TINAR, we are very open to how this partnership will look with your brand. We think it will deliver valuable exposure for your brand both before and after the race, as runners deeply appreciate free, high quality photography. Please contact us for more information and to discuss what this sponsorship can look like for your brand.
The brand who commits to this sponsorship will also receive all benefits from Tier 1, listed above. Please note that while this format covers all race photography downloaded by runners, TINAR will still use race photography for marketing purposes that may not contain the branded logo.
Addendum
Thank you for reading our sponsorship document! We understand that for many small business owners, committing to one of these levels is a serious undertaking. We are open to combining both financial compensation with “product” or “service” compensation as it pertains to the needs of the race. This combination typically only pertains to the Premiere and Title Sponsorship levels, however, we are thrilled to speak with organizations who want to be a part of the Pike Lake Ultramarathon. Please contact us for a custom proposal if you do not find something on this page that suits your business’s needs.
Point of Contact:
Samuel Hartman, Race Director for TINAR Race Series
samuel@tinarraceseries.com
+1-440-935-6499
2022 Race Media & Press
Payment & Contract
For brands who commit to financial sponsorship, payment is due via a secure, online Stripe link (accepts all major credit cards) within 60 days after said commitment. All payment must be completed by October 1, 2023. Wire transfer, check, and other payment methods must be approved by race director prior to commitment.
All payment made to TINAR Race Series after September 1, 2023 will be considered non-refundable. Should the race be cancelled prior to that date, the sponsor will receive any financial commitment refunded. Should a sponsor wish to exit their partnership with TINAR Race Series prior to September 1, 2023, we will entertain this option in good faith and with open dialogue.
All sponsors will be required to submit a high-resolution logo for use by TINAR Race Series. We will honor style guide requests for logo usage. If the logo is not received in time or is not able to be printed in large format, we will have a graphic designer retouch, modify, or create a logo for you, at our expense.