SELAH, WA - Rainier Fruit has announced that it will now be apple sponsor to the Boston Marathon, embarking on a multi-year relationship with the Boston Athletic Association.

“We have been in business for 128 years, and as a leading grower of both conventional and organic apples, pears, cherries and blueberries,” Mark Zirkle, President of Rainier Fruit, said of the move, according to a press release. “It makes perfect sense for us to sponsor a legacy event like the oldest, most prestigious running event in the country, The Boston Marathon.”

That legacy marks its 120th running this year, specifically on Monday, April 18th, having grown to an event that attracts 30,000 registered participants and 500,000 spectators. Those there will have access to  fresh samples of Rainier Fruit “Rising Star” apples, the company said, at hospitality locations throughout the marathon.

“Athletes are always looking for the best in healthy foods to power their training,” Zirkle continued. “Our ‘Rising Star’ apples, in both conventional and organic options, are known for their crisp texture and exceptional flavors that keep consumers coming back. These Rising Stars include our proprietary Lady Alice® apple and standouts such as Honeycrisp, Jazz®, and Pink Lady®.”

Rainier stated that this sponsorship is more than just the singular marathon event, giving it the opportunity to connect to the running market that Running USA notes has grown over 300% during the last 20 years. In 2015, nearly 19 million athletes completed a running event in 2015.

“We couldn’t be more excited about this new opportunity to introduce the exceptional quality and sweet flavor of our apples while supporting the running community. This is part of our long-term commitment to providing healthy and nutritious fruit products to people around the world,” Zirkle said.

Zirkle concluded that Rainier believes its high-quality apples, pears, cherries, blueberries, and other fruits align perfectly with a balanced, healthy diet.

“During the past 15 years we have transitioned as much of our acreage to organics as possible. Today we are one of the largest suppliers of organic fruit in the U.S. The early lessons we learned in promoting biodiversity, soil quality, and general environmental benefits of organic growing are applied to all of the products we grow,” stated Zirkle.

The 26 mile event happens happens Monday, April 18th, starting on Main Street in rural New England’s town of Hopkinton.

Rainier Fruit