18th Annual Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon Headlines Full Weekend Of Events On The Jersey Shore April 27

MONMOUTH BEACH, NJ, February 21, 2014 (Press-News.org) Runners, walkers and athletes at all levels have marked their calendars as the 18th Annual Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon, Long Branch Half Marathon and Half Marathon Relay and new ShapingNJ 5k will highlight a full three-day celebration of health and fitness, April 25-27 at the Jersey Shore. The signature races, held on Sunday, April 27, cap a weekend which includes The New Jersey Marathon Health & Fitness Expo, Barnabas Health Family Festival and Kids Races, food and shoe drives, and a variety of family-friendly events for all ages and fitness levels.

The course for the Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon, and presented by Life Time - The Healthy Way of Life Company (NYSE: LTM), runs through the diverse neighborhoods and business districts of Shore towns Oceanport, Monmouth Beach, Long Branch, Deal, Allenhurst, Loch Arbour, Asbury Park and Ocean Grove. This scenic, fast, flat and point-to-point course has proven to be a good choice for those attempting to qualify for the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, as many have done in the past. The 2013 Marathon champion and course record holder Oz Pearlman is scheduled to defend his title.

The race, produced and presented by Life Time, which recently acquired US Road Sports, begins inside Monmouth Park in Oceanport and finishes on the Long Branch Oceanfront Promenade, north of Pier Village. Wheelchair athletes start at 6:45 a.m. for the half-marathon and 8 a.m. for the full marathon, followed in waves by the rest of the corrals. "The Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon is bigger than ever," said Joe Gigas, Race Director. "Runners in our signature events proved last year they would not be deterred, and we're excited to welcome thousands to the wide variety of activities for all to enjoy."

Some of the other events scheduled over the three days include:

· The New Jersey Marathon Health & Fitness Expo, a comprehensive two-day Health & Fitness Expo, free and open to the public and all race participants, Friday and Saturday at Monmouth Park (registration also available for all races during the Expo)
· The new ShapingNJ 5K will be held at the finish line of the Sunday races on the Long Branch Oceanfront Promenade on Saturday
· Barnabas Health Family Festival and Kids Races, including a "Kids" 1.2 mile marathon, kids races, clowns, face painting, music, carnival games, crafts, refreshments, etc., Saturday (registration on site and on-line)
· Move for Hunger food drive and MORE Foundation athletic shoe drive, Friday and Saturday
· New York/New Jersey Challenge, a special medal for finishers of both The New Jersey Marathon or Long Branch Half Marathon and · Michelob ULTRA New York 13.1 Marathon , Sunday
· Awards ceremonies featuring top Marathon and Half Marathon finishers, as part of a post-race celebration and festival, Sunday

Registration for all events, course views (when finalized), information about volunteering, sponsorship and details of the entire weekend of activities are available at the race Web site at http://www.NJMarathon.org and the event Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/NJMarathon. Runners and fans are encouraged to follow the Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon on Twitter @NJMarathon.

Beginning runners, walkers and athletes with disabilities are all invited to participate. The Novo Nordisk New Jersey Marathon also conducts a series of training runs and related events to help participants of all levels to prepare.

About Novo Nordisk
Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk is a global health care company with 90 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. The company also has leading positions within hemophilia care, growth hormone therapy and hormone therapy. For more information, visit novonordisk-us.com or follow US activities on Twitter at @novonordiskus.

About Life Time Fitness, Inc.
As The Healthy Way of Life Company, Life Time Fitness (NYSE:LTM) helps organizations, communities and individuals achieve their total health objectives, athletic aspirations and fitness goals by engaging in their areas of interest - or discovering new passions - both inside and outside of Life Time's distinctive and large sports, professional fitness, family recreation and spa destinations, most of which operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The Company's Healthy Way of Life approach enables members to achieve this by providing the best programs, people and places of uncompromising quality and value. As of Feb. X, 2014, the Company operated 109 centers under the LIFE TIME FITNESS and LIFE TIME ATHLETIC brands in the United States and Canada. Additional information about Life Time centers, programs and services is available at lifetimefitness.com.