Petit Jean Meats Named Official Ham of Hams and Hamstrings 5K

COLORADO, SPRINGS, CO, April 14, 2014 (Press-News.org) Bigwig Races, a Colorado Springs-based promoter of 5K and 10K races, announced today that Petit Jean Meats will be the official ham provider of the 2014 Hams and Hamstrings 5K. Petit Jean Meats is a three-generation Arkansas family-owned business and has been selling hams since 1930.

"People love to go to 5K races that offer quirky themes or prizes," said Curtis Claar, the event director for the race. "Something unique seems to make the event more fun and more memorable."

"Our ham certainly isn't quirky, but we hope to get a lot of attention by offering it as prizes at this wonderful Easter tradition in Colorado," says David Ruff, Petit Jean Meats CEO. "We've definitely never had such a big presence at a 5K race before now. When we heard of this race, it just felt right to become a major part of it."

Petit Jeans recently became the Official Ham of the Dallas Cowboys in another unique marketing move designed to expand their market in Texas. The company hopes that involvement with the Hams and Hamstrings race will lead to more market awareness and expansion in Colorado, both in mail order business and in stores in the region.

"We know there are some Arkansas transplants in Colorado," said Ruff. "Hopefully we can bring a little taste of home to them through this partnership. They'll be able to share something delicious with their Colorado friends and neighbors."

The real question is: Does the Easter Bunny eat hams from Petit Jean Meats? "Of course," Ruff says with a smile.

The Hams and Hamstrings 5K, billed as "Colorado's Easter Day 5K," is open to serious runners, walkers, teens and families. The race will start and finish at the 7-Eleven at 7718 E. Woodmen, located north of Woodmen Road, just west of Marksheffel Road.

The event drew more than 400 runners in 2012, its first year. "This year should be a lot of fun and we expect even more runners this year," Claar said. Complete race information and registration for the race is available at hamsandhamstrings.com

About Petit Jean Meats
Petit Jean Meats, best known for producing the finest of traditional Arkansas flavor, traces its lineage back to Germany. The company sells its meat via the Internet to places as far away as Alaska and Hawaii. Petit Jean Meats has been owned by the same family since opening in 1922, and in fact, is the only privately owned processor of red meats left in Arkansas. Even though the smoking process occurs on climate-controlled smokehouses, the bacon and hams are still smoked for 18 hours with real burning hickory, not the liquid smoke used by many other companies. For more details, check out their website at pjmeats.com

About Bigwig Races
Bigwig Races LLC was formed to create valuable sponsorship and promotional opportunities for businesses of all sizes by professionally producing 5K and 10K races. The Bigwig Races model ensures that every race is effective, both as a promotional vehicle and as a competitive sporting event to support community fitness. We leverage years of experience in advertising, publishing, process improvement, accounting, sales, event planning, and project management. Our principals also enjoy running in local and regional races and have participated in hundreds of races, some as sponsored athletes. Complete information about Bigwig Races is available by calling (719) 362-3306 or by visiting bigwigraces.com