OREANDA-NEWS. July 27, 2015.  The organizers of the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON today proudly announced a new partnership with the global healthcare company Abbott (NYSE: ABT), which became an Official Sponsor of the 2015 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, one of six iconic races in the Abbott World Marathon Majors series. 

With more than 2,500 employees in Germany at seven locations nationwide, Abbott is devoted to developing products and technologies that improve health and make life better. Through its sponsorship of the 2015 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, Abbott will celebrate how people can do more, achieve more and experience more through their best health.

Abbott's sponsorship will come to life in a number of ways. For the 40,000 registered participants – including more than 30 Abbott employees from around the world – the company will have a "Cheer Zone" at the 38 kilometer point of the course, providing a welcome boost as runners push through to the finish line. Nearly 100 Abbott employees from its Wiesbaden location will show up to encourage athletes to achieve their race-day goals.

As title sponsor of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, Abbott is encouraging the sharing of health "best practices" among the six races in the series. At the 2015 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, Abbott will provide portable blood analysis systems called the i-STAT®, which perform commonly ordered blood tests – such as those for checking heart function or monitoring physical exertion – within minutes and empowers the Marathon medical staff to administer care onsite.

"Training for and participating in a marathon is a life accomplishment for many and is a great showcase for what's possible when people are at their healthiest," said Christian Jost, director of SCC EVENTS, which organizes the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON. "As a company that's committed to helping people achieve more through better health, Abbott's partnership aligns with our goals perfectly."

"Our partnership with the 2015 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON is a great way for us to celebrate the power of health," said Elaine Leavenworth, senior vice president, chief marketing and external affairs officer at Abbott. "Our employees across Germany have been committed to doing just that for more than half a century – helping people live not just longer, but better. We're looking forward to supporting all the marathoners, who show us that there's untapped potential in all of us, and health is the starting point—along with the right will and persistence—to accomplish our goals."

About BMW BERLIN-MARATHON

A group of runners from one of Germany's most prestigious athletics clubs, SC Charlottenburg, organized the first BERLIN-MARATHON in 1974. It was not until 1981 that the race moved from the Grunewald (a big forest area) into the city center of West Berlin. It was after the Berlin Wall collapsed in November 1989 when a new era started. On September 30, 1990, three days before reunification, the course of the BERLIN-MARATHON led through Brandenburg Gate and both parts of Berlin. The BMW BERLIN-MARATHON has developed into one of the world's best quality road races and as an inherent part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors. Last year's 2:02:57 by the Kenyan Dennis Kimetto was the tenth world record on a course which makes full use of Berlin's flat terrain and gentle corners.

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About Abbott
At Abbott, we're committed to helping you live your best possible life through the power of health. For more than 125 years, we've brought new products and technologies to the world -- in nutrition, diagnostics, medical devices and branded generic pharmaceuticals -- that create more possibilities for more people at all stages of life. Today, 73,000 of us are working to help people live not just longer, but better, in the more than 150 countries we serve.