CITGO sponsors First Responders' entries to 2020 Boston Marathon

HOUSTON, Feb. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CITGO Petroleum Corporation, the official fuel sponsor of the 124^th Boston Marathon, is sending 10 first responders from its operational areas to run the historic race on April 20, 2020. 

Four Houston Police Department Officers, three Corpus Christi Firefighters, two Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Officers and one Sulphur Firefighter were selected based on their responses to the question, "What does running the Boston Marathon mean to you?"

Christopher Kunkle, from the Gang Division of the Houston Police Department, recently found out he was selected and said, "Boston Marathon is the pinnacle of running. I always had the goal to go to Boston. It's what running is all about. I always wished I could go and now I am going. It's such an honor. I'm nervous, excited…it's like Christmas in February!"

JC Padilla from the FBI Public Corruption Unit of the Houston Police Department thanked CITGO for considering First Responders for participation. "We have unique jobs. We are on-call 24 hours a day, and sometimes we don't get enough sleep, and that is reflected in our training and the possibility to qualify to an elite race like Boston, so having a sponsor that gets us an entry into one of the most recognized, highly-respected marathons is quite an honor. Boston Marathon has been a lifelong dream of mine, and I'm very grateful to CITGO for giving us the fuel to fulfill that dream."

This is the second year CITGO conducted an open call for runners interested in participating in the athletic event. In 2019, eight teachers from school districts in the Company's footprint ran the marathon proudly wearing the CITGO Trimark.

"Our CITGO sign in Kenmore Square has stood watch over this historic race since 1965," said Carlos Jordá, CITGO President and CEO, "and we are happy to support the world's oldest annual marathon and the thousands of runners who participate. We are especially honored to recognize our own first responders for the difficult job they do, putting their lives on the line for our communities every day."

The CITGO presence within the event also includes the digital campaign titled "The Road to Boston" that provides year-long event information to race participants and a "cheer zone" strategically located beneath the CITGO sign, where company representatives and spectators gather to cheer and encourage participants as they take their final steps toward the Boylston Street finish line.

About CITGO:
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 48 terminals, nine pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,400 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 769,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the fifth-largest, and one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 4,700 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.

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SOURCE CITGO Corporation