ORLANDO, Fla. — As the city of Orlando set to host the 2024 Olympic Marathon Team Trials, local business owners are hoping the extra foot traffic will head into their doors.
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Downtown Wall Street bars and restaurants have worked together to turn the area into a block party for the weekend.
“When you look at the big picture it’s not just the immediate big picture for this weekend, but this event can actually have repeated customers come downtown,” said Bosko Lazic, Owner of Wall Street.
Lazic said he’s been prepping his staff for the big weekend for nearly a month and has even extended hours of operations for the race Saturday and the Pro Bowl Sunday.
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“We started preparing for this about three or four weeks ago, and we partnered up with Hoka as far as Wall Street goes, and from that point on we started coordinating with them and our staff to make sure this event goes without any hitches,” said Lazic.
Some people visiting Orlando for the race told Channel 9 they have already shopped locally and plan to eat locally to help drive business.
“I’m excited to check out the local businesses. I’ve been to Track Shack and Fleet Feet Orlando. So, I definitely want to try them again and then try some different foods,” said Hayeli Woodcock, Hoka A&E.
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Jason Siegel, President and CEO of Greater Orlando Sports Commission said the different partnerships have been working on the Olympic Marathon Trails coming to Orlando for years with big plans for more events of this magnitude in the future.
“For us, we feel proud to bring events like this into the community and it’s why we work so hard to be able to put our best foot forward,” said Siegel.
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