On March 30, New York City Sports Commissioner Kenneth J. Podziba will welcome the inaugural Battle for Manhattan to New York City. Bragging rights will be on the line as the borough of Manhattan is split down the middle, pitting the East Side versus the West Side in a series of athletic competitions taking place March 30 - April 9. The Battle of Manhattan competitions will include basketball, volleyball, soccer and a 5K run to promote the goodwill and spirit of New York City while celebrating its different communities. The Battle will officially begin on March 30 with the 5K run beginning at Pier 46 at 10:00am.

"There has always been a good-hearted rivalry between the East and West Sides of Manhattan," said Commissioner Podziba. "The inaugural Battle for Manhattan will offer New Yorkers a chance to exercise this rivalry through healthy athletic competition. Regardless of the activity, I am sure that the best of each neighborhood will be represented in this exciting new event."

The Battle for Manhattan was designed to bring out New Yorkers' competitive spirit while uniting the community for a charitable cause. Each sport will have its own celebrity chairman including National Soccer Hall of Famer Eric Wynalda representing soccer, 400M hurdles world record-holder Kevin Young overseeing the 5K run and streetballer Troy "Escalade" Jackson chairing basketball. The event will also feature former Knicks guard John Starks as captain of the West Side squad and Kevin Young will captain the East Side team.

Competition begins on March 30 with the 5K run through Hudson River Park. Basketball, volleyball and soccer games will be run from March 30 until April 9 at six gym locations in Manhattan - Dalton School, Baruch College, Wagner Junior High School, Trinity School, Xavier High School and Martin Luther King Jr. High School.

"The Battle for Manhattan is a creative and fun way to promote exercise while embracing the competitive spirit that is part of so many New Yorkers," Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said. "No matter what side of this great borough comes out ahead, I'm confident this event will be a win for everyone involved."

"After New York City lost out in its bid for the 2012 Olympics, I felt that we could harness New Yorkers natural competitiveness to do something fun and charitable," said Battle of Manhattan President Steve Bernstein. "This not just about the competition, it's also about bringing the city together with sporting and social events to create a real sense of community."

Proceeds from the event will benefit Urban Dove, an organization focused on enriching the lives of New York City's at-risk youth by creating a place where children can develop life skills needed to succeed and reach their full potential. The event was created through a partnership between Zenbu, Sportsvite and the New York Corporate Athletic League.

For more information about the Battle for Manhattan and a schedule of events, please visit their website at www.battleformanhattan.com.

The New York City Sports Commission is the mayoral agency charged with attracting, facilitating and promoting professional, amateur and scholastic sports events in New York City. The Sports Commission has played an integral role in creating or developing many new sporting events, including the NFL Kickoff Live from Times Square, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series™ Champions Week, the BMC Software NYC Cycling Championship, the AVP Brooklyn Open, the NAUTICA NYC Triathlon, the NYC Half-Marathon, the Union Square Street Sessions presented by Jeep®, the Wild Onion Urban Adventure Race, and the Men's Health Urbanathlon.