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and supported by grants from The New York City Marathon and USA Track & Field
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Team
USA California is Sponsored by Nike
and supported by grants from The New York City Marathon and USA Track & Field |
| Wire 91, Sept. 26, 2002 | |
|
U.S. 10,000 METER RECORD HOLDER MEB KEFLEZIGHI SETS HIS SIGHTS ON THE MARATHON Richard Finn/Amie Desautels, (212) 423-2229/2294 Keflezighi (Ka-FLEZ-gee) set the American 10,000m record (27:13.98) on May 4, 2001 in Stanford breaking Mark Nenow's 15-year-old record by nearly seven seconds. This June, the Team USA California member won the U.S. national championship at 10,000m, also at Stanford, in 27:41.68. In addition, this year, he has won four other national titles (5K roads, 7 mile roads, 12K cross country and 15K). "Some of the greatest marathon runners of all time have come from a 10,000 meter background on the track, including three-time New York City Marathon champion Alberto Salazar, so Meb is in good company as he steps up to the marathon distance," said Steinfeld. Keflezighi, 27, grew up in Eritrea, East Africa and became a U.S. citizen in July 1998. During that summer he represented his new country for the first time at the Goodwill Games, finishing sixth (29:57.80) in the 10,000m. In 2000 he became a member of the U.S. Olympic Team, where he won the 10,000m at the U.S. Olympic Trials (28:03.32) and despite suffering the flu, went on to place 12th at Sydney (27:53.63). Keflezighi, who currently resides in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. has yet to return to Eritrea, despite Eritrea winning independence in 1993 after a 30-year war with Ethiopia. Keflezighi graduated from UCLA in 1999 after winning four NCAA titles (cross-country, indoor 5K, outdoor 5K and 10K). Inaugurated in 1970 with 127 entrants, the New York City Marathon has grown into the world's premiere road race, featuring 30,000 participants, some 2.5 million live spectators, a leading elite field and a guaranteed prize purse of more than $475,000. Broadcast across the nation and in 125 countries worldwide, the 26.2-mile footrace is the United States' most watched one-day sporting event. The New York City Marathon takes place the first Sunday in November each year and is the premier event of New York Road Runners, the world's most comprehensive running organization. For more information visit www.nycmarathon.org
TWIN CITIES MARATHON ELITE FIELDS FINALIZED MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - (September 26, 2002) - Twin Cities Marathon, host of the 2002 USA Marathon Championship for Open and Masters men and women, is proud to confirm its elite field for the event's 21st edition. The elite field boasts three former TCM Champions, including defending men's winner Joshua Kipkemboi of Kenya and five former U.S. Champions, including Kim Pawelek who won the 1999 U.S. title at Twin Cities. The presence of two U.S. Olympians, the former U.S. record-holder in the marathon, both defending TCM masters champions, a handful of top international campaigners and some scintillating young prospects making marathon debuts project for an exiting race over the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul. Long-range forecasts predicting race-morning temperatures in the mid-50s suggest fast times might be in the air too. Expected to race Kipkemboi, the TCM masters record-holder, to the finish tape in St. Paul are the top members of the U.S. Championship field and TCM's top international entrants. Mohamed Nazipov of Russia, a master who was third overall at TCM in 2001 and Poland's Andrzej Krzyscin, the winner of this year's Austin-Motorola and Cleveland Marathons are the top international contenders Former U.S. marathon record-holder David Morris of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who ran his record-setting personal best of 2:09:32 in Chicago in 1999, leads an exciting pack of Americans at Twin Cities. Joining him in the race for the U.S title and the chance to be the first American man to win Twin Cities since Ed Eyestone won the U.S. Championship on the course in 1993 are marathon veterans Phil Castillo of Longmont, Colo.; Kevin Collins of Craryville, New York; Mike Dudley of Boulder, Colo.; Darrell General of Mitchellville, Maryland; Teddy Mitchell of Ft. Carson, Colo.; Todd Reeser of Rochester, New York; Peter Sherry of Great Falls, Virginia; and Chris Wehrman of Chicago. Marathon rookies who are looking for explosive debuts include Dan Browne of Portland, Ore., who has earned nine U.S. titles across track, cross country and road racing disciplines and this year's 20K national title; Sydney 5000 meter Olympian Brad Hauser of Palo Alto, Calif.; two-time U.S. World Cross country team member Greg Jimmerson of Los Altos Hills, Calif. and Jim Jurcevich of Columbus, Ohio who has been a top contender in the USA Running Circuit all year. Top local contender Chris Lundstrom of Northfield, Minn. is the top returnee from the 2001 U.S. Championship, where the Team USA Minnesota member finished third. In the masters hunt with Kipkemboi and Nazipov will be defending U.S. masters champion Eddy Hellebuyck of Albuquerque, New Mexico; 2001 U.S. masters runner-up Steve Wilson of Lafayette, Ind.; Dennis Simonaitis of Draper, Utah and Tony Banovich of Billings, Montana. As with the men, it's not unlikely that the overall women's winner at TCM could come from the U.S. Championship field. Kim Pawelek of Jacksonville, Fla., the last American woman to win at TCM, leads a strong red, white and blue contingent. Joining her are fellow Americans Susannah Beck of Eugene, Ore. who finished 4th in the 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials; Christine Clifton, who currently resides in Milan, Italy and who clocked a breakthrough 2:32:47 at the 2000 Chicago Marathon; Jill Gaitenby of Providence, Rhode Island; Rosa Gutierrez of Glendale, Ore.; 1997 U.S. Champion Julia Kirtland of Harpswell, Maine, a Macalester College graduate; and Michelle Simonaitis of Draper, Utah, a member of the U.S. team at the World Championships in Edmonton last year. Laura Baker of Gastonia, North Carolina is the top rookie prospect, boasting a 33:18 10K personal best. Minnesota stars Sharon Stubler of Minnetonka and Katie Koski of Two Harbors are the top local hopes in the Open field. Defending TCM masters champion Irina Bogacheva of Kirghizstan will have something to say about the overall women's race, however, as the top returning finisher from 2001. So too should fellow-master Firaya Sultanova of Russia who clocked a 2:27:58 to break the women's masters record at this year's Boston Marathon. Sultanova's countrywoman Galina Aleksandrova brings 32:11 track 10K credentials to TCM for her marathon debut. Other top contenders beside Bogacheva and Sultanova in the Master Division include U.S. Olympian Linda Somers Smith of San Luis Obispo, Calif., the U.S. Marathon Champion in 1993 and 1994; Gordon Bakoulis, of New York City, New York, the U.S. masters runner-up at TCM last year and Kim Jones of Ft. Collins, Colo., a two-time TCM Champion (1986 national champion). Top local masters runners Bev Docherty of St. Paul, Kelly Keeler of Bloomington, Debbie Leyden of St. Paul and Janet Robertz of Shorewood plan to have something to say about results of the division as well. The 2002 TCM weekend is September 27-29. TCM, a Running USA Founding Member, will host the 2002 USA Men's, Women's and Masters Marathon Championships. The three-day weekend celebration of fitness includes a 5K fun run/walk, children's fun runs, a pasta dinner, a two-day health and fitness expo and a 10-mile race in addition to the marathon. Major corporate sponsors for the marathon are Cub Foods, Calhoun Beach Club and Seagate Technology. The major media sponsors are KARE 11 and Cities 97. Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. is a non-profit organization that directs the TCM weekend as a community service for the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Visit us at www.twincitiesmarathon.org. Contact: RECENT USA MARATHON CHAMPIONS MEN WOMEN USA CHAMPIONSHIP RECORDS Source: USATF Road Running Information Center, (805) 696-6232; www.usaldr.org
USA Running Circuit Resumes Action at Twin Cities Marathon MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - (September 26, 2002) - The 2002 USA Running Circuit returns to action at the Twin Cities Marathon this Sunday, September 29 as the event hosts the USA Marathon Championships. The USARC - a USA Track & Field road series - features USA Championships from 5K to the marathon. The 2002 USARC, the eighth edition for the men and seventh for the women, offers over $340,000 in championship prize money plus a $25,000 grand prix purse. This national road championship will be particularly interesting because it is the penultimate Circuit race for both genders and moreover, USARC points will be doubled. Per USARC race, the first ten U.S. runners earn points (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6000, $4000 and $2500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall. The 2001 USARC co-champion Dan Browne who makes his marathon debut here and is currently second in the Circuit standings can virtually lock up another Grand Prix crown with a national title (worth 30 points). Also, Jim Jurcevich (#4 in the standings) and David Morris (#7) can enhance their chances of earning the Grand Prix money with top performances at Twin Cities. For the women, there are no top 10 USARC contenders at this national championship, but a top three performance here by Kim Pawelek (1999 USARC runner-up), Chris Clifton, Rosa Gutierrez, Judy Johnson or Nicole Kulikov will propel a top finisher into Grand Prix contention. The USARC finales are the Tufts 10K Health Plan for Women in Boston on October 14 and for men, the Food World Senior Bowl Charity Run 10K in Mobile, Ala. on November 2. The USARC mission is to showcase, support and promote U.S. runners. Past USARC Grand Prix champions include Olympians Keith Brantly ('95), Mark Coogan ('96), Rod DeHaven ('98/'00), Libbie Hickman ('99-'00), Anne Marie Lauck ('96), Shelly Steely ('98) and Todd Williams ('99). Since its inception in 1995, the USA Running Circuit and its races have provided over $3.3 million dollars to U.S. distance runners. 2002 USARC Current Standings MEN WOMEN 2002 USA Road Champions WOMEN
2002 Twin Cities Marathon Professional Field & Race Numbers Elite Male Entrants 2002 Twin Cities Marathon Elite Female Entrants
TWIN CITIES MARATHON ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL MARATHON SPORTS CHALLENGE MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. - The Marathon Sports Challenge is an incentive program run in conjunction with the 2002 Twin Cities Marathon (TCM). It was created by Steve Hoag, owner of Marathon Sports, and developed by Dan Finanger, Executive Director of the Twin Cities Marathon. The goal is to provide an incentive for Minnesota runners to finish fast. Time incentives have been set for both men and women. To qualify, the individual must be a Minnesota resident for at least five months and must never have broken the time incentive barrier. There are two award tiers. The first tier time barrier is 2:30:00 for men and 2:50:00 for women. The first Minnesotans to break these barriers will receive $500 in cash from Marathon Sports and complimentary TCM race entry for five years. The second tier is 2:35:00 for men and 3:00:00 for women. All Minnesotans finishing under these time barriers will receive a $100 gift certificate from Marathon Sports and complimentary TCM race entry for three years. Steve Hoag said, "I felt that a lot of Minnesota runners were running really good times, but they weren't getting the prize money. The Marathon Sports Challenge is designed to encourage and reward local runners for a fast race." Dan Finanger said that the Marathon Sports Challenge is a great way to highlight Minnesota runners, and it is a natural fit with the TCM mission. Last year, 3 prizes were awarded. Joanna Deeter was the first woman from Minnesota to finish in under 2:50:00 and was awarded $500 cash and TCM race entries for 5 years. Pete Miller and Kris Miller each won a $100 gift certificate from Marathon Sports and TCM race entries for 3 years. This year, the prizes will be awarded at the TCM Awards Ceremony on September 29, 2002 at 1:00 p.m. at the Cities 97 Main Stage in the Seagate Technology Marathon Village, State Capitol grounds in St. Paul. The 2002 TCM weekend is September 27-29. TCM, a Running
USA Founding Member, will host the 2002 USA Men's, Women's and Masters
Marathon Championships. The three-day weekend celebration of fitness includes
a 5K fun run/walk, children's fun runs, a pasta dinner, a two-day health
and fitness expo, and a 10-mile race in addition to the marathon. Major
corporate sponsors for the marathon are Cub Foods, Calhoun Beach Club
and Seagate Technology. The major media sponsors are KARE 11 and Cities
97. Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. is a non-profit organization that directs
the TCM weekend as a community service for the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Visit us at www.twincitiesmarathon.org. |
| Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services USATF Road Running Information Center 5522 Camino Cerralvo Santa Barbara, CA 93111 (805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252 |