| Running USA wire 80, October 5, 2005 |
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Running USA and the Town of Mammoth Lakes Welcome the New Members of Team Running USA SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - (October 5, 2005) - Team Running USA, the training group based in Mammoth Lakes and San Diego, Calif., has brought together a talented group of young distance runners to compliment its established stars: 2004 Olympic Marathon medalists Meb Keflezighi (silver) and Deena Kastor (bronze), two-time Olympian Jen Rhines and five-time national champion Ryan Shay. "I have just returned from a few days in Mammoth with the Team Running USA group and watching them train - especially climbing 1,600 feet on the 8 mile trail run from the town to the Minaret lookout point at 9,200 feet above sea level, I am left with an impression of matchless dedication, toughness and superb talent. They all have their best years ahead, and their potential is clearly limitless," said Basil Honikman, executive director of Running USA. The following athletes are now up in Mammoth Lakes training hard and dreaming big together. WOMEN MEN About Team Running USA Since 2001, Team Running USA athletes have won two Olympic medals and 12 World Cross Country Championship medals, set one world road record, 11 national records and numerous personal records, earned 44 national titles and three USARC Grand Prix titles and added to world and U.S. all-time lists. In short, they are the most accomplished training group in the United States. Supported by the Town of Mammoth Lakes, the New York Road Runners, Chevron Houston Marathon and Atlanta Track Club, the program's athletes utilize the resources at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista/San Diego for sea level training and Mammoth Lakes for high/low altitude training throughout the year. Renowned and Olympic coaches Joe Vigil and Bob Larsen and new coach Terrence Mahon coordinate this elite group. For more information on Team Running USA, contact: Ryan Lamppa, (805) 696-6232 or ryan@runningusa.org or visit: RunningUSA.org Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Okayo, Petrova and Chepkemei Added to ING New York
City Marathon 2005 Field NEW YORK - (October 3, 2005) - Former champions Margaret Okayo and Ludmila Petrova, along with last year's runner-up, Susan Chepkemei, have been added to a strong women's field at the ING New York City Marathon 2005, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO and race director Mary Wittenberg. Through an added bonus from the ING Run for Something Better program, the cause-related cornerstone program of ING's title sponsorship, the women's champion will receive $130,000, the largest-ever guaranteed first-place prize in the history of marathoning. The men's champion will collect $100,000. The ING New York City Marathon 2005 will be run on Sunday, November 6. Wittenberg made the announcement at a luncheon at the New York Athletic Club, where she was joined by Lornah Kiplagat, 31, of the Netherlands, who was previously announced as a top entrant in the race. Later in the day, Kiplagat visited schoolchildren at Public School 69 in the Bronx, one of the New York Road Runners Foundation's after-school programs that will directly benefit from money being donated by ING on behalf of the top women finishers as part of the ING Run for Something Better program. "This is a historic year for women as they chase the largest first-place purse in the sport, and we have put together a formidable field of athletes who all know how to win," said Wittenberg. "It's anybody's race to take home the $130,000 champion's prize." Chepkemei, 30, of Kenya, ran to an impressive second-place finish (2:23:13) last year behind marathon world record-holder Paula Radcliffe. In one of road racing's most exciting duels ever, Chepkemei held on until the final meters when Radcliffe managed a stunning finishing burst to take the title. Chepkemei returns this year having placed third at the Flora London Marathon in April (2:24:00). Petrova, 36, of Russia, was the 2000 race champion (2:25:45) and returns to New York in 2005 for the seventh time. Though largely absent from competition since the death of her husband, Sergei, in a car accident earlier this year, her 2:26:29 finish at the 2005 Flora London Marathon earned her fifth place. Okayo, 29, of Kenya, is a two-time ING New York City Marathon champion (2001, 2003) and holds the course record of 2:22:31. The 2002 BAA Boston Marathon and 2004 Flora London Marathon champion, Okayo is a consistent and formidable force. She placed fourth at the 2005 Flora London Marathon in 2:25:22. Also entered in the 2005 race is Lyubov Denisova,
33, of Russia, who finished second in New York in 2002, fifth in 2003
and third last year in a personal-best time of 2:25:18. She won the
2002 and 2005 City of Los Angeles Marathon. In addition to the ING Run for Something Better prize money, ING will also donate a total of $150,000, equally split between the New York Road Runners Foundation and the City Parks Foundation, in the names of the top four women finishers. Both organizations reflect NYRR's and ING's shared commitment to the sport of running, to youth and to the local community. ING New York City Marathon Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Barbara Huebner, (617) 549-9339 Rhines, Yegorova Headline B.A.A. Half Marathon® BOSTON - (October 4, 2005) - The fifth B.A.A. Half Marathon, presented by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund, on Sunday, October 9, has once again drawn a deep international field that includes many of this year's top racers on the U.S. roads, as well as some of New England's best runners. Headlining the women's elite field are American Jen Rhines, a two-time Olympian and the reigning national champion at 15K on the roads, and Valentina Yegorova of Russia, who won gold in the marathon at the Barcelona Games in 1992 and silver at the Atlanta Games in 1996. Among the top males are Samuel Ndereba and Linus Maiyo, both of Kenya. Among the other top-seeded men in this year's race are Abderrahim Haji and Abdelhadi Habassa of Morocco; Isaac Arusei of Kenya; Vinny Mulvey of Ireland; new American citizen and potential U.S. distance star Celedonio Rodriguez of Alamosa, Colo. and inaugural B.A.A. Half Marathon champion Wayne Levy of Newton, Mass. Among the field's other top women are Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova of Russia, the Boston Marathon master's record-holder and four-time World Championships competitor; Leah Malot of Kenya and American Julia Stamps, who continues her comeback after a career-threatening injury. Also entered is Sarah Nixon, of Medfield, Mass., winner of the B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2001-02. The Top 10 overall male and female finishers will be awarded prize money from the $30,000 purse, with $5000 going to the men's and women's champions. Once again, the field size was capped with 4,500 runners, and general entry is closed. Several hundred Dana-Farber Runners will be fundraising for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund, and a limited number of entries still remain for those interested in joining the race against cancer. Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund are the presenting sponsors of the B.A.A. Half Marathon. Other half-marathon sponsors are adidas, Belmont Springs water, Gatorade Endurance Formula, Long's Jewelers, PowerBar/PowerGel, Veryfine Juices and Fruit2o. Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round running programs. For more race information, go to: BAA.org Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Steven Karpas, (713) 957-3453; skarpas@chevronhoustonmarathon.com Aramco Services Renews Sponsorship of Texas' Largest Half-Marathon HOUSTON - (Sept. 28, 2005) - Building on its commitment to the Houston community, Aramco Services Company has renewed its title sponsorship of the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. An extended contract with event organizers continues to give Aramco Services Company naming rights to the half-marathon, a companion race to the Chevron Houston Marathon. More than 8,000 runners are expected to participate in the 2006 Aramco Houston Half Marathon on Sunday, Jan. 15, solidifying the race's status as the largest half-marathon in Texas and ranked among the best and largest in the nation. "We are quite honored to return as sponsor of the half-marathon, which has become not only a Texas tradition, but an event that has grown in stature throughout the nation and world," said Mazen I. Snobar, president and CEO of Houston-based Aramco Services Company. "We are proud to call Houston home and will continue to show our unwavering support to our beloved community." "Corporate sponsorship is the life blood of nonprofit sporting events like the Houston Marathon," said Brant Kotch, Chevron Houston Marathon race director. "Without support and sponsorship from generous companies such as Aramco Services Company, our events simply wouldn't be possible. We are very fortunate to have outstanding assistance from Houston's business community and are thrilled to have Aramco Services Company be part of our event." The Aramco Houston Half Marathon will again host the USA Men's Half-Marathon National Championship in 2006, which is held as part of the regular race. Organized by the USA Track & Field LDR Committee, the national championship race draws about 100 of the nation's top athletes to Houston to compete for the U.S. title. The Aramco Houston Half Marathon will be run in conjunction with the Chevron Houston Marathon at 7am, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006. The 13.1-mile loop course will take runners out of downtown, through the Heights and Montrose areas of Houston, and back toward downtown along Allen Parkway. The race will share the finish line with the marathon in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center. The half-marathon course will be open to runners for four hours. Registration for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon and other weekend events is underway on the Chevron Houston Marathon website at ChevronHoustonMarathon.com Entry fees are currently $80 for the marathon, $60 for the half-marathon and $20 for the 5K. After Nov. 1, marathon and half-marathon fees increase by $10. Traditional registration forms will be available at many Houston-area running and fitness stores, Houston YMCAs, the Tennis Center at Memorial Park and most local athletic clubs after Oct. 5. The Chevron Houston Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, is the nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from all 50 U.S. states and nearly 20 foreign countries. In 2005, more than 20,000 runners took part in four marathon weekend events (marathon, half-marathon, 5K and children's run). The Chevron Houston Marathon offers the only closed marathon course in Texas and is ranked among the top five in the nation by the Ultimate Guide to Marathons for fastest course, organization and crowd support. More than 5,000 volunteers organize the race, which is Houston's largest single-day sporting event. Find more information at ChevronHoustonMarathon.com or by calling (713) 957-3453. Return to top / Return to main page McGregor Leads Field at USA
Women's 10K Championship Hosted by Tufts BOSTON - (October 4, 2005) - Reigning USA Outdoor Track & Field 10,000 meter champion Katie McGregor leads the field of competitors at the USA Women's 10K Championship, which will be hosted by the Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women in Boston, Mass., next Monday, Columbus Day, October 10. Leading the Open field with McGregor will be international athletes including Emilie Mondor of Canada, Tatiana Pozdnyakova of Russia and Marie Davenport of Ireland. McGregor, 28, a Team USA Minnesota athlete based in Minneapolis, Minn., will look to add the 10K road title - a unique 10,000m/10K national title double - to her resume, but will see competition from teammate Carrie Tollefson as well as defending champion Amy Yoder Begley of Albuquerque, N.M. Tollefson, 28, the 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500 meter champion, finished sixth behind McGregor's fourth-place at the USA 8K Championships earlier this year as well as sixth in the 5000 meters at the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Yoder Begley, 27, a 15-time All-American at the University of Arkansas, was seventh in the 5000 meters at the 2005 USA Outdoor Tack & Field Championships and was fourth at the recent USA 5K road championships. The USA Women's 10K Championship at Tufts will be the season finale for women on the 2005 USA Running Circuit (USARC) a USA Track & Field road series, featuring USA Championships from 5K to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The tenth edition for the women, their 2005 circuit has seven events. Recent USA marathon champion Nicole Aish of Gunnison, Colo. currently leads the women's standings with 43 points and barring a surprise entrant, Aish should be the 2005 USARC Grand Prix champion. The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USARC race (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 USARC points at the USA Marathon Championships will be doubled. The mission of the USA Running Circuit is to showcase, support and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USARC and its races have provided over $5 million dollars to U.S. distance runners. For more information on the 2005 USA Women's 10K Championships and the USARC, visit: USATF.org Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director (805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252 |