Contact: Richard Finn, (212) 423-2229; Maeve Mullally, (212) 423-2294
Media Relations Department, New York Road Runners

Ritzenhein, Webb Join Field at 2006 USA Cross Country Championships Presented by Gleukos

NEW YORK - (February 9, 2006) - The two brightest young stars in U.S. distance running, Dathan Ritzenhein and Alan Webb, are entered to face off in the 12K race at the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships and World Cross Country Team Trials presented by Gleukos, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

"Dathan and Alan are America's top young guns, and they are aiming for the international stage," said Wittenberg. "The future of American long distance running looks promising and bright in their hands. Whenever they race each other, sparks fly, so we can look forward to something special happening here in New York on February 19."

The national championships, which will be held in New York City's famed Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx on February 18-19, traditionally attract the nation's best athletes. This year's total prize money purse of $50,000 is the largest prize purse in USA Cross Country Championships history and is three times larger than last year's $16,000 purse. The 12K championship is scheduled for Sunday, February 19, as the closing race of the championships weekend.

Both Ritzenhein and Webb began the 2006 season abroad, and each has posted strong performances in cross country events.

Ritzenhein, 23, of Boulder, Colo., is the defending USA Cross Country Champion at 12K, and finished 62nd at the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Saint-Galmier, France. On January 8, 2006, he returned to the Belfast International Cross Country to attempt to defend his 2005 title, and finished third against a competitive field despite running almost a minute faster over the 9.81K course. At the Visit Scotland Great Edinburgh International Cross Country on January 14, he finished fourth against another world-class field.

Webb, 23, of Reston, Va., running the first two international cross country races of his career, placed fifth at the 10.75K Cross Internacional Ciudad de Valladolid on January 22, and fourth in the Cross Ciudad de Haro on January 29, both in Spain. Webb first made headlines as a prep runner in 2001 by breaking the four-minute mile and setting an U.S. schoolboy record on the track, and he has continued to reign as one of America's best milers. Despite focusing much of his career on track running, he finished sixth in the 4K at the 2005 USA Cross Country Championships.

Ritzenhein and Webb have met four times, with Ritzenhein defeating Webb all but once. However, Webb's year-to-date performances have demonstrated a new capacity for the longer cross country distances, suggesting this year the match-up could be more competitive.

Also entered in the championships field are Jorge Torres of Boulder, Colo., the top American finisher from the 2005 IAAF World Cross Country Championships 4K; 2000 USA Cross Country 4K and 12K champion Adam Goucher of Portland, Ore. and 2004 Olympic steeplechaser Anthony Famiglietti of New York City.

The Presidents' Weekend schedule features the men's Open 4K and women's Open 8K championship races on Saturday, February 18, and the women's Open 4K and men's Open 12K events on Sunday, February 19. For the list of entered athletes, CLICK here. The top six finishers in each championship race will earn a berth on Team USA for the 2006 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, on April 1-2.

Highlights from the 2006 USA Cross Country Championships presented by Gleukos will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2 on February 20, 2006.

New York Road Runners
New York Road Runners, soon to celebrate its 50th anniversary, is dedicated to promoting the sport of distance running and enhancing health and fitness for all. Our road races and other fitness programs draw upwards of 300,000 runners annually, and together with our magazine and website support and promote professional and recreational running. A staff of 60, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the ING New York City Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend plus many track and cross country events. NYRR's home base in New York, and its lifelong identification with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic status, attracting the world's top professional runners. For more information visit NYRR.org.

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"Land of the Gods: The Legend of the Marathon" Documentary Film Nears Completion
Sample footage shown at the Running USA 2006 Conference; late 2006 release

LOS ANGELES - (February 8, 2006) - Sample footage from "Land of the Gods: The Legend of the Marathon" a soon to be released feature length documentary film on the history, evolution and enduring legacy of the marathon was screened and enjoyed at the Running USA 2006 Conference during the Running USA Hall of Champions presented by Gen-A Network banquet on Tuesday, February 7 at the Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego.

A film four years in the making, "Land of the Gods" is being produced by three-time Academy Award winner Mark Jonathan Harris and Telly Award winner and marathon runner Jon Dunham. Over the course of a year, the film captures the essence of the marathon past and present as six runner characters (four amateurs and two elites) prepare for and ultimately run the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. Starring as one of these six is 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor who roars back from injury early in the year to her first major marathon victory in a dramatic finish!

In addition to the above mentioned runners, "Land of the Gods" will also feature interviews with an unprecedented grouping of the sport's most legendary athletes including: Dick Beardsley, Bill Rodgers, Kathrine Switzer and Grete Waitz to name a few.

Following the completion of production in Japan, Kenya, Greece and at the 110th running of the BAA Boston Marathon on April 17, "Land of the Gods" will begin five intensive months of post-production for an intended late 2006 premiere.

Visit the film website at: MarathonMovie.com

For more information and sponsorship opportunities contact, Jon Dunham, Calico 1880, producer, calicofilm@calico1880.com

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CONTACT: Chris Brienza, (212) 808-1358; chris.brienza@rodale.com

Runner's World Debuts "Runner's Choice Awards" to Honor Top Specialty Retailers
Online voting now underway at RunnersWorld.com

NEW YORK - (February 9, 2006) - Runner's World magazine is giving runners across the country a chance to honor their favorite specialty running stores this month with the debut of the first-ever Runner's Choice Awards for Specialty Retail, promoted in tandem with the Specialty Retail Directory in the March 2006 issue of Runner's World (now on sale) and at RunnersWorld.com.

Runners can vote for the best-in-class specialty running stores within ten regions around the United States in the categories of Best Customer Service, Best Community Outreach, Best Product Selection and Best in General Excellence. Voting began online at RunnersWorld.com this week and will continue thru Sunday, February 19.

"Specialty retail stores very often provide the heartbeat of their local running communities," said Runner's World VP/Publisher Andrew Hersam. "In addition to making sure that all runners are properly fitted and wearing the right shoes and gear, they're also sponsoring the local road races, raising money for charity and supporting running clubs. They've done, and continue to do, so much to make running fun and popular, and we think it's time that, on behalf of the running community, we help recognize the very best of the best."

All 40 winning stores in the Runner's Choice Award voting program will receive national in-magazine recognition from Runner's World, along with designation as a Runner's Choice Award winner within RunnersWorld.com's online retailer directory.

Winners will also receive in-store award recognition collateral from Runner's World, recognition at the WSA Shoe Show in Las Vegas in August 2006, and the right to incorporate the Runner's Choice Award logo into local advertising, customer mailings and other marketing efforts.

For more information on the Runner's Choice Awards, visit RunnersWorld.com. Voting results for the top overall leaders in all four categories will be updated on a daily basis throughout the voting period.

About Rodale's Runner's World
Recognized as the worldwide authority on running information, the mission of Rodale's Runner's World is to inform, advise and motivate runners of all ages and abilities. Runner's World aims to help runners achieve their personal health, fitness and performance goals and to inspire them with vivid, memorable storytelling. Currently Runner's World publishes nine international editions, plus a special bi-annual teen running publication, High School Runner. Runner's World's companion website, RunnersWorld.com, is the largest running community on the Internet, featuring interactive, searchable and targeted content for runners of all ages and abilities.

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2005 Honolulu Marathon Generated Over $100 Million in Economic Impact

A study by Hawaii Pacific University found that the 2005 Honolulu Marathon and its Race Day Walk generated $100,070,000 in visitor spending and another $4.4 million in state taxes.

The study, supervised by Jerry Agrusa, Ph.D., and Wendy Agrusa, M.S., professors in the HPU Travel Industry Management program, is based on interviews with 1,385 visiting marathoners and walkers from December 7-10, 2005. The marathon was held on Sunday, December 11.

Of the interviews conducted, 971 were done in Japanese and 424 in English.

Among the most significant findings in the study:
* Most of the entries were Japanese who spent nearly $100 more per day than other entries.
* More than 86 percent of entries stayed in hotels and 9.4 percent stayed in condos or timeshares.

The 2005 Honolulu Marathon drew 28,048 entries and nearly 78.6 percent were from out-of-state. An additional 5,444 people entered the Race Day Walk, held concurrently with the marathon, and 80 percent of them were from Japan. The 26,426 out-of-state entries in the marathon and the walk represented a 4.5 percent increase in visitor participation over 2004.

Because out-of-state entries must fly to participate in the Honolulu Marathon they tend to stay in the city longer and spend more, thus increasing the event's economic impact.

The 2005 Honolulu Marathon was America's third largest marathon behind the ING New York City and LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathons.

Contact: Pat Bigold, (808) 927-1156; patbigold@aol.com

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Team USA Named for Yokohama International Women's Ekiden
From USATF

The Women's Long Distance Running Committee of USA Track & Field has announced the team members for the U.S. team, led by 2004 USA 10K road champion Amy Yoder-Begley, that will compete at the Yokohama International Women's Ekiden on Sunday, February 26, in Yokohama, Japan.

The relay teams will consist of six legs each, ranging in distance from 5K to 10K, Team USA is as follows:

Samia Akbar, 24, Herndon, Va. - Third at last fall's USATF National Club Cross Country Championships in Rochester, N.Y., Akbar competed for Team USA at the 2005 Beijing International Women's Ekiden last April as well as the inaugural North American, Central American and Caribbean Cross Country Championships last March in Orlando, Fla. She has personal bests of 16:20 for 5000 meters and 33:38 for 10,000 meters.

Erika Aklufi, 29, Santa Monica, Calif. - The leading member of USATF National Club Cross Country Championship winning club team See Jane Run, Aklufi finished second just in front of Akbar in Rochester. She was also a teammate of Akbar's at the NACAC Cross Country Championships and the Beijing Ekiden. Aklufi has personal bests of 16:17 for 5000 meters and 33:56 for 10,000 meters.

Annie Bersagel, 22, Lakeville, Minn. - The newest member of USA Distance Center, Team USA Minnesota, Bersagel recently graduated from Wake Forest University, where she was an eight-time All-American in Cross Country and Track. She was 17th at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships last fall and has a best of 33:02 for 10,000 meters.

Stephanie Bylander, 22, Alamosa, Colo. - Bylander was a member of the U.S. team for the 2005 IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships in Edmonton, Canada, where she was the third finisher for Team USA. An NCAA Division II All-American for Adams State, Bylander has personal bests of 16:14 for 5000 meters and 34:00 for 10,000 meters.

Michelle La Fleur, 33, Savannah, Ga. - A past member of two U.S. Ekiden relay teams, La Fleur finished tenth at the 2005 USA 20K Championships which earned her a spot on the U.S. team for the 2005 IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships. She is a two-time Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier and five-time NCAA Div. III Champion and fourteen-time All-American.

Sylvia Mosqueda, 39, Los Angeles, Calif. - The 1988 NCAA 10,000 meter champion, Mosqueda has been one of the top women road racers in the U.S. since 1987, when she won her first major road race at the Philadelphia Distance Run Half-Marathon. Mosqueda has personal bests of 15:32 for 5000 meters and 31:54 for 10,000 meters.

Amy Yoder Begley, 28, Kendallville, Ind. - A 15-time All-American at the University of Arkansas, Yoder Begley was the 2004 USA Women's 10K Champion and was runner-up at the 2005 championships. 2005 also saw her finish seventh in the 5000 meters at the U.S. Outdoor Track & Field Championships and fourth at the USA 5K road championships. She has personal bests of 15:24 for 5000 meters and 32:45 for 10,000 meters.

For more information on the 2006 Yokohama International Women's Ekiden, visit USATF.org.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
415 E Figueroa St
Santa Barbara, CA 93101

(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org

RunningUSA.org