| Running USA wire 26, April 9, 2006 |
| Recent Wires Click here for recent editions Click here for Archives |
Team
Running USA is supported by grants from the New York Road Runners, Devine Sports, The Atlanta Track Club, The Chevron Houston Marathon & The Town of Mammoth Lakes, CA Accelerade & Endurox R4 are the official Sports Drinks of Team Running USA |
| Return
to top / Return
to main page
Defar Demolishes Women's World
Record at the Carlsbad 5000 CARLSBAD, Calif. - (April 9, 2006) - Olympic gold medalist Meseret Defar of Ethiopia made her fourth appearance count when she shattered the women's 5K world road record at Elite Racing's Carlsbad 5000 Sunday, winning in a time of 14 minutes, 46 seconds over the 3.1-mile course. The men's road race was equally exciting as Ethiopian Abreham Cherkos, just 18 years old, announced himself in grand fashion as he won in 13:15 in his first U.S. appearance. Defar, who won the gold medal in the 5000 meters at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, obliterated the old mark of 14:51, held by Britain's Paula Radcliffe and matched by Ethiopian youngster Tirunesh Dibaba here last year. It marked the 16th world record set over the 21-year history of the famed race that runs along the Pacific Ocean. "I did not go to the World Cross Country Championships last week because I wanted to break the world record here in Carlsbad," said the 23-year-old, who was met at the finish line by her husband and a cheering crowd of thousands. "I'm very, very happy, it's my fourth time here and I finally did it." Defar, countrywoman Sentayehu Ejigu, Kenya's Isabella Ochichi and Australia's Benita Johnson separated themselves from the rest of the field early, reaching the first mile in 4:43, four seconds under Dibaba's world record pace from 2005. Seven minutes into the race and turning into the wind, Defar started to surge, opening a small gap between herself and Ochichi, who also set a world record here at Carlsbad (14:53, 2004) and finished second to Defar at the Athens Olympic 5000 meters. Ochichi, however, was determined to stay in the front. Just over a minute later, Defar started to surge again, opening a five-meter gap, but again Ochichi hung tough. The pair reached the two mile mark in 9:29, a 4:46 mile and six seconds under last year's pace. It became a two-woman race as Johnson and Ejigu fell off the lead pack. The dueling duo made the final u-turn on Carlsbad Blvd., and with the wind at their back, Defar opened a gap again and this time Ochichi was unable to respond. From then on, it was a solo affair. Running another 4:46 mile, she reached the three-mile mark in 14:15 and knew the record was in sight. Running in front of throngs of cheering spectators, Defar closed with a blazing kick down the homestretch setting her new world record of 14:46, worth $5000 and a 2006 Suzuki Grand Vitara. Ochichi finished second in 14:53 (the fastest second place 5K performance all-time), matching her world record that she set at Carlsbad 2004. Ejigu was third (15:17) and Johnson fourth (15:19). The men's race saw three-time Carlsbad champion and world 5K record holder Sammy Kipketer take the early lead cruising thru the first mile at 4:10 followed by fellow Kenyans Abraham Chebii, Shadrack Kosgei and Boaz Cheboiywo. Cherkos was behind the pack around the first turn. A quarter mile later, Cheboiywo made a move to separate the field and Cherkos went with him. The men were side-by-side at two miles, passing in 8:28 after clocking a 4:18 mile. That's when the Cherkos made his bold move, immediately putting seven meters on Cheboiywo and further extending his lead all the way to the finish. His winning time of 13:15 was the fifth fastest time ever run at Carlsbad (and the fifth fastest all-time). Cheboiywo finished runner-up 13 seconds back. More than 8,000 participants competed in nine age-group races, enjoying sunny, cool conditions throughout the day's events. 21st Carlsbad 5000 MEN WOMEN Masters MEN (40+) Masters WOMEN (40+) Wheelchair Men Wheelchair Women Complete results at: EliteRacing.com Return to top / Return to main page St. Louis Marathon & Family
Fitness Weekend™ Sets Event Record with Nearly 15,000 Registrants ST. LOUIS - (April 9, 2006) - The Spirit of St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend™ crossed the finish line of its sixth edition this weekend with a record number of registrants and a wide variety of events for athletes of all ages and abilities. Nearly 15,000 people registered for the two-day fitness festival, representing a 45 percent increase from 2005. Participants came from 47 states and 9 foreign countries. More than 10,000 runners and walkers registered for
the AT&T Spirit of St. Louis Marathon, the National City Spirit
of St. Louis Half Marathon and the Lockton Companies' Marathon Relay
held Sunday, with a course that wound thru the cities of St. Louis,
Clayton and University City. The Missouri State Marathon Championship
and Missouri State Half Marathon Championship, open to state residents
only, were held concurrently. The Honorary Co-Chairs of this year's
Marathon were St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa and St. Louis Fire Chief
Sherman George. The Read, Right & Run Marathon, recognized as one of the top children's marathons in the country, nearly tripled in size this year with 2,800 students from 67 schools and organizations participating. It is the nation's only fully integrated children's marathon, encouraging students to read 26 books, perform 26 good deeds and run a combined total of 26.2 miles over a period of several months. Students run their last miles on Race Day. "This year's Marathon Weekend turned an exciting corner in terms of participation and enthusiasm," said Nancy Lieberman, president of the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend. "We were thrilled to see a record number of St. Louisans get involved this year - from runners and walkers, to artists, performers and volunteers. They embraced the true spirit of this event: to get fit, to be healthy and above all, to have fun. It's a wonderful civic event for the greater metropolitan area." The Spirit of St. Louis Marathon Weekend reprised its highly successful "Art & Sole" theme, integrating visual and performing arts with the art of running. Thirty, 6' x 4', hand-painted murals served as mile markers during the Marathon course, marking the start and finish lines and every mile in between. Interspersed among the murals were more than 30 performing arts groups ranging from dance troops to live music. Men's marathon champion (and Missouri state champion) was Daniel Maurer, 23, of St. Louis in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 9 seconds, followed by Joel Eckberg, 29, of Darien, Ill. in 2:36:45 and Joseph Porter, 22, of St. Louis in 2:39:24. The women's winner was Kelly Fox, 33, of Mount Zion, Ill. in 3:05:28 with Stacie Kane, 36, of St. Louis second and state champion in 3:12:49 and Kerry Hanson, 26, of Shorewood, Wis. third (3:14:31). The top three finishers in the half-marathon were Zac Freudenburg, 27, of St. Louis in 1:08:36 (also state champion), Vincent Morogah, 25, of St. Louis (1:11:39) and Jason Maus, 26, of Ada, Ohio (1:12:43) and for the women, state champion Katie Sutton, 26, of Kirkwood in 1:23:00; Melissa Bosslet, 21, of Champaign, Ill. second (1:23:19) and third Eileen Petito, 36, of Alton, Ill. in 1:24:46. First place in the wheelchair division went to Yevgeniy Tetyukhin, 63, of Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan with a time of 3:07:50. St. Louis Police Department
Wins "Battle of the Badges" Bragging Rights For final race results and more information on the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend, visit StLouisMarathon.com. The date for the 2007 Spirit of St. Louis Marathon Weekend will be announced by April 30, 2006. Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Jana Allred (801) 244-1892; jallred@devinesports.com Salt Lake City Marathon Announces Inaugural New
Half Marathon SALT LAKE CITY - (April 3, 2006) - Devine Sports, producers of the third annual Salt Lake City Marathon, have announced the addition of a Half Marathon, presented by 1280 Sports Radio, The Zone. The new Half Marathon has been added to the June 3rd Marathon, 5K Run/Walk, Bike Tour and Intermountain Kids Marathon 1K in order to accommodate runners who may not be ready to run a full marathon. Online registration is available at SaltLakeCityMarathon.com or by calling (801) 412-6060. Scott Kerr, Vice President of the Salt Lake City Marathon, noted, "We're excited about the addition of a half-marathon this year. For two consecutive years, adding this has been our #1 request. The 13.1 mile race offers runners the best of both worlds. It traces the steps of the full marathon for two-thirds of the way while offering the runners the most scenic parts of the course, but at only half the distance. The Salt Lake City Half Marathon is expected to draw thousands of additional runners, truly making this a community event." The new Half Marathon will share a common start at 6:45am with the Marathon at the Olympic Legacy Bridge at the University of Utah. The course splits from the full marathon shortly before entering Sugarhouse Park at the 4.5 mile mark. Runners will proceed southbound on 1700 East, turning west on Stratford Avenue, then turning south on Dearborn until they reach 2700 South. Runners will then proceed west until 1100 East, then north through the quaint business district of Sugarhouse to 1700 South. Runners will then head west, where they will rejoin the full marathon course at 500 East, with approximately 4 miles left to run. The excitement and beauty of the full course will not be lost on the Half Marathon. While on the flat and slightly downhill course, runners will enjoy being surrounded by the still snow-capped mountain peaks, late spring blossoms and beautiful neighborhoods. They will also share the same crowds of enthusiastic and cheering spectators all the way to the electric finish at the Olympic Legacy Plaza at The Gateway in downtown Salt Lake. Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson says, "The addition of a new half-marathon is a wonderful bonus to an already outstanding weekend of fitness events for the citizens of the Salt Lake valley. The Salt Lake City Marathon truly showcases the best of Utah to all our visitors, gathers our local community together, and greatly benefits Salt Lake City, as it brought over $4 million visitor dollars into our community last year." The 4-1/2 mile portion of the Half Marathon course, not traditionally affected by the full marathon, is expected to have minimal impact on businesses and traffic, as it will only be closed from 6:30-9:00am. A mailer will be sent to all affected households along the new portion of the course, and marathon organizers will go door-to-door to ensure that everyone is well informed. Police will be asked to allow traffic thru intersections as gaps in the runners exist. Online registration is open and filling quickly. The cost to participate is $55 before April 27. Participants can sign up online and learn more at SaltLakeCityMarathon.com. Group discounts are available for 10 or more registering at the same time (mail in only). About Salt Lake City Marathon About Devine Information about all Devine properties, as well as access to unparalleled industry information, can be obtained at DevineSports.com or by calling (312) 640-9700. Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Patrice Malloy, Malloy Marketing Group, (760) 635-2833; Thom Gilligan, Marathon Tours and Travel, (617) 242-7845 Marathon Tours and Travel Issues "Last Call" for Medoc Marathon Entries BOSTON - (April 7, 2006) - North American runners looking to gain entry into the Medoc Marathon, known as the world's zaniest 26.2-mile moving party, have only a couple of more weeks to do so, announced Marathon Tours and Travel officials. All of the entries from North America must be submitted to the French race via Marathon Tours by Thursday, April 20, 2006. Set for Saturday, September 9, 2006, Le Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc is notorious for its rare blend of wine tasting and marathon running, or a version thereof. The sip and run spectacle features an outlandishly costumed field and is so popular that it consistently sells out months in advance. Only 100 of the 8,000 entries are allotted to North American participants. "It's by far the most fun you can have with your running shoes on," said Thom Gilligan, president of Marathon Tours and Travel. Routed through 59 vineyards and the fabled villages of France's Bordeaux region, the course description reads much like a wine list with landmarks and vineyards, such as; Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Lynch-Bages and Pichon Longueville, among others. Runners are treated to wine stops at every mile, raw oysters, live music and other assorted merriment along the way, some of which is more enjoyable and palatable than others. "The Medoc Marathon is also known as the world's longest marathon for obvious reasons," said Gilligan. The Marathon Tours Medoc Marathon travel package includes: a six-night stay in Bordeaux, guided tours of historic chateaus and vineyards, wine tasting, fine dining and coach transportation. For more information, visit MarathonTours.com or call (800) 444-4097. Marathon Tours and Travel, the leading marathon tour operator in the U.S., offers comprehensive travel packages to marathons worldwide including, Antarctica, Easter Island and the Safaricom Marathon in Kenya, the only marathon run entirely within a game park. Return to top / Return to main page 2006 Margaret L. Bradley Award Winner Announced Universal Sole Track Club of Chicago selected Bridget Montgomery to receive the 2006 Margaret L. Bradley Award for transportation expenses from Chicago to Boston to race in this year's Boston Marathon on Monday, April 17. Montgomery ran a 3:04:33 marathon at Chicago in 2002. She was a teammate of Margaret Bradley's on the Universal Sole team. The Greater Boston Track Club and Universal Sole TC jointly established the Margaret L. Bradley Award in honor of Margaret, a member of GBTC, who died in the Grand Canyon on July 10, 2004, at the age of 24. Margaret ran the 2003 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon in 2:58:52 and led the GBTC women's team to victory in the 2004 Boston Marathon with a time of 3:04:54, finishing 31st. Margaret lived in Chicago in 2003-04, and while living there, she competed with the Universal Sole track club. The award sends one runner annually from GBTC to compete in the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and to bring one runner annually from Universal Sole to compete in the Boston Marathon. The two clubs plan to continue the award in perpetuity for the purpose of recognizing and aiding aspiring, young, female marathoners who are of similar ability to that of Bradley. Montgomery is currently pursuing her masters in English and Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Illinois-Chicago, where she also works in the writing center and occasionally teaches freshman composition. Along with her graduate work, she is working as an editor and writer at a new magazine that recently launched in the city of Chicago: For Her Information Chicago. Katie Wales of Universal Sole received the first award and ran the 2005 Boston Marathon under similarly hot conditions to those in which Margaret ran in the previous year. Amazingly, she ran exactly the same time, 3:04:54, as Margaret had run. Katie Famous of GBTC received the reciprocal award to run the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, where she debuted in 3:10:06. For more information or to make a donation, go to: GBTC.org Contact: Tom Derderian, tderderi@ix.netcom.com or call (617) 846-2902. Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director (805) 696-6232 |