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Top Professional Field Expected at Big Sur Half
Marathon on Monterey Bay CARMEL, Calif. - (October 24, 2006) - The Fourth Presentation of the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay once more embraces a sold-out field that includes world class professional runners from around the country. On Sunday, October 29 over 4,500 runners and walkers will participate in the half-marathon and 10 mile walk on a scenic course that winds through historic downtown Monterey, along world-famous Cannery Row and continues along the Pacific Grove coastline. The race will end at Custom House Plaza, adjacent to Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf. A $13,100 prize purse plus $1000 for a course record has drawn interest from top runners around the United States. A strong women's field is headlined by Jen Rhines of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., a two-time Olympian who owns a marathon PR of 2:29:32. The three-time USA champion will be joined by 2004 Olympian and Team Running USA teammate, Kate O'Neill, who represented the U.S. in the 10,000 meters at Athens and has a PR at that distance of 31:34. |
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These two female runners will be challenged by Hannah Mitei, a Kenyan training in Albuquerque, N.M. whose half-marathon PR is 1:16 along with Heather Gibson of Oakland who claims 5K/10K PRs of 16:34 and 33:59. Rounding out the women's field are Camille Herron of Corvallis, Ore., 2005's third place finisher at the Big Sur Half; Angela Strange, a triathlete from Palo Alto and winner of the 2003 Detroit Marathon in a time of 2:43; local professional triathlete Alexis Waddell who placed second here in 2004 and the 2005 female masters winner, Christine Kennedy of nearby Los Gatos. The men's field is equally impressive with two young Americans headlining the field: Fernando Cabada of Bristol, Va. who set the U.S. 25K record last May and Ian Dobson, also of Team Running USA, who holds a fast PR of 13:12 in the 5000 meters. The pair will be joined by Ibrahim Limo of Albuquerque, N.M., a former Big Sur Marathon winner and runner-up at the 2005 Big Sur Half. Kenyan Richard Kimeli, also of Albuquerque, has a 2004 half-marathon PR of 1:03:15 and has run 10 miles in 49:07 this year. His training partner McDonald Ondara placed fifth in the recent Baltimore Half Marathon and hopes to improve his time at the Big Sur Half. The field is completed by Christian Hesch, Sergio Reyes, Jeff Gardina, and Miguel Nuci, four fast Central Coast runners with PRs in the 1:06 range. Vying for the master's title are local runners Jeff Magallanes and Dwight Smith, both of Seaside. In addition to the half-marathon and 10 mile walk, the Run Forrest Run 5K will take place on Sunday, October 29 as well. There will be a Health & Fitness Expo on the Friday and Saturday preceding the races, held at the Monterey Conference Center. Race participants as well as the general public are invited to this fun and informative event with a focus on health screening checks and demonstrations, sports medicine and fitness programs, the latest in fitness clothing, shoes and training aids and a variety of other run and walk related products and services. To learn more about the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay, visit: BSIM.org |
Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Laurence Cohen, TLC MediaWorks, (310) 474-5116 New Las Vegas Marathon to Attract Record Field
with "Only in Vegas" Experiences LAS VEGAS - (October 24, 2006) - With seven weeks left until race day, the New Las Vegas Marathon has announced that more than 11,000 people have registered for the Sunday, December 10, 2006 marathon and inaugural half-marathon. That number is expected to grow by up to 50% between now and race day. "We anticipated that there would be great excitement among runners to come to Las Vegas and have the opportunity to run down the world famous Strip, and our increasing numbers is a clear indication that we have been successful in making this fun and exciting race appealing to participants," said New Las Vegas Marathon President Dr. William A. Burke. "We want the race to reflect the energy of Las Vegas so we are planning to add even more entertainment per mile this year to enhance the unique nature of the race and its locale." Giving the race its Las Vegas flare is the return of the "Only in Vegas" Run Thru Wedding Chapel, where more than 30 running couples from around the world will stop at the Chapel located at mile five to get married or renew their vows in a live television ceremony performed by Running Reverend William Petersen. This, combined with the first-ever group of running showgirls and the largest gathering of running Elvi, and "all Elvis - all the time" music at the Start and Finish lines will underline the "Only in Vegas" experience for race participants. Host hotel Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino will issue a limited edition collectible New Las Vegas Marathon gambling chip, feature custom-designed blackjack tables with Marathon artwork and the opportunity to bet on the outcome of the race. "Of course, the best Vegas experience we can offer our participants is the opportunity to run down the Strip in all its glory, with all the lights, fountains and even a volcano, everything a visitor to Las Vegas wants to see," said Dr. Burke. The excitement begins with the New Las Vegas Marathon Quality of Life Expo at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on December 8 and 9, where more than 200 exhibitors will showcase the latest in health and fitness. In another "Only in Vegas" experience, participants will be directed to world class restaurants offering discounts in a "call your own shot" Carbo Load dinner. At 6:00am on race day, participants will be part of what is undoubtedly the most exciting new event in the world of "destination marathons". New to the race in 2006 is the New Las Vegas Marathon Invitational - opening the field to anyone who has run a sub-three hour marathon in 2005 and 2006. At stake is $65,000, including $50,000 for The Challenge for the first man or woman to cross the finish line, along with $15,000 for the male and female champions. The Challenge gives women a head start based on the best marathon finishing times of participants. The Challenge time differential will be announced at a race week news conference. Participants in the Invitational must register for the race and pre-qualify by contacting Tim Kelly before Wednesday, November 15, 2006 at tkelly@newlasvegasmarathon.com or by calling (702) 731-1052. The race organizers will award the $10,000 Clark County Championship prize to both the first local man and woman to cross the finish line. On race day, participants will be fully supported with water stations, Gatorade and gels and University of Nevada School of Medicine teams under the direction of Dr. James Lenhardt. As participants cross the finish line, they will be awarded a specially designed medal commemorating their achievement. Post-race, all finishers will be sent a personalized Certificate of Accomplishment and an Official Results packet. People from all 50 states and 38 nations are currently registered for the race. Participants have already booked 2,000 room nights more than last year at Host Hotel Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. In addition to supporting Opportunity Village's work with developmentally disabled adults and children by encouraging participation in the Great Santa Run on December 9 to prepare for race day, the New Las Vegas Marathon has attracted 130 people who will be running to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Early entry fees of $95 for the Marathon and $85 for the Half Marathon are available until Monday, November 20, after which the fees will rise to $105 and $95 respectively. Online registration is open at LVMarathon.com. Questions? Please call Race Director Terry Collier at (702) 731-1052 or email him at elvis@newlasvegasmarathon.com Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Chris Brienza, (212) 808-1358; Chris.Brienza@Rodale.com Runner's World Announces 2006 Heroes of Running NEW YORK - (October 25, 2006) - American running pioneer Frank Shorter, an Olympic Marathon gold and silver medalist who has also helped enact important policy changes in the sport of distance running, and Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, whose personal battle against obesity led him to take up running, lose 110 pounds and become a passionate national advocate for proper health and nutrition practices, are among the nine runners who are honored this year as Runner's World magazine's 2006 Heroes of Running. Shorter, Huckabee and the seven other 2006 Heroes of Running are featured in the December 2006 issue of Runner's World, on newsstands everywhere October 30, and will be honored by the magazine at a gala event in New York City on Friday, November 3. Joining Shorter and Huckabee on Runner's World's third annual Heroes list are: * Defending ING New York City Marathon champion Paul
Tergat, who has worked diligently to combat world hunger through his
work with the UN's World Food Program. Runner's World's Heroes of Running program honors the past year's most inspirational runners, as well as those who have achieved something extraordinary or contributed to the sport in a monumental way. "Legions of people in the running world deserve recognition for their accomplishments, and many of them often go unnoticed," said Runner's World Editor-in-Chief David Willey, who in 2004 led the effort to initiate this now-annual honor. "And while there are those who probably think the word 'hero' is used too casually, the truth is that the hardest part of this undertaking is narrowing down the list of finalists. "The members of our 2006 class of the Heroes of Running, like the ones that have come before it, reinforce our belief that just the simple act of moving forward can shape not only our sport, but our world. We're proud to honor them not only for the heroics they've demonstrated, but for the future heroes we hope they'll inspire." "I was inspired by John Bingham's motto that 'the miracle is not that I finished; the miracle is that I even had the courage to start,'" said Huckabee, referring to longtime Runner's World columnist John "The Penguin" Bingham. "That sums up my sense of awe to be included in a list of people whose shoes I am not worthy to lace. I can't run to cross the finish line first but to cross it for the millions like me, who need to know that we can change our habits, regain our health, and restore our hopes." The ING NYC Marathon on November 5 will mark Huckabee's fourth career marathon. "This award means so much to me," said Barker. "To be honored among the other recipients, people I have admired immensely over the course of my lifetime, is very humbling. I am incredibly grateful to Runner's World for taking the time to honor people who have used the power of running to literally change lives and, in the case of Girls on the Run, to transform the way our culture perceives the societal roles of girls and women around the globe." For more information on Runner's World's 2006 Heroes of Running, visit: RunnersWorld.com Return to top / Return to main page Contact: Scott Schricker, (804) 285-9495 SunTrust Richmond Marathon Economic Impact Pegged
at $8.4 Million RICHMOND, Va. - The 2005 SunTrust Richmond Marathon, featuring the largest participant field and most spectators in its 28-year history, pumped over $8.4 million into the Richmond economy, a new study reports. The study was conducted by InZone Research, a sports marketing research group working through Virginia Commonwealth University SportsCenter. The study involved interviewing over 600 attendees at the event on their travel and spending habits during the weekend of November 10-13, 2005. Economic modeling software was used in computing the economic impact for the Richmond Marathon. The software administered by InZone captures how much new money is being generated into the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area. InZone has also used this model in computing economic impacts for various organizations such as the Richmond International Raceway, the Colonial Athletic Association and the Richmond Strikers. The event, which had record fields for the marathon itself (4,763 registered), and its companion race, the NTELOS 8K (4,698), drew 33,436 participants and spectators. A total of 5,099 of the participants came from outside the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Of the 25,077 spectators estimated, a total of 15,297 traveled to Richmond from outside the MSA for the event. "The strong national branding of the SunTrust Richmond Marathon as 'America's Friendliest Marathon' has resulted in an event that is especially successful in drawing first-time marathoners," said race director Tracey Russell. "First-time marathoners not only spend a lot of money themselves, but they also tend to bring many friends and family members to town with them to cheer them on." The 2006 SunTrust Richmond Marathon will take place on Saturday, November 11. Registration - including for the NTELOS 8K and the Richmond Times-Dispatch Kids Run - is available at: RichmondMarathon.com Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director |