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Dobriskey, Soos, Olinger to Celebrate the Countdown to 2009 at the 31st Emerald Nuts Midnight Run in Central Park on December 31
American service members to stage second companion midnight run in Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq

NEW YORK - British Olympians Lisa Dobriskey and Ricky Soos and NCAA All-American Brian Olinger lead a competitive field and more than 5,000 participants that will ring in the new year at the 31st Emerald Nuts Midnight Run on Wednesday, December 31 in Central Park, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

For the second year, more than 300 military personal stationed in Camp Al Taqaddum, Iraq, will start their own Midnight Run at the stroke of midnight-eight time zones ahead of New York. Lieutenant Tiffany Perng of Fort Lee, NJ, was inspired to organize the race, having been a New York Road Runners member before being stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA, in 2005. Perng's parents, who live in New Jersey, plan to participate in this year's Midnight Run in Central Park.

Since its founding in 1978, the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run continues to be a unique and cost-efficient New York New Year's event. Runners and spectators looking for a fun, healthy way to celebrate the holiday without fighting the crowds in Times Square can look no further than Central Park.

"Over the past 30 years the Emerald Nuts Midnight Run has become the biggest New Year's Eve party in New York City," Wittenberg said. "Runners and non-runners alike look forward to all of the festivities that this event has to offer."

The event kicks off with a dance party and costume contest at 10:00pm and a parade beginning at 11:00pm. At the stroke of midnight, the runners will begin their non-scored four mile run through Central Park, dazzled by a 17-minute fireworks show. A non-alcoholic champagne station near mile two will be available for runners who want to toast the new year.

Lisa Dobriskey found success on the roads of New York City this year with a victory in the famed Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile in September; her time of 4:18.6 was the second-fastest in the event's history. The 24-year-old narrowly missed the podium in the 1500 meters at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, finishing fourth. On the men's side, Ricky Soos, who competed in the 800 meters at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, will challenge 2004 Big Ten 5000 meter champion Brian Olinger of Columbus, OH.

New York Road Runners will offer a prize purse of $2000, including $500 apiece to the male and female winners.

"Here at New York Road Runners, we encourage people year-round to stay physically fit through running and exercise," Wittenberg said. "There is no better time or way to start the new year than by participating in this fun-filled and cost-efficient, family event."

For more information, visit: NYRR.org

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Stu Mittleman Inducted into American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame
From Dan Brannen, American Ultrarunning Association (AUA)

Stu Mittleman began his ultra career inauspiciously in 1978, running a modest 6:11 for 50 miles in the Metropolitan 50 Mile in Central Park, New York City. Within two years, he had notched his first national class ultra performance, running 3:52 for 60K. A few months later, he stunned a stellar field by winning the New York Road Runners Club's 100 Mile with the second fastest time ever by an American: 13 hours, 4 minutes, 9 seconds.

In 1981, he won the Lake Waramaug 50 Mile in 5:14:05, becoming #5 on the all-time U.S. list. Then, only a month later, he returned to successfully defend his title at the NYRR 100 Mile (now designated as the U.S. National Championship), lowering his time to 13:00:11 in oppressively hot and humid conditions. In 1982, he again successfully defended at both venues, this time taking the longer distance option at Lake Waramaug, winning the 100K there in 6:57:49 (again, the #5 all-time U.S. performance at that distance) and dropping his winning National 100 Mile time by another 4 minutes with a 12:56:34.

The story of that race has been written and revisited more than almost any other American ultra. It was a classic 2-man duel in a driving rainstorm, with 1/4 of the 1-mile course a gooey, muddy bog, that never let up until Mittleman broke the finish tape. He had started at what observers considered a reckless pace, clocking 5:45 for the first 50 miles. Through the second half, Lion Caldwell closed steadily on the now-fading leader. Every lap of Mittleman's second 50 miles was slower than the preceding one, but he clung tenaciously to the lead. For the final hour, his arms and head drooped, and it seemed there was no way he could finish, that Caldwell would win his first national title. Mittleman somehow remained upright long enough to cross the finish line, but would never again return to that race, that distance, or anything shorter.

The revival of multi-day racing in the early 1980s breathed a second competitive life into Stu Mittleman. He entered the inaugural New York 6-Day race in 1983 and finished second to multi-day legend Siefried Bauer of New Zealand, racking up 488 miles to Bauer's 511 and becoming the top American at this newly revived event. The following year he exploded onto the world-class multi-day scene, finishing second to 24-Hour World Record hold Jean-Gilles Boussiquet of France in the LaRochelle 6-Day Race in Boussiquet's home country. Mittleman had immersed himself in the esoterica of multi-day racing, including nutritional research, racewalking technique and sleep-deprivation. It all paid off with daily mileage totals of 105, 90, 95, 86, 103 & 92 for a 6-day total of 571 miles, 1164 yards. It was a U.S. 6-day best by over 16 miles. The following year, he covered 577 miles, 1320 yards in a 6-day race in Boulder, Colo. For that, Mittleman won the "performance of the year" designation by Ultrarunning Magazine for the second time (the first had been for his 12:56 100 Mile win).

But his crowning achievement was yet to come the following year: a head-to-head match with Bauer at the Sri Chinmoy 1,000 Mile Race in Queens, New York to attack Bauer's World Record of 12 days, 12 hours. Bauer took control of the race early and established a substantial lead by halfway. And then Mittleman's training and meticulous race planning kicked in. He actually surged in both pace and time in motion more than halfway through the race. He wound up putting together back-to-back 6-day splits of 500+ miles each, the second faster than the first. It was a virtually flawless footracing fortnight tour de force. He decisively defeated Bauer and crushed the Kiwi's world record by 16 hours, setting a new world mark of 11 days, 20 hours, 36 minutes, 50 seconds. It would take none other than Yiannis Kouros to break it many years later.

Stu Mittleman appeared to have retired shortly after that race, but after an 8-year absence from serious racing he re-emerged in 1994 to win the LaRochelle 6-day with 536.26 miles. In 2000, he completed a charity fundraising run across the USA, averaging 52 miles per day.

No other American ultrarunner, male for female, has exhibited national class excellence at such a wide range of racing distances. None other than Ted Corbitt, inaugural Ultra Hall of Fame inductee and "The Father of American Ultrarunning," once offered the opinion that Mittleman was the best-ever all-around American ultrarunner.

Mittleman joins Sandra Kiddy, Marcy Schwam, Sue Ellen Trapp, Ted Corbitt and Bernd Heinrich as the third man to be inducted into the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame.

Note on AUA Hall of Fame Policy: to be considered for the American Ultrarunning Hall of Fame, candidates must be either retired from serious competition for 10 years, or have reached the age of 60. For more information, visit: AmericanUltra.org

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Odyssey Relay Series Formed, Team Races Scheduled in Atlanta and London
Patty Burke to direct Odyssey Relay Series

WASHINGTON, DC - Bob Fleshner, race director for the inaugural American Odyssey Relay (April 24-25, 2009) and Eric Lerude, whose Reno-Tahoe event will be held for the fifth time next year (May 29-30), have formed the Odyssey Relay Series (ORS) and announced the 2009 scheduling of a first-time event in London (Sept. 4-5) and the Southern Odyssey, an Athens, Ga. to suburban Atlanta relay race (Oct. 9-10).

In conjunction with the creation of ORS and the two new team relay races, it was also announced that Patty Burke has joined the company as Chief of Operations and will maintain day-to-day responsibility for ORS marketing, course design, hiring and event coordination. Ms. Burke had been the Senior Director of Corporate Relations for the American Heart Association and will continue in her role as Race Director of the highly successful "Lawyers Have Heart 10K Run." She is credited with producing record-breaking runner participation numbers and law firm sponsorship dollars in each of the event's past four years

"Patty is well respected among the D.C. area's running and legal communities," said Fleshner. "She will be involved in planning, promoting and implementing these and other ORS events. Her experience and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to expand our horizons around the country and internationally."

According to Fleshner, the choice of London and the Atlanta area location supports the ORS charter to bring the relay run concept to large metropolitan areas around the country and the world. Preliminary talks are underway regarding Odyssey relays in Southern California and elsewhere in the U.S. and Europe.

"The success of the Reno-Tahoe event and the strong registration response for the first American Odyssey Relay next spring tells us that our "run where the locals run" approach is extremely attractive to runners," said Fleshner. "We are beyond diligent in studying a city or area, identifying sections that are popular with the locals and most importantly, designing a course that is safe and accessible."

These just-announced ORS events will be designed to closely follow the successful formula of the Reno-Tahoe Odyssey and the upcoming American Odyssey Relay. The 12-member teams will run safe and scenic 200-mile courses with each runner completing three legs of approximately four to eight miles each. As will be introduced at the midway point of the AOR's Gettysburg to D.C. relay, both the London and Southern Odyssey will feature a mid-race Odyssey Oasis, complete with food, drinks, music and much more.

Teams interested in participating in the first-ever American Odyssey Relay are encouraged to sign up now at www.americanodysseyrelay.com to secure one of the field's 150 spots. Registration is also open for the Reno-Tahoe event (www.renotahoeodyssey.com) and is scheduled to open for London and the Southern Odyssey soon.

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Inaugural Neways Maui Paradise Marathon Announces Prize Purse

KIHEI, Maui, Hawaii - (December 24, 2008) - The inaugural Neways Maui Paradise Marathon - set for Sunday, January 11, 2009 - has announced its prize money purse of $1700 for the first three overall men and women finishers in the full marathon, half-marathon and 5K. There is also a performance incentive purse of $5500 for the overall first place male and female finishers for the full marathon and half-marathon who achieve certain times in winning. The fastest Kama'aina male and female finishers in all three events will get a special (non-monetary) award.

In addition, the Keiki (Kids) races are now free of charge. These age-group races for ages up to six-years-old will be run in the Kalama Beach Park on grass and will vary in distance from 25 to around 400 yards. The distance is age dependent. Sign-up on or before Saturday, January 10 so as not to miss out on this great opportunity.

As much of the United States is snow-laden and cold, check your frequent flyer miles or the internet for deals and spend a few days in Maui, watch the whales, get a tan and run next to the blue Pacific. The marathon is also a Boston qualifier.

For more information and to register for the inaugural event, visit: MauiParadiseMarathon.com

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org | www.RunningUSA.org