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New York Road Runners Presents Running Week

NYRR Presents Running Week, June 1-8, kicks off with events and happenings that frame the 50th anniversary of its founding on June 4, 1958. The celebratory mood will continue through the 40th running of the ING New York City Marathon on November 1, 2009.

The Running Week schedule features three races including the NYRR 50th Anniversary Run, runner education programs with NYRR staff in Central Park and a brand-new initiative for all New Yorkers to build a greener future by running or walking to work.

Sunday - Sunday, June 1-8
Runner Station (East Drive at 90th Street, Central Park)
NYRR is committed to educating the local community on running as a sport and lifelong fitness activity, and it offers races, classes and other learning events throughout the year. During Running Week, NYRR will set up shop in Central Park - the training ground for thousands of NYC runners - with expert coaches and staff to offer free tips and tools, including gait analysis and training programs.

Sunday, June 1
Japan Run
Running Week kicked off with the sold-out Japan Run, a road race that highlights NYRR's ties to runners around the world. In its second year, the 4 mile Japan Run and accompanying kids races are part of Japan Day @ Central Park, a festival that celebrates traditional and contemporary Japanese culture with activities, music, children's games and more.

Monday, June 2
Kids Aim for 50
Nine-time New York City Marathon winner Grete Waitz, chairwoman of the New York Road Runners Foundation, joined more than 200 NYRRF kids from five Harlem elementary schools for a morning of running-themed events and activities from 9:15am until 10:30am at PS 192, 500 West 138th Street (near Amsterdam Avenue). The event featured the Mighty Milers Fun Run, with 50 kids running a mile each in honor of the New York Road Runners's 50th anniversary.

Monday, June 2
Honoring Our Legends
Some of the greatest runners of all-time have made history in NYRR events. On this day, NYRR hosted a special media event to honor three of these extraordinary athletes: Bill Rodgers, Grete Waitz and Frank Shorter.

Tuesday, June 3
NASDAQ Closing Bell
Running legends and select industry leaders joined Bob Greifeld, the CEO of NASDAQ, for the Closing Bell on Wall Street.

Wednesday, June 4
ING New York City Marathon Lottery Drawing
A long-time NYRR tradition, the ceremonial selection of the first lucky runners in the ING New York City Marathon lottery drawing kicked off the five-month build-up to the big race, taking place this year on Sunday, November 2. Rookie marathoner Janet Schroeder, 41, of New York City, was the first name selected by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg. Matthew Weinberg, 44, also of New York, and Fred Mendes, 43, of Van Nuys, CA, were the second and third lottery entrants selected for the 39th running of the race. The marathon received a record number of nearly 105,000 applications this year.

Wednesday, June 4
NYRR 50th Anniversary Run 5 Mile (Central Park)
The New York Road Runners began as a club for all runners, and in that spirit, a scheduled a 5 mile road race open to all - free of charge - to celebrate its founding on June 4, 1958. The race was capped at 5,000 participants.

Friday, June 6
New York Runs to Work
NYRR staff and volunteers plan to station themselves on or near bridges and other entry points into Manhattan to create a sense of camaraderie for fellow running-commuters, and to offer tips and techniques for making the commute on the run a part of one's daily routine.

Saturday, June 7
NYRR New York Mini 10K (Central Park)
The NYRR New York Mini 10K made history 37 years ago as the world's first road race exclusively for female participants. It was then the six mile Crazylegs Mini Marathon, and 78 women took part, including women's running pioneers Nina Kuscsik and Kathrine Switzer. The turnout was extraordinary for the time period; distance running was a fringe activity for a handful of devotees, and in most races, the number of female finishers could be counted on one hand.

How times have changed! Now this women-only race features a top professional athlete field - which this year will include 2008 U.S. Olympic marathon teammates Deena Kastor, Magdalena Lewy Boulet and Blake Russell - leading thousands of runners at all levels. The original women-only road race, the "Mini" continues the tradition of celebrating all that is good about women's running.

Sunday, June 8
Naples Park to Park (Naples, Italy)
Running Week ends with another event that highlights NYRR's international reach. The Naples Park to Park race in Italy showcases our partnership with the Napoli Road Runners; on July 12 in Central Park, NYRR will stage the second annual Park to Park, a 10K race that includes Italian festivities and post-race admission to Lasker Pool.

This Week in NYRR History
Each week throughout 2008, NYRR will present This Week in New York Road Runners History. Digging deep into its archives, NYRR found interesting, inspiring and sometimes unexpected facts about its first 50 years. Visit: www.nyrr.org/about/this_week.asp

At the start of its 50th anniversary year, NYRR is one of the world's premier running organizations, with more than 45,000 members, a year-round calendar of races including the famed ING New York City Marathon, fitness offerings for all members of the community and a running program serving 30,000 children in New York City and around the world.

For more information, visit: NYRR.org

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Michelle Lindner, Generic Events, (310) 991-2787; michelle@genericevents.com

Inaugural Coastwise Mile Set for October 4 in Beautiful La Jolla, California

LA JOLLA, Calif. - (June 2, 2008) - Coastwise Capital Group, LLC and Generic Events have announced a scenic one mile foot race for the inaugural Coastwise Mile on Saturday, October 4, 2008. This USA Track & Field certified course travels along Prospect Street through the historic La Jolla Village to Coast Boulevard before a spectacular ocean view finish at Ellen Browning Scripps Park.

In the spirit of encouraging fitness, community and fun, this event offers numerous divisions for athletes of all abilities including youth, masters (40+), baby jogger, walking and a Mutt Mile for people to run / walk with their canine companions. The event schedule culminates with a 3-person Corporate Relay that will inspire team competition for countless companies, running clubs and high schools throughout the area. Each team member will complete one loop on the one mile course and the best cumulative time wins.

The post-event festival is based in Ellen Browning Scripps Park, one of the jewels of the Pacific, with sweeping views of the La Jolla Cove.

"At Coastwise Capital Group, LLC, we are pleased to bring a premiere road race that caters to the whole community. Our vision is to create an event that the entire family can participate in and enjoy, from parents to toddlers, to elite athletes, and even to the family dog. This event has something for everyone!" said Scott Kyle, Founder and CEO of title sponsor Coastwise Capital Group, LLC.

A portion of the event proceeds will directly benefit the Scripps Park Project and the San Diego Humane Society & SPCA. The Scripps Park Project is a group of interested local citizens, whose mission is to develop and implement a long-term comprehensive plan to preserve, restore, and enhance Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Park, incorporating extensive community involvement. The San Diego Humane Society provides vital services to animals and people alike through sheltering and adopting animals, providing positive reinforcement behavior training classes, investigating animal cruelty and neglect, providing adult and youth education programs, sharing animals through Pet-Assisted Therapy and rescuing animals in emergency situations.

For more information and event registration, visit: CoastwiseMile.com

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American Ultrarunning Association Elects New President and Executive Board

MORRISTOWN, N.J. - (June 4, 2008) - In the recent elections of the American Ultrarunning Association (AUA), Roy Pirrung of Sheboygan, WI was elected by acclimation to a 4-year term as president. Pirrung replaces former AUA president Kevin Setnes who did not seek another term.

Pirrung currently serves as vice-chair of USATF's Mountain, Ultra and Trail Running Council, is a member of USATF's Athletes Advisory Committee, and has been both team manager and scoring team member of the USA 24 Hour Run National Team for the past 6 years. At age 59 in 2007, he broke his own record as the most senior athlete ever to represent the USA on an Open national team.

In his local Milwaukee region, he was the founder of an RRCA running club and served nearly 20 years as its president, and served as the Long Distance Running (LDR) chair for the Wisconsin Association of USATF. As an athlete, Pirrung's accomplishments include a World Masters Championship title, and American Open and Masters Championship national titles at various ultra distances. He has held the American Open Records for the 24 Hour and 48 Hour runs, and has been named the USATF Open and Masters Ultra Runner of the Year.

Re-elected to 4-year terms were Secretary Scott Eppelman of Coppell, TX and Treasurer Lin Gentling of Rochester, MN. Both are former USA National Ultra Team members, and Gentling is a former USA National 100K Champion.

Pirrung's new presidential Executive Board appointments include Phil McCarthy of New York, NY; Carolyn Smith of Milwaukee, WI and Dean Karnazes of San Francisco, CA.

Phil McCarthy is a classically-trained pianist, composer and singer, who works for a classical music publisher. He burst onto the national class ultra scene with a surprise 3rd place finish at the 2006 USA National 24 Hour Championships, then followed that with an even bigger surprise 4th place finish at the 2007 24 Hour World Championship, the best finish ever by an American man in that World title event.

Carolyn Smith is a family practice and sports medicine physician who serves as Medical Director for the Marquette University Student Health Service and Team Physician for the University's Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. A 1988 U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier, in recent years Smith has represented the USA on both the 100K and 24 Hour Run National Teams, and has won both the 100K and 24 Hour National Championship titles. At the 2005 World 24 Hour Championship, she finished 11th and helped the U.S. women's team secure the bronze medal.

Dean Karnazes, the "household name" of American Ultrarunning, is best known as a NY Times bestselling author for his popular book "Ultramarathon Man". He was recently named by TIME magazine as one of the "Top 100 Most Influential People in the World."

Recipient of an ESPN ESPY Award as Best Outdoor Athlete for having run 50 marathons, in 50 states, in 50 consecutive days, Karnazes is a peripatetic advocate for healthy, active living. He is a member of the California State Senate Taskforce on Youth Wellness and a winner of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Community Leadership Award. Karnazes' competitive ultra accomplishments include a victory in the 135 mile "Badwater" race across Death Valley, a third place finish at the USA National 24 Hour Championship, and he was a scoring member of the 2005 USA Men's National Team at the 24 Hour World Championship.

The American Ultrarunning Association (AUA) is the only national non-profit organization devoted exclusively to the promotion of footraces beyond the standard 26.2 mile marathon distance. AUA is a member organization of the International Association of Ultrarunners, Running USA and USA Track & Field.

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Brooks® Forges Ahead in the Specialty Running Market
Running company tops survey with best overall brand rating and more

BOTHELL, Wash. - According to Sports Marketing Surveys' Spring 2008 Running Specialty Store Sales Survey, performance running company Brooks Sports, Inc. took home four gold medal standings in the report's top rankings: Brand Strength Forecast, Market Strength Forecast, Dealer Confidence Index and overall Brand Ratings. Released in mid-May, the biannual, independent survey serves as a reputable proxy for brand momentum in the U.S. specialty running retail environment.

To determine these rankings, Sports Marketing Surveys conducted in-depth phone interviews with 75 specialty running store owners and managers nationwide. Panelists rated a variety of brands relative to quantitative sales data and diverse qualitative attributes.

The Spring 2008 survey reveals the following about Brooks:

* Brooks' unweighted footwear market share increased 1.2 percent since fall 2007, a gain far exceeding those of all other brands represented in the survey. The unweighted share is based on dealer estimates of dollar sales for each brand.

* Brooks ranks #1 in the survey's Brand Strength Forecast, which formulates each brand's strength as reported by all running specialty stores that carry that brand.

* Brooks also ranks #1 in the survey's respected Market Strength Forecast, which formulates each brand's predicted strength as reported by all running specialty stores that participate in the panel, regardless of whether they carry the brand in question.

* For the second season in a row, Brooks takes top billing in Dealer Confidence Index, which measures retailers' overall impressions of each brand and the company it represents.

* For the 11th consecutive season, Brooks leads the pack with #1 Brand Ratings for in-house customer service and product delivery. Brooks ranks # 1 in four additional Brand Rating categories, including new line vs. current line, profit to dealer, sales rep support, and line segmentation.

* Of all stores surveyed, 99 percent carry Brooks products - a presence level unsurpassed by all other brands.

"From performance product to marketing firepower to customer service, Brooks works relentlessly to provide top-notch support to our specialty running retail partners," said Brooks Vice President of Sales Rick Wilhelm. "We are delighted these retailers recognize and value our efforts, and we look forward to building upon that energy for seasons to come."

Supporting the momentum reported in this survey, world-renowned running resource Runner's World honored Brooks' footwear during its seasonal shoe reviews four times in the past nine months. The Trance™ 7, Cascadia 3, and Defyance all earned the magazine's coveted "Editor's Choice" award, while the popular Adrenaline™ GTS 8 received "Best Buy."

In fall 2008, Brooks will launch the Ghost, a high-end responsive neutral shoe; the Trance™ 8 with BioMoGo, the first-ever biodegradable running shoe midsole; and two new styles for young feet - the Kids' Adrenaline™ GTS and Kids' Defyance.

Visit BrooksRunning.com for more information.

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