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Tola, Ndereba Win NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE
Makau a close second in sprint men's finish; 2008 U.S. Olympian Ritzenhein takes third; race record field runs through the city
From NYRR

NEW YORK - (July 27, 2008) - In his biggest career win to date, 20-year-old Tadesse Tola of Ethiopia prevailed by one second over Patrick Makau of Kenya at the third NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE. Tola, timed in 1 hour, 58 seconds in warm, humid conditions, was just half a stride in front of Makau (1:00:59) at the finish by historic Battery Park in the city's financial district on Sunday. U.S. Olympic marathoner Dathan Ritzenhein of Eugene, Ore. was third in 1:01:38.

The women's contest saw 2003 and 2007 world marathon champion and 2004 Olympic marathon silver medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya pull away from Mexican marathon record holder Madaí Pérez in the 13th mile to win by eight seconds, 1:10:18 to 1:10:26; Japan's Yuri Kano was third in 1:10:31. Ndereba also won the inaugural NYC Half in 2006 and was a close second last year to Hilda Kibet of Kenya (now The Netherlands).

Despite the oppressive conditions, the men's race began with a 4:30 opening mile, with Tola clearly trying to run away from the field. Makau covered his moves as the course looped through hilly Central Park, while Ritzenhein and Kenya's Richard Maiyo kept the pair within sight. The two leaders shared the pace as the course exited the park to head south through Times Square and then across town to the flat West Side Highway, where their finish order was determined just steps from the line.

"It was a great race, a very competitive race," said Tola, speaking through a translator. He had previously shown an excellent ability to run well in warm weather when he finished seventh at the 2007 IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombassa, Kenya, in brutally hot conditions.

"[Today's] race tells me I can have a good future," he said.

For Ritzenhein, the race served as a final tune-up performance before the men's Olympic Marathon, to be contested on Sunday, August 24. "This was a great last test before Beijing," he said. "It was a very good indicator. I learned what weather I can tolerate. It really confirmed for me that I'm in the kind of shape I thought I was in."

Ndereba, 36, also used the race as a tune-up for the Olympic Marathon (the women's event is slated for Sunday, August 17). A veteran performer who would seemingly have nothing to prove at any distance, she notched her 18th career half-marathon victory in 25 known attempts.

"Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose," she said with typical modesty. "I always go with a kind of positive attitude, but I know that only God can give me the victory."

The New York Road Runners (NYRR) race had 10,564 starters this year and a race record 10,506 finishers. "This race," said NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg, "has every bit of the potential of the ING New York City Marathon."

3rd NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE
New York, NY, Sunday, July 27, 2008

MEN
1) Tadesse Tola (ETH), 1:00:58, $10,000
2) Patrick Makau (KEN), 1:00:59, $7500
3) Dathan Ritzenhein (USA / OR), 1:01:38, $5000
4) Richard Maiyo (KEN), 1:01:55, $3500
5) Girma Tola (ETH), 1:02:58, $2000
6) William Kipsang (KEN), 1:03:25, $1500
7) Hosea Rotich (KEN), 1:03:33, $1000
8) Hendrick Ramaala (RSA), 1:04:07, $750
9) Worku Beyi (ETH), 1:04:07, $500
10) Demesse Tefera (ETH), 1:04:1, $250

WOMEN
1) Catherine Ndereba (KEN), 1:10:18, $10,000
2) Madai Perez (MEX), 1:10:26, $7500
3) Yuri Kano (JPN), 1:10:31, $5000
4) Alice Timbilili (KEN), 1:11:08, $3500
5) Colleen De Reuck, 44, USA / CO, 1:12:03, $2000
6) Lyudmila Biktasheva (RUS), 1:12:23, $1500
7) Aziza Aliyu (ETH), 1:12:27, $1000
8) Rose Cheruiyot (KEN), 1:12:28, $750
9) Ilsa Paulson, 19, USA / AZ, 1:13:22, $500
10) Kiyoko Shimahara (JPN), 1:13:41, $250

Full results, race photos and more at: NYRR.org

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Muge, Masai Win Quad-City Times Bix 7 Miler
Unique men's finish, oldest race champion, more than 10,000 finishers highlight 34th edition

DAVENPORT, Iowa - (July 26, 2008) - Edward Muge and Edith Masai led a Kenyan sweep of the top positions at the 34th Quad-City Times Bix 7 in 32 minutes, 16 seconds and 37:20, respectively, but each champion won the event in different ways on Saturday morning.

In the latter stages of the 7 mile race, Muge battled Maregu Zewdie of Ethiopia who made a final sprint to what he thought was the finish line, but it wasn't. As Zewdie slowed to celebrate his "win" more than a 100 meters from the real finish line, Muge, 25, took advantage of the situation and zoomed past the confused Zwedie who later told the Quad-City Times that he made a "big mistake". Zewdie, 25, did finish second in 32:25, but his mistake cost him at least $6000 as the Muge earned $10,000 or a 2008 automobile for the win.

For the men, Abel Kirui finished third in 32:28, while defending Bix champion Duncan Kibet was fourth (32:41).

The women's race wasn't nearly as dramatic, but it was historic as Masai, 41, became the oldest runner and first masters runner (40 and older) to win the Bix 7. Masai, a three-time world cross country champion, pulled away from the pack at 5 miles and held the lead to the finish as she edged countrywoman Angelina Mutuku by one second, 37:20 to 37:21. Ethiopia's Ashu Kasim was third (37:27).

Bix 7 veterans and running legends Joan Benoit Samuelson and Bill Rodgers ran 42:36 and 50:57, respectively. Benoit Samuelson, 51, the 1984 Olympic Marathon gold medalist, won her age group (50-54), while Rodgers, 60, was 4th in his age group (60-64).

Under good conditions for summer in the Midwest, 10,565 people finished this year's race.

34th Quad-City Times Bix 7
Davenport, IA, Saturday, July 26, 2008

MEN
1) Edward Muge (KEN), 32:16, $10,000 or 2008 automobile
2) Maregu Zewdie (ETH), 32:25, $4000
3) Abel Kirui (KEN), 32:28, $2500
4) Duncan Kibet (KEN), 32:41, $1500
5) Dereje Tadesse (ETH), 32:49, $1000
6) Lishan Tigezu (ETH), 32:56, $900
7) Dejene Berhanu (ETH), 33:05, $800
8) Daniel Kipkoech (KEN), 33:06, $700
9) MacDonald Ondara (KEN), 33:09, $600
10) Dmessew Tsega (ETH), 33:17, $500

Top U.S.
16) Celedonio Rodriguez (CO), 34:28

WOMEN
1) Edith Masai, 41, KEN, 37:20, $10,000 or 2008 automobile
2) Angelina Mutuku (KEN), 37:21, $4000
3) Ashu Kasim (ETH), 37:27, $2500
4) Ogla Kimaiyo (KEN), 37:30, $1500
5) Pauline Wangui (KEN), 37:34, $1000
6) Mamitu Daska (ETH), 37:48, $900
7) Irene Limika (KEN), 38:14, $800
8) Nuta Olaru (ROU), 38:24, $700
9) Jane Murage (KEN), 39:00, $600
10) Diane Nukuri (BDI), 39:10, $500

Top U.S.
13) Kristen Fryburg (CO), 39:59

More race results at: Bix7.com

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Duncan Kibet to Defend Title against Stellar Field for TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K
Top professional field takes shape as prestigious Cape Elizabeth, Maine road race draws near

CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - (July 22, 2008) - Reigning champion Duncan Kibet of Kenya is returning to defend his title against a strong field in the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon 10K on Saturday, August 2, race organizers have announced.

Kibet, who last year out kicked one of the race's fastest fields ever, will need to summon the same energy to repeat this year against a deep field that includes two former champions, Kenyans Gilbert Okari and Tom Nyariki, and the hottest runner on the road race circuit, Terefe Maregu of Ethiopia.

Maregu has won two major road races, the Peachtree 10K and Utica Boilermaker 15K, already this month. Okari is a three-time TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon champion and course record holder (27:28) still smarting from the title that Nyariki, a 1996 Olympian, took from him in 2006. The field also includes John Korir of Kenya, who has won numerous major road races but never this one, and Dejene Berhanu of Ethiopia, who finished 5th in the 5000m at the 2004 Olympics.

In the women's race, 2007 champion Luminita Talpos is training with the Romanian Olympic team and will not compete this year. That leaves the door open for three young road racers currently ranked in the top 25 in the world - Kenyans Lineth Chepkurui and Millicent Gathoni and Wude Ayalew Yimer of Ethiopia who each could challenge the 31:26 course record.

They will be pushed by a contingent of strong marathoners, including Andrea Pirtea of Romania, who was the runner-up at last year's Chicago Marathon, and Olympians such as Elva Dryer, who represented the U.S. in 2000 and 2004.

The group of 30 world class athletes will be joined by the best in Maine and New England and thousands of recreational runners on Saturday, August 2 in scenic Cape Elizabeth, Maine for the 11th running of one of the marquee events on the international road race circuit.

"We're looking at a really deep and talented field with the men, some real A-plus players, plus a wide open and exciting race on the women's side," said Larry Barthlow, the race's elite athlete coordinator. "It's almost unheard of to have four guys run sub 28s like last year, but I think you might see the same thing this year because it's going to take a blazing performance to reach the tape first."

Barthlow assembled a strong professional field despite the conflict with the Olympics, which get underway in August and traditionally peel away top talent from road races due to training schedules. Besides Talpos, the 2006 women's champ, Alevtina Ivanova of Russia, also made her Olympic team.

"The impact of an Olympic year is the wait-and-see game," he said. "You lose some athletes who get named to their Olympic team, and you gain some who don't. The good thing is that people are in great shape because they are trying to make their team."

Yimer, for example, has been named as an alternate for the Ethiopian Olympic team. Barthlow is still awaiting word on whether she will join the team in Beijing, which would mean she cannot compete at the TD Banknorth Beach to Beacon.

The ocean-hugging course begins at Crescent Beach along Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth and ends 6.2 miles later in Fort Williams Park at Portland Head, the most photographed lighthouse in the world.

Prize money for the winner of the men's and women's races is $10,000. In all, more than $60,000 in prize money will be awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women. A $2500 bonus also is available for any runner who breaks an Open course record.

TD Banknorth sponsors the race founded by Joan Benoit Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic gold medalist and Maine's most admired athlete.

The race director is Dave McGillivray, president of DMSE, Inc., a nationally recognized event management company. McGillivray also serves as the race director of the BAA Boston Marathon.

This year's race beneficiary is the Susan L. Curtis Foundation, the sponsor of Camp Susan Curtis, a summer camp dedicated to improving the lives of economically disadvantaged Maine children ages 8-18. For more information, visit: SusanCurtisFoundation.org

For additional info about the race, visit Beach2Beacon.org or call the race hotline at (888) 480-6940.

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The San Francisco Marathon(TM) Attracts Local and Worldwide Participation
Soldiers in Afghanistan will also compete in Sunday, August 3 race

SAN FRANCISCO - (July 25, 2008) - When over 19,000 entrants line up for The San Francisco Marathon(TM) and its companion two half-marathons and 5K Run / Walk on Sunday, August 3, San Francisco attorney Tony Rossmann won't be among them. The 67-year-old, long-time Bay Area runner from Oakland has already run his 26.2-mile marathon race over the event's scenic route. In fact, motivated by special "solo runner" status provided by the marathon's organizers, Rossmann completed his annual San Francisco Marathon run a month ago for the 30th time, keeping his unique, annual streak alive.

Neither will four members of the U.S. military stationed in Afghanistan line up at the marathon's starting line on race day. Although they'd like to join runners from all 50 states and 56 countries in San Francisco, the soldiers have jobs fighting Taliban insurgents along the Pakistan border. Instead, led by Loren Weeks (Sunnyvale, Calif.), a Lieutenant Colonel in the California Army National Guard, they will run The San Francisco Marathon "remotely" by covering 26.2 miles on a half-mile loop around a cricket field at Forward Operating Base Fiaz in Asadabad, Afghanistan two days before the San Francisco event.

For the past several years, Rossmann has faced the prospect of ending his annual engagement with the race. Either that, or cancel his equally traditional mid-summer family trek to a camp in the Adirondack Mountains. So, the race granted Rossmann a "bye," allowing him to complete the run before race day while recording an official finishing time. The tenacious runner has more than earned the privilege as a race participant.

Rossmann completed his first marathon on his long running resume, which now includes more than 300 marathon and ultra-marathon finishes, at the inaugural marathon in San Francisco in 1977. In total, Rossmann has completed 30 San Francisco Marathons, and has only missed one since the race's inception.

His streak includes solo runs in 2007 and 2008, which he navigated without the bolstering support of fellow runners, aid stations, volunteers or traffic control.

"The race is very special to me. Every year, I run wearing my original race T-shirt from 1977," said Rossmann, who completed this year's solo jaunt in 4 hours, 57 minutes and 30 seconds. "There were 800 of us (runners) the first year. Now, it's really inspiring to see that The San Francisco Marathon has grown into its potential with a beautiful course that showcases the city. It matches any marathon in the country in terms of what they provide to their runners."

This year's expected 19,000-plus entrants (which includes the companion half-marathons and 5K Run / Walk) reflects a 20 percent increase from last year.

In fact, word about the event is spreading in unexpected places.

Lieutenant Colonel Weeks, 43, has had the San Francisco Marathon in his plans since he began competing in marathons last year while he was stationed in California. But his military schedule didn't allow him the opportunity. Now, he has it in Afghanistan.

Weeks registered for the San Francisco Marathon, contacted the race organizers, and arranged to run the race "remotely." He put the word out to other U.S. military posts in Afghanistan about his planned run, and invited companion participants. Two U.S. Army soldiers took up the offer: Robert Cortes (Miami, Fla.) and Alexander Tabayoyon (West Richland, Wash.). So did U.S. Navy man John Rousseau (Grayslake, Illinois).

The four remote racers will complete the 26.2-mile marathon distance by circling a half-mile cricket field, which is composed of hard-packed sand and clay, over 50 times. They will carefully clock their finishing times which will be recorded in the event's official marathon results. The field, which is used by a UNICEF-operated school, is guarded by heavily fortified watch towers. Taliban militia stalk the hills less than six miles away.

Weeks said that their times won't be fast. Unlike San Francisco's ideal mid-summer running conditions, it is hot and humid in Afghanistan, making training and running difficult. The men tenaciously make running part of their daily physical training regimen while combating border incursions and squeezing in runs on short, confined routes or on treadmills.

"I've gone through two sets of shoes, and broke two treadmills, training for this [marathon]," said Weeks. "My time is going to be very bad, but it doesn't matter because at least I can say I ran a marathon in a combat zone."

Photos and video segments of the remote San Francisco Marathon in Afghanistan will be available on The San Francisco Marathon's website (www.runsfm.com), along with complete "mainland" results and information.

Six disadvantaged youth who compete on the Castlemont High School (Oakland, Calif.) track and cross country teams have also faced adverse conditions training for race day. Led by Castlemont junior Jaime Lopez, a standout 2:05 half miler on the boys track team, the group has diligently trained over the summer for The San Francisco Marathon's companion 5K Run / Walk.

"Unless we drive them somewhere to run, these kids are running around some pretty dangerous streets," said Castlemont's Head Track and Field Coach, Charles "Chuck" Schneekloth, referring to the east Oakland neighborhood where their high school is located. "Plus, there are a lot of cards stacked against these kids in an [underprivileged] urban setting. They often must work to help out their parents. They deserve a lot of credit. This summer we decided we'd love to have these young athletes get the experience of participating in a big event where there are many people immersed in a healthy lifestyle. The San Francisco Marathon invited us, and it's a perfect fit."

Almost daily, Schneekloth and Castlemont's co-Cross Country Coach, Miriam Allen, drive the athlete group to locales in the Oakland hills, Golden Gate Park, and Lake Merritt to train for the San Francisco Marathon's 5K. They oversee a youth team, the Castle Track Club, for non-scholastic athletic participation during the summer.

TOP ENTRANTS
Competitive elite fields will head this year's full marathon and 2nd half-marathon races. In the marathon, Chad Worthen (Sacramento, Calif.) and France's Mustapha Berri have the fastest seed times entering the race. Worthen, 34, has a marathon best of 2:22:03 recorded at the 2002 California International Marathon and he was a 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier. Berri, 44, a French biochemist, is one of the top masters (age 40 and over) runners in the world. Berri's personal best is also 2:22, and he was ranked the 31st fastest master man in the world last year with a 2:26:53 marathon performance. The women's marathon field is wide open after 2006 San Francisco Marathon women's champion Julia Stamps-Mallon (a former Santa Rosa High School and Stanford University standout) withdrew on pregnancy leave.

The women's 2nd half-marathon field is a strong one. 1999 USA Marathon champion Kim Pawelek (age 34, Jacksonville, Fla.) owns a swift 1:12:48 half-marathon best. Local contenders for the 2nd half marathon title include 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Christine Lundy (37, Sausalito, Calif.), Knox Bricken (32, San Francisco), plus former Stanford University women's cross country coach Dena Evans (33, Redwood City, Calif.). Ana Morales (26, San Mateo, Calif.), a track and field and cross country standout at Burlingame High School who also competed for the University of Notre Dame, is making her debut at the half-marathon (13.1 miles) distance. On the men's side, Leif Kohler (23, Redmond, Wash.) owns a 1:09:23 personal record, set last year, which makes him a formidable contestant for the half-marathon title.

The San Francisco Marathon starts and finishes on the Embarcadero at Mission Street, near Justin Herman Plaza and the Ferry Building. The official starting time is 5:30am. Top runners are expected to reach the finish line at Embarcadero and Folsom at approximately 7:50am.

REGISTRATION DETAILS and more information about The San Francisco Marathon(TM), and all of the marathon's events, are available online at www.runsfm.com.

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