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Top Contenders Announced for 2009 Boston Marathon
2008 Chicago winners, Olympians and additional talent to challenge defending champions

BOSTON - (February 19, 2009) - John Hancock Financial has announced that the top contenders for the 2009 Boston Marathon include an elite group of Olympians, top Americans and international marathon winners. These athletes will challenge four-time race champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya and defending women's champion Dire Tune of Ethiopia at the 113th running of the storied race on Monday, April 20.

The top male contenders include 2008 Chicago Marathon champion Evans Cheruiyot of Kenya, Olympian and 2009 Houston winner Deriba Merga of Ethiopia, and top American and Olympian Ryan Hall.

Evans Cheruiyot ran to a 2 hour, 6 minute, 25 second victory at an unseasonably hot Chicago last fall and in 2007 won the Milan City Marathon in his debut, while Merga shattered the 20-year-old Houston course record by more than two minutes this January, and last August, he placed fourth at the Beijing Olympic Marathon.

Hall's efforts last year included a 2:06:17 run in London and a tenth place at the Olympic Marathon. The Team Running USA athlete is the U.S. half-marathoner record holder (59:43) and currently the fastest U.S. marathoner (#2 all-time).

Added to John Hancock's professional team and chasing the trio are Daniel Rono of Kenya, with seven top three finishes in international marathons, including third in New York City last year; Robert Kiprono (Cheruiyot) of Kenya, who debuted last year with a 2:07:21 course record in Frankfurt and Gashaw Asfaw of Ethiopia, who was first in Shanghai, seventh at the Olympic Marathon and fourth in Boston 2008.

U.S. Olympian Brian Sell will also challenge, as will countryman Jason Lehmkuhle. Sell, a Hansons-Brooks team member, has experience in Boston, having finished fourth in 2006, and Team USA Minnesota's Lehmkuhle brings potential with a fifth at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Additional men returning with experience are 2004 Boston champion Timothy Cherigat and 2007 third place finisher Stephen Kiogora, both of Kenya. Newcomers on the tough point-to-point course include 2008 JoongAng Seoul Marathon winner Solomon Molla of Ethiopia, Lee Troop of Australia and debut marathoner Abebe Dinkesa of Ethiopia.

In the women's race, reigning champion Dire Tune of Ethiopia will face 2008 Chicago and 2007 Boston champion Lidiya Grigoryeva of Russia, as well as her countrywomen Galina Bogolomova, the Russian national record holder (2:20:47), and Olympic steeplechaser and World Championships silver medalist Tatyana Petrova.

Also in contention for the win are 2009 Dubai winner Bezunesh Bekele of Ethiopia, seasoned marathoner and Olympian Salina Kosgei of Kenya, and leading American Kara Goucher. In New York City this past fall, Goucher ran the fastest U.S. debut of all-time recording a 2:25:53 over the challenging course. The 2007 World Championships 10,000m bronze medalist also competed in the 5000 and 10,000 meters at the Beijing Olympic Games, finishing ninth and tenth respectively.

Chasing these women will be Helena Kirop of Kenya, third in Berlin the past two years; Atsede Habtamu of Ethiopia, runner-up in her debut in Dubai this year; Alice Timbilili of Kenya and two-time U.S. Olympian Elva Dryer.

John Hancock, now in its 24th year as the major sponsor of the Boston Marathon, will announce its complete international professional team in March.

For more race information, also visit: BostonMarathon.org

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USATF Announces New Board of Directors

INDIANAPOLIS - (February 18, 2009) - USA Track & Field has announced its newly constituted Board of Directors. Among what will be 15 members of the board are respected business executives, National Track & Field Hall of Famers, attorneys, officials, coaches and Olympic athletes.

The new board includes National Track & Field Hall of Famer and sports consultant Willie Banks; National Track & Field Hall of Famer and the first acting President of USATF's predecessor organization, The Athletics Congress (TAC), Dr. Evie Dennis; former world-class athlete and business executive Steve Holman; USATF official and youth track and field activist Kim Haines; businesswoman and former USATF women's long-distance running chair Elizabeth Phillips; international sports executive and former business professor Steve Miller; NASCAR executive and entertainment executive Max Siegel; longtime USATF official and practicing CPA Kenneth Taylor and retired health-care industry executive Jack Wickens.

Athlete members include a trio of three-time Olympians: four-time USA 50K race walk champion and 1999 Pan Am Games bronze medalist Philip Dunn; 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medalist and two-time World Cross Country silver medalist Deena Kastor and four-time national discus champion and 2003 Pan Am Games gold medalist Aretha Hill Thurmond.

Board members already specified by USATF bylaws are President Stephanie Hightower and IAAF Council Member Robert Hersh. USATF's "5E" member organizations, including the NCAA, NAIA and National Federation of State High School Associations, will name their collective board member by early March, which will bring the board size to 15 members.

"It is an honor to serve on the Board of Directors as USATF President," Hightower said. "This is an accomplished group in the personal, professional and athletic realms. They will bring their high standards of excellence to their work with USA Track & Field, to the benefit of everyone who loves the sport."

"I am extremely optimistic about working with the new board," USATF CEO Doug Logan said. "All are strong, independent-minded individuals who see the big picture. With their collective capacity to put the best interests of the sport first, we have a bright future."

The demographics of the board reflect the diversity of the sport: seven of the 14 members currently named are African-American and five are women; of those with world-class athletic backgrounds in the sport, the sprints/hurdles, jumps, middle distances, long distances, race walks and throws are represented. Nearly all are established businesspeople.

In sweeping bylaw changes overwhelmingly approved by USATF membership at its Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada, on December 13, the Board was reduced in size from 31 members to 15. The USATF President, IAAF Council Member, 5E representative and three athlete representatives are selected directly by their constituencies. The six seats nominated by USATF's High Performance, Long Distance Running, General Competition, Youth, Coaches and Officials divisions, as well as three independent seats, were vetted and ultimately selected by USATF's Nominating and Governance Panel. Each USATF Division nominated three candidates for each seat, with the Panel choosing the board member from among the nominated candidates. The Independent board members were selected by the Panel from nominations gathered nationwide. The board will meet for the first time on Saturday, March 7 in Orlando and will elect its own officers.

For more information, visit: USATF.org

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Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon Announces Elite Field
Gilmore headlines sold-out "Biggest Little Marathon in the West" as it celebrates 31st edition in wine country on Sunday, March 1

NAPA, Calif. - (February 21, 2009) - The Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon has announced that professional U.S. marathoner Peter Gilmore (San Mateo, Calif.) and 2007 NVM women's champion Devon Crosby-Helms (Seattle, Wash.) will join a sold-out crowd of 2,300 participants for its 31st edition on Sunday, March 1. Although the race does not offer prize money, its fast and scenic course that spans the length of the world renowned Napa Valley wine country draws runners of all abilities from near and far.

TOP MEN
Gilmore, 31, owns an impressive personal record at the marathon distance of 2 hours, 12 minutes and 45 seconds, earned at the 2006 Boston Marathon where he placed seventh. He is a veteran of two U.S. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials (2004 and 2008). At the 2008 Trials in New York City, Gilmore was a top contender for a spot on the U.S. Olympic team headed to Beijing. He fought an untimely chest cold, however, forcing him to drop out of the race and deal with the biggest disappointment of his life. A foot injury dampened much of Gilmore's 2008 racing year, but now the athlete who is sponsored by MarathonGuide.com says he is rounding into top form.

A racing-sharp Gilmore could threaten the longtime Napa Valley Marathon men's course record of 2:16:20 set by Dick Beardsley in 1987. Gilmore, however, has other plans.

"I'll run Napa as a training run," said Gilmore, who is preparing for a spring marathon but hasn't finalized which one yet. "I've never done a marathon as a training run leading up to another marathon. But Napa is a beautiful race. It's easy for me to travel to, and the expected winning time is right in the wheelhouse of what I want to do for a training run. Mid-2:20s would be nice."

The average men's winning time at Napa over the past five years is 2:27.

"Obviously, winning (at Napa) is a top priority, but I have to put a limit on what I'm willing to do to conserve a little bit for another marathon," commented Gilmore, who has logged 100 to 150 training miles a week over the winter.

Additional top contenders among men include:

* Andy Martin (Bend, Ore.), 34, a prolific marathoner and former triathlete who won 26.2-milers at the Big Sur International Marathon (Carmel, Calif.) and Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon on back-to-back weekends last year. His personal best is 2:20:04.

* James Nielsen (Palo Alto, Calif.), a two-time NCAA Division III 5000-meter champion while at the University of California-San Diego, and a two-time USA world cross country team member. Nielsen, 29, recorded a personal best of 2:21:01 while winning the 2007 Eugene Marathon.

Male Age Group Watch: Ed Spinney, 55, of Eugene, Ore., who in the late 1970s and early 1980s sported an impressive range of 3:57 for the mile to 2:18 in the marathon. Spinney ran a 2:47 marathon last year, and he hopes to break the NVM course record of 2:43:29 for men 55-59 at this year's race.

TOP WOMEN
Devon Crosby-Helms, 26, returns to the Napa Valley Marathon with a 2:49:51 marathon personal best on her resume, a nice improvement on her 2:52:49 runaway victory at the '07 NVM. Since then, she has also bolstered her credentials as one of the top U.S. women at ultramarathon distances. The numerous ultras she has won include the '07 Tahoe Rim 50 Mile in a course record time (8:39:30) and the '08 Vermont 100 Mile.

Crosby-Helms competed on officially sanctioned (by USA Track & Field) U.S. national teams at the last two IAU World Cup 100K races, an international event which is often referred to as the "world championship" of ultra-distance running. Last November, in Italy, she placed tenth overall in the race. Along with U.S. teammate Kami Semick, who placed second overall, Crosby-Helms helped pace the U.S. team to a silver medal winning performance.

In fact, Semick, 42, of Bend, Ore. is also a top prospect for the women's victory at this year's Napa Valley Marathon. She was the U.S. 50K trail champion in 2006, and has won marathons at Portland ('08), Silicon Valley ('07) and Seattle ('05). Semick's personal best at the marathon distance is 2:45:24.

"If Kami is in top form, there's no hope for me," admitted Crosby-Helms, who recently had her training interrupted by a foot injury. "I really don't know what my speed is going to be like. While winning is always fun, I just love the Napa race so much. It's more about just running the race and enjoying it."

Mary Coordt (Elk Grove, Calif.) will compete in the race once again after a memorable performance last year. Coordt, 39, finished the 2008 race in fourth place behind women's winner Maureen Ackerly. Her time of 2:46:30, a personal record, qualified Coordt for her third U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials. In fact, the top four women all qualified for the Trials with times under the Trials "B" qualifying standard of 2:47:00. Coordt is a two-time champion ('97, '05) at the NVM.

Female Age Group Watch: Christine Iwahashi, 53, of Sacramento, Calif. is a three-time winner ('86, '87, '90) of the Napa Valley Marathon - tying her with David Chairez ('84, '86, '89) for the most NVM victories. Iwahashi will run the 112th marathon of her long career at this year's NVM.

The 2009 Napa Valley Marathon starts on Sunday, March 1 at 7:00am sharp in Calistoga on the Silverado Trail near the intersection of Rosedale Road. The marathon's fast, USA Track & Field certified point-to-point road course runs the length of the beautiful Silverado Trail and finishes at Vintage High School in Napa. Top runners are expected to reach the finish between 9:15am and 9:30am. Runners will receive official times up until 1:00pm when the course closes.

Entry slots are still available for the companion Kiwanis 5K Fun Run, which starts (8:00am) and finishes at Vintage High School on marathon morning.

For more information, visit: NapaValleyMarathon.org

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Runner's World Shows Impressive Newsstand Gains with its January 2009 Issue, Up 13.3% vs. January 2008
www.runnersworld.com delivers 1.29 million unique visitors in January 2009, up 22% vs. January 2008

NEW YORK - (February 19, 2009) - Runner's World, the worldwide authority on running information, delivered impressive double-digit newsstand growth with its January 2009 issue, up 13.3% vs. January 2008. Runner's World's award-winning companion website, www.runnersworld.com, also experienced significant increases in January 2009 delivering 1.29 million unique visitors and 19.3 million page views, up 22% and 17% respectively vs. January 2008 (data provided from Coremetrics, runnersworld.com's web analytics vendor). The website's video content exceeded 1.1 million video plays in January 2009, a new monthly record and the very first time monthly video plays have exceeded the one million mark.

"Runner's World is defying the odds and we're thrilled to see our brand experiencing positive returns both on newsstands and online," says Runner's World Media Group Vice President Chris Lambiase. "In difficult economic times, people turn to exercise, and more specifically running, as an outlet to manage stress and uncertainty. As our January numbers show, people continue to turn to Runner's World for trusted training advice, news and inspirational story-telling as a way to stay motivated and optimistic about the future."

Recognized as the worldwide authority on running information, the mission of Rodale's Runner's World is to inform, advise and motivate runners of all ages and abilities. Runner's World aims to help runners achieve their personal health, fitness and performance goals, and to inspire them with vivid, memorable storytelling. Currently, Runner's World publishes 14 international editions. Runner's World's award-winning companion website, www.runnersworld.com, is the largest running community on the Internet, featuring interactive, searchable and targeted content for runners of all ages and abilities.

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