Running USA wire 58, July 21, 2009

Sold-out race will be broadcast live on Competitor.com

CHICAGO - (July 15, 2009) - Fresh off her second U.S. 5000m track title, Kara Goucher will return to the roads to make her U.S. half-marathon debut at the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon on Sunday, August 2. The race webcast can be seen live on Competitor.com beginning at 6:30am CT.

Less than a year ago, Goucher amazed U.S. road racing fans with an inspiring third place debut at the 2008 ING New York City Marathon, the first time in 14 years that an American woman had placed in the top three there. Her second marathon in Boston earlier this year saw her place third in a tight finish on the home stretch. Her performance was the best finish by a U.S. woman at the Boston Marathon since 1993.

"I'm excited to be part of the first Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon. I'm grateful for the opportunity to race as part of my preparations for the World Championships here on home soil, in one of the true great sporting cities." said Goucher, who will use the race in preparation to run the marathon at the IAAF World Championships on Sunday, August 23 in Berlin. "I'm very happy about the way my preparations have gone. I ran the trials in June and now it's time to get back on the roads. I'm hoping to run well in Chicago and take that confidence into Berlin and give a good account of myself on the world stage."

Goucher's marathon prospects at the World Championships are rooted in previous wins this year over 3000m at the Reebok Boston Indoor Games and 5000m at the USA Outdoor Championships. The 5000m victory in 15 minutes, 20.94 seconds was her second U.S. track title, the other being the 2008 Olympic Trials which preceded her ninth place 5000m finish at the Beijing Olympics last summer.

Unbeaten in her career at the half-marathon distance, Goucher captured her first title in 2007 in spectacular fashion when she out-dueled marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe, winning the Great North Run in 1:06:57, the fastest woman's half-marathon time of the year. The sub-1:07 performance set a new American best time for the distance.

"It's great to have Kara competing at the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Chicago," said Matt Turnbull, Athlete Coordinator for the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, who was on hand for the 2007 Great North Run, Goucher's first competitive race longer than 10K. "She is the best female distance runner in America right now and the race fits perfectly into her schedule for this summer's World Championships. There is no better ambassador for the sport of running in the United States so it's great to have her in Chicago."

Goucher owns a marathon PR of 2:25:53, which is the fastest marathon debut ever by an American woman. She holds two of the seven fastest U.S. women's marathon times in history, and has won both half-marathons she has finished, including the 2009 Lisbon Half Marathon in 1:08:30.

For more information about Rock 'n' Roll Chicago, visit: www.runrocknroll.com or call (800) 311-1255.

Recent Chicago Marathon champions Cheruiyot, Ivuti and Grigoryeva also to contend for race titles

CHICAGO - (July 21, 2009) - 2008 Olympic Marathon gold medalist Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya has announced that he will make his first U.S. appearance at the 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in an attempt to better his current personal marathon record (2 hours, 5 minutes, 10 seconds). With two sub-2:06 marathons to his credit and the benefits of Chicago's sleek course, the 22-year-old Kenyan's goals are within reach on Sunday, October 11.

"My plan for the fall is to lower my personal record and the Bank of America Chicago Marathon course offers the best opportunity for me to achieve that this year," said Wanjiru from Kenya. "My only focus between now and October is to prepare and train aggressively for my best performance yet."

Wanjiru has quickly made a name for himself in the world of distance running, first capturing the half-marathon world record in 2005, lowering it in 2007 and winning three of the four marathons in which he has competed. His Olympic gold medal performance last summer in Beijing was the first ever for a Kenyan athlete in the marathon and marked his first World Marathon Majors (WMM) victory. This spring, he captured a second consecutive WMM win with his fastest time yet at the 2009 London Marathon (2:05:10).

"Sammy is certainly the athlete to watch in this sport right now and we are honored to be able to host him at such a pivotal point in his career," said Carey Pinkowski, Executive Race Director for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. "We have had the pleasure of witnessing four previous world records in Chicago and if conditions are right, the enthusiastic sports fans in this city could have the opportunity to see that again."

Challenging Wanjiru for the title will be 2008 Bank of America Chicago Marathon champion Evans Cheruiyot (KEN) and 2007 race champion Patrick Ivuti (KEN). Cheruiyot, 27, has competed in only three marathons including his WMM debut in Chicago last fall. He broke the tape in a personal best 2:06:25, an impressive feat considering the unseasonably warm weather.

Ivuti, 31, will make his third Chicago appearance this fall, returning to the site where he posted the closest margin of victory in Chicago Marathon history in 2007. Amid record heat and humidity, Ivuti thrilled fans with a shoulder-to-shoulder sprint against two-time World Champion Jaouad Gharib (MAR), crossing the finish line only half a second ahead of Gharib (2:11:11). In 2005, he made his marathon debut in Chicago where he posted his current personal best (2:07:46) in a fifth place finish.

Reigning women's Chicago Marathon champion Lidiya Grigoryeva (RUS) will defend the title she earned in Chicago last October with a finish time of 2:27:17. Grigoryeva, 35, is the 2007 Boston Marathon champion and owns a personal best of 2:25:10 set in Los Angeles in 2006. Her primary contender is 2005 Chicago Marathon champion Deena Kastor (USA) who has already set her sights on lowering the U.S. marathon record she currently owns (2:19:36).

"Today's announcement significantly advances the depth of our elite athlete field for the October 11 race and continues the tradition of world class marathon competition in Chicago," said Pinkowski.

The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is one of the most competitive marathons in the world. In its storied history it has hosted some of the great names in the sport including Steve Jones, Joan Benoit Samuelson, Khalid Khannouchi, Catherine Ndereba, Deena Kastor and Paula Radcliffe. Currently, the 2009 start line will feature four former Chicago Marathon champions, eight World Marathon Major victories and two Olympic medalists.

In its 32nd year and a member of the World Marathon Majors, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon annually attracts 45,000 runners including a world class elite field and 1.5 million spectators. As a result of its national and international draw, the iconic race assists in raising $10 million for a variety of charitable causes while generating an estimated $140 million economic impact to its host city.

The 2009 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will start and finish in Chicago's Grant Park beginning at 7:30am on Sunday, Oct. 11. In advance of the race, a two-day Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place on Friday, October 9 and Saturday, October 10. More information on the race and how to get involved is available at: ChicagoMarathon.com.

Elite fields include three women tuning up for World Championships

SAN FRANCISCO - (July 17, 2009) - The San Francisco Marathon(TM), scheduled for Sunday, July 26, 2009, will draw more than 20,000 runners entered in the event's marathon, two accompanying half-marathons and 5K run. The elite fields set to toe the starting line will include, perhaps, the strongest women's contingent in the 32 years a major marathon has run in San Francisco.

Yoko Shibui (Japan), Tera Moody (USA) and Fiona Docherty (New Zealand) are members of their respective national teams that will compete at the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany. All three athletes will run in The San Francisco Marathon (SFM) events as a tune-up for the marathon on Sunday, August 23 at the World Championships. Moody and Docherty are entered in SFM's 2nd Half Marathon (which covers the second half of the city-wide marathon course). Shibui, however, has opted for the full marathon race that includes a memorable out-and-back tour over the Golden Gate Bridge.

As the all-time seventh fastest female marathoner in the world, the 30-year-old Shibui is a national celebrity in Japan. Her lightening-swift personal best of 2 hours, 19 minutes and 41 seconds at the 26.2-mile distance, which she recorded at the 2004 Berlin Marathon, set a Japanese national record (since eclipsed by Mizuki Noguchi's 2:19:12 in 2005).

"The San Francisco Marathon will serve as a final long run in my preparations for the World Championships, and as a time trial to see where I really am at sea level," said Shibui who has been training at 7,000 feet elevation in Flagstaff, Ariz. for the past two months under the wings of her coach Shigeharu Watanabe. "San Francisco is a beautiful city and I'm really looking forward to spending some time there. Running a marathon will be a great way to do some sight-seeing. It will be nice to get 'genki' (good-spirited) power from my fellow Japanese people in San Francisco."

Shibui's credentials make her a candidate to eclipse SFM's current women's course record of 2:43:41 set by Yolanda Flamino in 2007. Shibui, however, said she plans on "cruising" the hilly marathon course in the 2:45 to 2:55 range along with her Japanese teammate and training partner, Ikuyo Yamashita, who owns a 2:39:07 personal best. Even so, a training effort could put either woman on the winner's podium.

Last summer, Shibui competed at the Olympic Games in Beijing where she placed 17th at 10,000 meters. Already this year, she has won the Osaka Ladies Marathon in 2:23:42 and helped her Japanese national team to victory at the highly competitive Yokohama International Women's Ekiden relay.

Moody and Docherty headline the deepest-ever female elite field for SFM's 2nd Half Marathon (13.1 miles). Although the event's 1st Half Marathon is popular among many runners primarily because of its scenic tour of San Francisco's world-famous bay waterfront and the Golden Gate Bridge, elite runners prefer the flatter and faster 2nd Half Marathon course.

Moody, 28, who resides in Colorado Springs, Colo. earned her place on the U.S. team headed to the IAAF World Championships by placing fifth at the 2008 U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials in 2:33:54, a personal record. Although Moody missed making the U.S. Olympic team by a mere two places at that race, she wasn't disappointed by the outcome.

"The opportunity to run in the World Championships is a dream come true," said Moody. "I've been dreaming about it pretty much every day since the Marathon Trials. I feel it's the next best thing to the Olympics."

Moody is focusing on the World Championships marathon in Berlin by turning in 100-mile training weeks in Colorado's altitude.

"I like to run a half-marathon about a month out from my marathons, get in a really solid effort, and see what I need to work on," said Moody, whose half marathon personal record is 1:13:04. "San Francisco fits in perfectly and I really love the city. Right now I'm feeling really strong and I'm not worrying too much about my speed."

New Zealand's Docherty is also preparing for Berlin in Colorado (Boulder) where she is coached by former marathon world record holder Steve Jones. Docherty, 33, is "transitioning to the marathon" (her own words) following years as an accomplished triathlete and duathlete. Last January, the Kiwi ran a debut "non-triathlon" effort at the Austin 3M Half Marathon in 1:15:56 followed by a 2:42:11 at the Ottawa Marathon in May.

Others to watch in the 2nd Half Marathon women's field: Christy Beckman (32, San Diego), a former NCAA Division I All-American at the University of California, Irvine (1/2 marathon PR: 1:16:04); and Jessica Minty (25, Blowing Rock, N.C.), a recent grad of Colby College (Maine) who is making her half-marathon debut after scoring a 5000m PR of 15:56 on the track last April.

2nd Half Marathon entrant Sylvia Mosqueda, 43, of Los Angeles is virtually unbeatable in the masters (age 40 and over) division. Her 1:14:26 half-marathon at Huntington Beach in 2007 ranks her #3 all-time on the U.S. women's masters list.

Three former SFM champions are returning to compete.
Chad Worthen (35, Sacramento) won last year's marathon contest, easily topping all men in 2:31:52. This year, Worthen will try his hand in the 2nd Half Marathon where he'll vie against a number of younger competitors with excellent marks. They include Ethiopia's Abiyot Endale, 23, whose 1:05:27 half-marathon best is the class of the field.

Andrew Cook (Flower Mound, Texas) and former Santa Rosa High School and Stanford University track and cross country standout Julia Mallon (nee Stamps) are entered in the marathon, looking to add more SFM individual champion trophies to their shelves. Cook, 28, a 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier with a 2:19:47 personal best, scored back-to-back men's victories at SFM in 2006 and 2007. Cook's primary challenger could come from Allen Wagner (28, Huntingdon Valley, Pa.) who was 25th overall at the '08 Trials in 2:18:25.

Mallon, 30, will be seeking her second trip to the awards stand at SFM after winning the women's race in 2006. The talented athlete who now resides in Miami, Fla. with her husband Jon. Mallon is returning to good form just six months after giving birth to Ashlin Rose, the couple's first child. She captured second place at the rugged Big Sur International Marathon last April. Her marathon best is 2:46:18, which she turned in at the 2003 Chicago Marathon, a time that qualified her for the U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials the following year.

"I look forward to the joy of racing The San Francisco Marathon yet another year. The race has morphed into a real family affair," said Mallon. Her husband, sister-in-law, and brother-in-law who has just returned from the war in Afghanistan are running in the 1st Half Marathon. Mallon's infant daughter and parents will be waiting for her at the finish line.

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