Running USA wire 68, August 20, 2009

Crim Festival of Races hosts event with $17,200 national championship purse

INDIANAPOLIS - (August 19, 2009) - 2008 Olympic marathoner Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.) and recent USA 7 Mile champion Molly Huddle (Providence, R.I.) lead the field for the 2009 USA Women's 10 Mile Championship on Saturday, August 22 in Flint, Mich. The national championship will be hosted by the Crim Festival of Races, a Michigan summer tradition.

Lewy Boulet (left, PhotoRun) and Huddle should be challenged by 2009 USA 25K champion Sally Meyerhoff (Eugene, Ore.), Renee Metivier Baille (Flagstaff, Ariz.), two-time Olympian Amy Rudolph (Providence, R.I.) and 2008 USA 20K champion Jill Steffens (Athens, Ga.).

The USA 10 Mile Championship, the sixth stop for women on the 2009 USA Running Circuit (USARC), will award $17,200 in U.S. prize money that goes ten deep ($7000 for the U.S. champion and $3500, $2000, $1500, $1000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150). The 2009 USARC, a USA Track & Field road series, features USA Championships from one mile to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The 2009 USARC has ten events each for men and women.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USARC race (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1), with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6000, $4000 and $2500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall. The USARC points at the USA Marathon Championships will be doubled.

The mission of the USA Running Circuit is to showcase, support and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USARC and its races have provided more than $8 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.

For more information on the 2009 USA Women's 10 Mile Championship, visit: USATF.org

Dedicated prize purse for Texas athletes; statewide search underway for the top runners in Texas

SAN ANTONIO - (August 20, 2009) - The Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon is announcing the second running of the Texas Showdown, a statewide competition in which Texas residents will compete for a "Texas-only" prize purse in the full and half-marathon on Sunday, November 15, 2009.

The Texas Showdown is a "race within the race" open to all Texas runners. To qualify for the Texas Showdown prize purse, runners must have been a permanent resident in the state of Texas as of November 15, 2008. Complimentary entries and accommodations are available for some qualifying athletes, who in the last 12 months have achieved a marathon or half-marathon time of 2:43:00 / 1:13:30 (male) and 3:07:20 / 1:24:00 (female).

"The Texas Showdown is the only competition of its kind aimed at attracting talented athletes from the throughout the state," said Matt Turnbull, Elite Athlete Coordinator for the event. "We are trying to identify up-and-coming athletes and support them in their running career by providing them the opportunity to compete for a prize purse dedicated to Texas."

Eligible Texas runners are encouraged to submit a resume for consideration of complimentary entries to Matt Turnbull (mturnbull@competitorgroup.com) before Thursday, October 1, 2009.

TIME BONUS
Any male Texas athlete who completes the Rock 'n' Roll marathon course under 2:31 (or 1:08:30 half-marathon) and any Texas female finishing under 2:56 (or 1:17:00 half-marathon) will receive a bonus of $350, should they not win any prize money. The event will also feature an international professional field of men and women from all over the world who will be competing for a prize purse of over $85,000.

2009 Texas Showdown Prize Money Breakdown
Texas Resident - Marathon (men and women)
$2000, $1000 and $500

Texas Resident - Half-Marathon (men and women)
$1000, $750 and $500

The flat 26.2 and 13.1-mile courses run past many of the city's attractions and feature live bands and cheerleaders positioned at each mile. Runners who register by the end of the month can take advantage of an early entry fee for the event. Current registration prices for the race are $105 for the marathon and $90 for the half. The prices will hold through midnight on Monday, August 31, when they will increase to $115 and $95, respectively.

The Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon will take place on November 15, 2009, where more than 30,000 runners and walkers are expected to be at the start line on race morning. The Marathon & ½ Marathon courses give runners a first-class tour of the city, and travel through many of the city's historic sites and parks. 45 live bands and 30 spirited cheer squads will be staged along every mile of the, scenic 13.1-mile and 26.2-mile courses. The event will conclude with a concert, in which all participants receive free entry with their race bib.

A two-day Health & Fitness Expo kicks off race week at the Alamodome on Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14. All participants must visit the expo to pick up their race numbers and browse over 100 vendors from the running and fitness industry. To register for the race or for more information about the Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon, visit www.runrocknroll.com or call (800) 311-1255.

CARMEL, Calif. - (August 19, 2009) - The thousands of handouts and literature traditionally given to race participants in reusable plastic bags will now find their home in a virtual environment for the upcoming Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay.

The virtual goodie bags, a marketing opportunity for sponsors and other interested vendors, will contain multiple brochures and coupons accessible through the Big Sur Half Marathon website. For a full month prior to the November 15th event, each item in the goodie bag will be linked to either company websites or larger versions of the literature. The virtual goodie bag will also be direct e-mailed to 8,000 registered participants and a link to it will be provided on all Half Marathon email blasts, thus providing multiple touchpoints for the program.

"We're creating virtual goodie bags as part of our efforts to become a greener event," says race director Wally Kastner. "We're launching a concerted effort to make all our events more sustainable for the long term."

The virtual goodie bags are just one of many green initiatives undertaken by the Big Sur Marathon organization. Last year, the Half Marathon debuted its BYOB or "Bring Your Own (Water) Bottle" program, initiated a rideshare opportunity, eliminated its printed "Results Book" and continued with its aggressive recycling programs begun in 2007.

The Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay is now in its 7th year. The 13.1 mile course travels through historic Monterey, down the length of Cannery Row and along the scenic coastline of Pacific Grove. The race finishes near Fisherman's Wharf with post-race festivities in Monterey's Custom House Plaza. The race typically sells out at a capacity crowd of 7,000 runners and walkers.

For more information on participating in the virtual goodie bag program, the sustainability efforts of the Big Sur Marathon organization, or the Half Marathon registration, visit www.bsim.org or contact (831) 625-6226 or info@bsim.org.

Inaugural October 10th event will contribute to the Northern Virginia community and support research at the Inova Heart and Vascular Institute

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Greater Washington Sports Alliance, along with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and Potomac River Running Stores, have announced a new fall road race - The Anthem Great Pumpkin 5K and Pumpkin Dash - that will take place in the heart of the Reston Town Center. Scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2009, at 9:00am, the event will be open to both competitive runners and participants of all fitness levels and ages. The race will also serve as a cornerstone activity within the popular Oktoberfest celebration hosted by the Reston Chamber of Commerce taking place at the Town Center during the weekend.

"One thing we have found from our success in creating signature running events in this marketplace is that our community is at the core of putting on a quality road race," said Robert Sweeney, president of the Greater Washington Sports Alliance. "Fairfax County and the National Capital region are one of the fittest areas in the entire United States and we expect that the Anthem Great Pumpkin 5K and Pumpkin Dash will be embraced by our entire community and continue to add important value to this lifestyle from which we all benefit."

In addition to running on a beautiful fall day through one of the premier pedestrian friendly areas of Northern Virginia, runners and their families will also have the unique experience of seeing "The Greatest Pumpkin" in the State of Virginia first hand, which will be on display at the post-race Fall Festival, Oktoberfest. In conjunction with the Reston Chamber of Commerce's Oktoberfest, the Finish Line Festival will feature local restaurants, all day live entertainment, amusement rides and more. All participants will also have the opportunity to take part in the first annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest.

"Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is proud to support the entire Northern Virginia community through the encouragement of health and fitness activities like the Anthem Great Pumpkin 5K and Pumpkin Dash, which will ultimately provide residents and businesses alike a healthier place to live, work and play," said C. Burke King, president, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia.

An estimated 2,000 runners, joggers and walkers are expected to take part in the inaugural event which offers both a timed and non-timed 5K as well as a children's Pumpkin Dash. Families and children attending are encouraged to get into the fall season by participating in one of our Anthem Great Pumpkin events.

Registration fees for the event will be very affordable as registration is only $30 for the timed 5K and $20 for the non-timed 5K. The children's Pumpkin Dash will be a free Fun Run. All timed 5K participants will receive a free race shirt with registration. Untimed 5K participants will have the opportunity to purchase a race shirt for an additional fee.

Proceeds from the race will benefit research at Inova Heart and Vascular Institute. The cardiac and thoracic surgeons at Inova Heart and Vascular Institute provide world-class care using the most sophisticated technologies available, integrating healthcare services in a manner proven to enhance quality of care and clinical outcomes. It is the region's only program dedicated to both adult and pediatric patients, with their niche programs including an adult congenital heart clinic, atrial fibrillation center, the region's largest heart and lung transplant program, minimally invasive cardiac and thoracic surgery programs and a thoracic oncology program. Registrants can donate additional funds by visiting www.inova.org/foundation and then checking the IHVI designation during the donation process.

For more information on the event, go to www.thegreatpumpkin5k.com or call the event hotline at 1-866-RUN-0262.