Running USA wire 13, February 14, 2011

Team USA Arizona wins Allan Steinfeld Development Award; Hall of Champions inductees Dr. Ken Cooper and Creigh Kelley; tribute to Cascade Run Off highlight event

SAN ANTONIO - (February 14, 2011) - At the Running USA Hall of Champions Dinner and Live Auction on Monday evening at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, the sport was celebrated and feted with the Allan Steinfeld Development Award, two Hall of Champions inductees and a tribute to the Cascade Run Off. The evening was part of Running USA 2011: The Industry Conference which opened to record registration on Sunday, February 13 in the Alamo City.

Team USA Arizona, based at altitude in Flagstaff, was announced as the second Allan Steinfeld Development Award winner (left, MarathonFoto). The development award was named after Allan Steinfeld, a long-time leader in the sport, who jump-started the U.S. distance running resurgence when as head of the New York Road Runners he allocated $20,000 seed money ($1 per U.S. entry at the 2000 New York City Marathon) for the development program Team USA Distance Running launched in November 2000 that produced training groups such as Team Running USA (two Olympic medals in 2004 and major marathon wins) and Team USA Minnesota (winner of the inaugural development award) and inspired others.

"Team USA Arizona with its youth and talent is a perfect choice for our training group development award. They represent the future of U.S. distance running, and we look forward to their continued successes as the 2012 Olympics near," said Susan Weeks, Running USA CEO.

"If we've learned one thing from the resurgence of U.S. distance running over the last 10 years, it's that all our Olympic hopefuls need is opportunity. Running USA's ongoing support of training groups through the Allan Steinfeld Development Award allows more and more opportunities for our deserving emerging elite athletes," said Greg McMillan, Team USA Arizona head coach and founder. "We are honored to receive this award which will help us continue to provide opportunities for a new generation of U.S. distance runners."

The 17-member Team USA Arizona, with an average age of just 25, includes 10 women (Lindsay Allen, Erin Bedell, Alvina Begay, Danielle Domenichelli, Megan Duwell, Emily Harrison, Shayla Houlihan, Natasha LaBeaud, Stephanie Rothstein and Jaime Winslow) and 7 men (Marco Anzures, Nick Arciniaga, Fasil Bizuneh, Aaron Braun, Brett Gotcher, Jordan Horn and Scott Smith). Gotcher and Rothstein currently have the fourth fastest U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials 2012 qualifier times. For more information, go to: www.teamusaarizona.com

In addition, at the Monday evening awards banquet and live auction, the eighth class of the Running USA Hall of Champions was recognized for their contribution and dedication to the sport. The 2011 inductees were:

• Dr. Ken Cooper (Dallas, TX), best-selling author / researcher / pioneer / "father of aerobics"

• Creigh Kelley (Englewood, CO), race organizer / announcer / administrator / volunteer

The evening also included a tribute to the Cascade Run Off and the 30th anniversary of its awarding of Open prize money, the first such "over the table" money for a major U.S. road race. This historic event led to the professionalization of the sport. At the tribute, race founder Chuck Galford, race coordinator Keith Peters and 1981 women's winner Anne Audain represented and celebrated the 15K race. Later a quilt made of past race shirts was auctioned for $2500.

Overall, the conference's silent and live auctions raised more than $53,000 for Team USA Arizona and other Running USA programs.

For more information on Running USA 2011, visit: RunningUSA.org or contact Ryan Lamppa at (805) 696-6232 or ryan@runningusa.org

Boit men's half-marathon champion; Joslyn, Zakrzewski marathon winners; nearly 17,000 entrants

NEW ORLEANS - (February, 13, 2010) - Kim Smith of New Zealand set a pending U.S. All-Comers record in the half marathon on Sunday, clocking 1 hour, 7 minutes, 36 seconds at the second Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon & Half-Marathon benefiting the American Cancer Society. The 29-year-old ran away from the rest of the women's field in the opening mile and was never challenged on her way to setting a 19-second personal best and shattering her national record for the 13.1-mile distance.

"My goal was to run a little bit slower because my coach didn't want me to push it too hard," said Smith (left, PhotoRun), who finished sixth overall. "But I felt good out there. I'm training for the Boston Marathon so I'm in pretty heavy training at the moment so I didn't think I would run this fast. I'm pretty happy after the heavy training week to run like that."

Smith, who finished runner-up at the New Orleans event in 2010, eclipsed the previous mark of 1:07:45 set by Ethiopian Meseret Defar at the ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon last September. She said she will take some time this week to focus on recovery before gearing up to run Boston in April.

"At this time last year it was only my second half-marathon I'd ever done, so now I'm a little more experienced having done two marathons. It's getting easier to do these longer races," she added. "For this spring, the big goal is to win Boston. It's only 45 minutes from where I live in Providence (Rhode Island), so it's a home course for me now."

Molly Pritz of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in Rochester, Michigan finished second in 1:11:05, taking a minute and nine seconds off her previous personal best. Woynishet Gima Tafa of Ethiopia was third in 1:12:08. Also qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials was Pritz's teammate Melissa White, who finished in fourth place with a time of 1:13:53.

The men's race was a much tighter affair as former University of Arkansas All-American Josphat Boit of Kenya broke the tape in 1:03:57, one second ahead of the hard-charging Luke Humphrey from the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project. Humphrey's teammate, Tim Young, finished third in 1:04:22.

Boit, running his second half-marathon, took off from the sound of the starter's pistol and was joined by countryman Elkanah Kibet (4th, 1:04:24) through 10K, splitting 30:26. Humphrey, meanwhile, sat in the chase pack for the first half of the race before surging to the lead at mile 8 (39:16) and turning it into a two-man contest between he and Boit. The duo battled all the way to the finish at City Park, until the final straightaway when Boit pushed to the front.

"That was a surprise," Boit said of Humphrey taking the lead. "The race started from there. The win was the goal and the time will take care of itself."

Humphrey, whose main objective going into the race was to help teammates Young and Sage Canaday (5th, 1:04:32) stay on pace for a U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying time of under 1 hour and 5 minutes, did a commendable job fulfilling those duties on his way to a runner-up finish and a 15-second personal best.

"After 4 miles the gap just stayed the same so I thought 'I'm just gonna go after it and try to get to them'," said Humphrey, who will run the Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon in June. "We kept rolling and got to 12 miles and kind of looked at each other like who's going to make the first move and that was it."

In the accompanying marathon, it was C. Fred Joslyn of Syracuse, NY who dominated the race, crossing the finish line in 2:18:48 to win easily over second-place finisher Kevin Castille of Lafayette, Louisiana, who ran 2:26:16. Four-time Mardi Gras Marathon champion Meyer Freidman was third in 2:27:55.

Joslyn was in a pack of three which included Castille and Seamus Nally, through halfway in 1:09:03. The trio ran together through 18 miles when Joslyn was able to get some space heading up a slight rise coming out of an underpass. He ran solo the rest of the way to the finish line.

"It was a great race out there," said Joslyn, who won his first marathon and qualified for next year's Olympic Trials in Houston, TX. "I had a lot of fun. The three of us had a great pack and had a strong pace going."

Joasia Zakrzewski won the women's race in 2:47:24, a personal best by over 14 minutes. New Zealand's Karen Lockyer finished second in 2:52:26, with Louisiana resident Beth Woodward rounding out the top-3 in 3:02:55.

Competing in near ideal conditions, cool temperatures greeted nearly 17,000 entrants at the start line. Participating in his second consecutive Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Half Marathon was New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu.

"That day was gorgeous, the weather was perfect and the route was really spectacular," said Landrieu. "We ran though uptown New Orleans, back down Magazine Street, on St. Charles, through the French Quarter and then we hit historic Esplanade Avenue, into City Park with the New Orleans Museum of Art was amazing, but having said all that my favorite sight of the day was the finish line."

Landrieu was joined by his sister-in-law and special assistant for economic development, Aimee Quirk; Mary Beth Romig, the city's director of public relations and special projects; Freddy Kullman, one of the Landrieu's administrative aides; and Dr. Karen DeSalvo, the city's health commissioner.

On Saturday DeSalvo joined Dr. Andy Baldwin, ABC's "The Bachelor," at the finish line of the first ever ING KiDS ROCK Mardi Gras, where more than 1,000 kids participated in a one-mile run. Baldwin also competed in the half-marathon on behalf of ING Run For Something Better.

More than 400 charity runners raised approximately $700,000 through the event, which benefited the American Cancer Society.

Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras ½ Marathon
New Orleans, LA, Sunday, February 13, 2011
MEN
1) Josphat Boit (KEN), 1:03:57
2) Luke Humphrey (USA / MI), 1:03:58
3) Tim Young (USA / MI), 1:04:22

WOMEN
1) Kim Smith (NZL), 1:07:36*
2) Molly Pritz (USA / MI), 1:11:05
3) Woynishet Gima Tafa (ETH), 1:12:08
*pending U.S. All-Comers record (previous, 1:07:45, Meseret Defar (ETH), ING Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia, September 19, 2010)

Rock 'n' Roll Mardi Gras Marathon
MEN
1) C. Fred Joslyn (NY), 2:18:49

WOMEN
1) Joasia Zakrzewski (GBR), 2:47:25

Full results, photos and more at: http://mardi-gras.competitor.com

Decorated international field of 43 athletes includes defending race champions, Olympic and World Championship medalists and top Americans

BOSTON - (February 10, 2011) - In its 26th year as principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon, John Hancock Financial has announced the professional field for the 115th running of the Boston Marathon on Monday, April 18.

Reigning race champions Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot and Teyba Erkesso will defend their titles, but will be fiercely challenged by one of the fastest and deepest men's and women's fields ever assembled for the Boston Marathon.

Cheruiyot ran a stunning 2:05:52 course record last year over the difficult Boston course. In April, he will face top contenders that include past and present marathon champions of New York City, Chicago, Seoul, Amsterdam, Houston, Xiamen, Torino, Eindhoven, Phoenix, Monaco, Gyeongju, Milan and Nairobi.

Geoffrey Mutai leads the line-up as the second fastest man in the world last year with a 2:04:55 best. Joining him are 2:06 men including top American Ryan Hall, Gilbert Yegon, Tadese Tola, Evans Cheruiyot and 2010 Seoul course record holder Sylvester Teimet.

Challenging this group are the 2010 ING New York City champion Gebre Gebremariam, the newly crowned Houston course record holder Bekana Daba and 2010 Boston runner-up Tekeste Kebede.

International newcomers to the course include Philip Sanga, Feleke Cherkos, Deressa Edae, Stephen Kibiwot, Peter Kamais and 2011 Xiamen winner Robert Kipchumba. Returning to Boston are Moses Kigen Kipkosgei, Shadrack Kiplagat and rising U.S. talent Antonio Vega. Irish Olympian Alistair Cragg and Kenyan Moses Mosop will make their marathon debuts.

On the women's side, the historic race in Boston has been decided over the past three years by three seconds or less. Last year, Teyba Erkesso maintained a three second lead to the finish as she held off a charging Tatyana Pushkareva. This year's race likely will prove just as competitive with 16 women in the field holding times of 2:26:20 or better.

Past race champions Salina Kosgei, Dire Tune and four-time winner Catherine Ndereba join Erkesso and Pushkareva. The experienced trio will contest a highly competitive race that includes 2010 international marathon champions, top Americans and talented newcomers.

Chasing the Boston champions are 2010 international marathon winners including Sharon Cherop, who edged Tirfi Tsegaye Beyene to win Toronto by one second, and Caroline Kilel, who won Frankfurt after a duel with Dire Tune. Carpi champion Hellen Mugo is on the team and she joins Amsterdam winner Alice Timbilili.

Challenging the group are top Americans Kara Goucher, who finished third in Boston in 2009, and Desiree Davila, the fastest American of 2010 with her fourth place finish in Chicago, and 2008 Olympic marathoner Blake Russell. International competitors include New Zealand Olympian Kim Smith, former Russian national record holder Galina Bogomolova and young talent Merima Mohammed from Ethiopia.

Werknesh Kidane and Florence Kiplagat also bring significant credentials to the race. Kidane is a multiple Junior and Senior World Cross Country champion (2 gold, 3 silver, 3 bronze) and Kiplagat, who will make her marathon debut, is a World Half Marathon and World Cross Country champion. Both women are married to men in the field: Kidane is married to Gebre Gebremariam and Kiplagat is married to Moses Mosop.

Additional talent includes Silvia Skvortsova, Teyba Naser, Woynishet Girma and Yuliya Ruban.

"Throughout our more than two decades-long sponsorship of the Boston Marathon, John Hancock has each year honored its commitment to bring the world's top runners to the race and ensure that the historic Boston Marathon remains among the world's most premier sporting events," said Rob Friedman, head of Sponsorship and Event Marketing at John Hancock. "This year's field once again is filled with outstanding runners who no doubt will provide the millions of spectators and viewers with yet another thrilling contest. We are counting down the days to April 18th."

"Competitive excellence has been the touchstone for the Boston Marathon for over a century, both among our full field of runners and the magnificent field of professional runners from around the world recruited by John Hancock," said Tom Grilk, B.A.A. Executive Director. "John Hancock Financial's sponsorship of our premier event over the last 26 years - including support of professional marathoners - has resulted in pre-race excitement, competitive races, and historic performances."

For a complete list of the 115th Boston Marathon's professional field, go to: www.bostonmarathon.org

More than $800,000 raised already, with five weeks still left before race day

LOS ANGELES - In amounts from $5 to more than $10,000, an unprecedented $808,000 has already been raised for community, institutional and even individual fund-raising programs with nearly 35 days still left before the 26th Honda LA Marathon presented by K-Swiss on Sunday, March 20, 2011.

In addition to its traditional affiliation with dozens of local and national charitable organizations, the race added a significant new partner this year in Crowdrise.com, an easy-to-use, web-based portal for fund-raising.

"During the past two years, we've made great strides in expanding our charitable program, but Crowdrise is helping us take it to a whole new level," said LA MARATHON LLC chief operating officer Nick Curl. "It's a fairly staggering total when you consider that our partnership with Crowdrise just launched and our race isn't until March 20. We've set an aggressive goal of raising $4 million - far more than ever before - and we believe we are on pace to achieve it."

From high-profile programs like the ThinkCure! cancer research fund to individual initiatives to raise money for family members facing life-threatening medical challenges, the unique Crowdrise.com interface makes contributing to a favorite cause easier than ever.

"It'll allow anybody to participate," said actor Edward Norton, who helped found Crowdrise, in an interview during "Valentine in the Morning" on Clear Channel's MyFM 104.3 in Los Angeles. "You don't even have to have an official charity. You or your team can go to the website and run for any cause you choose. Like for instance, Flea [of the Red Hot Chili Peppers] is running a contest on my website for his music conservatory, a music conservatory that he started. He is donating a bass guitar signed by all the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers for those who want to support his cause."

During a joint appearance with Flea on the KTLA Morning News, Norton added that "Just a couple of clicks of the mouse button, no hassles or logistics and all of it will channel toward the LA Marathon total." Flea, who is running in the March 20 race, noted that "ten years ago I started a non-profit music school called the Silver Lake Conservatory of Music. It is a community-based school in Los Angeles to give music lessons. It's not about being famous or a celebrity, but about academic music instruction and studying the art of music.

"The school costs a million dollars a year to run and we have 700 kids a week studying music, trying to fill a void for the lack of artistic funds available in [the L.A. Unified School District]. So I'm running the Marathon to raise money for my school. Crowdrise.com is such an awesome thing because many people, whether they have a billion dollars or five dollars to give, want to help out and this is an opportunity for everyone to help out. Edward has been gracious enough to help me with the school and I'm just excited to be a part of it. These two things are great. Exercising and getting in shape and taking care of your body is a good thing but to do it with a purpose. Lifting up yourself as well as other people, what could be a better thing?"

Organizations like the Silver Lake Conservatory of Music, ThinkCure! and others are also in the spirit of giving back with contests for donors on Crowdrise. For example, Flea has put up a bass guitar signed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers; anyone donating $25 or more through crowdrise.com/teamsilverlake within the next three weeks is eligible for the drawing.

ThinkCure!'s current contest runs through February 10 and offers a drawing for an authentic Dodgers jersey autographed by centerfielder Matt Kemp and two tickets to Opening Day at Dodger Stadium vs. the San Francisco Giants; anyone signing up for the ThinkCure! team and raising $10 or more for the charity by February 10 is automatically entered. Additional contests will continue right up to race day.

Many participants in the Marathon raise money through pledges for each mile covered in the race over the 26.2-mile Stadium to the Sea course. Last year, however, the race sold out early and registration closed, leaving some runners unable to participate...and unable to undertake their fund-raising venture. Curl is asking runners to make sure they're in the race for sure by registering early this year.

"We don't want to leave people out, but the Stadium to the Sea course is quickly becoming one of the iconic marathon routes worldwide and registration has been strong so far in 2011," he noted. "Registration is online at www.LAMarathon.com is easier than ever to complete and the early birds will be the ones assured of being on the line at Dodger Stadium to compete in the 26th Honda LA Marathon."