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In this edition:
Two-Time WMM Series Champ Shobukhova Gears Up for Olympics with Back-to-Back Races
Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon Draws Competitive Field
RRCA Announces National Running Award Recipients
Marine Corps Marathon Selected as "Best U.S. Marathon"
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Ragnar Relay Del Sol, Prescott-Tempe, AZ, February 24
15th World's Best 10K, San Juan, PUR, February 25
Russell Forest Run, Alexander City, AL, February 25
Cowtown Marathon Weekend, Fort Worth, TX, February 25-26
Disney's Princess Half-Marathon, Lake Buena Vista, FL, Feb 26
Nueces Endurance Trail Run, Rock Springs, TX, March 3
USA 50 Mile Trail Championships
Finish Chelsea's Run 5K, San Diego, CA, March 3
Little Rock Marathon Weekend, Little Rock, AR, March 3-4
Orange Blossom Half-Marathon & 5K, Tavares, FL, March 4
USA 50K Road Championships, Caumsett SP, NY, March 4
13.1 Miami Beach, Miami, FL, March 4
That Dam Run Half-Marathon & 5K, Denver, CO, March 4
Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon, Napa, CA, March 4
Smile Mile, Blue Jacket Park, FL, March 10
Irish for a Day 5K & TC 10 Mile, Minneapolis, MN, March 10
35th Bayou City Classic 10K, Houston, TX, March 10
Westport St. Patrick's Day Run, Kansas City, MO, March 10
35th Catalina Island Conservancy Marathon, Avalon, CA, March 10
Two-Time WMM Series Champ Shobukhova Gears Up for Olympics with Back-to-Back Races
Shobukhova opens her 2012 season next month at the NYC Half & Chicago's Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K
NEW YORK / CHICAGO - (February 22, 2012) - Two-time World Marathon Majors Series champion and three-time Bank of America Chicago Marathon winner Liliya Shobukhova of Russia will open her 2012 season at the NYC Half on Sunday, March 18, followed with a run at the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K in Chicago on Sunday, March 25, it was jointly announced by NYRR president and CEO Mary Wittenberg and Bank of America Chicago Marathon and Shamrock Shuffle 8K Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski.
Shobukhova, 34, an early favorite for the Olympic Games Marathon in London this summer said of her spring trip to the U.S., "This Olympic year will be the most important of my career, so I am choosing all of my competitions carefully. The NYC Half will allow me to test my fitness and compete against some of the same runners I will face in the Olympic Marathon, while going to Chicago for the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K will allow me to connect with all of the great fans and runners there on a course that feels like home to me in the city where I have had so much success. It's the perfect trip."
Shobukhova will make her third start at an NYRR event having last raced at the NYRR Mini 10K in 2011. Last fall, Shobukhova cemented her legacy in Chicago by winning her third consecutive Bank of America Chicago Marathon, becoming the first runner to do so in the event's 34-year history.
"Consistency is a sign of greatness and nobody has been more consistent than Liliya at the marathon distance the last few years," said Wittenberg. "We welcome her back to NYC for her first steps on the road to the London Olympics."
Shobukhova will join other Olympic contenders Kara Goucher and Desiree Davila of the U.S. in the NYC Half. NYRR's flagship half-marathon, in its seventh edition, will feature a record field of 15,000 runners, a $100,000 prize purse and a new course traversing through Manhattan beginning in Central Park, going through Times Square and all the way downtown to the scenic South Street Seaport finish.
The Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K marks Chicago's annual kick-off to the running season. Shobukhova will be joined by 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon team member Abdi Abdirahman as they lead the way for 40,000 runners at the 33rd edition through downtown Chicago. The flat and fast course mirrors the start and finish of the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in Grant Park, where Shobukhova made history last fall.
"Liliya has performed at the highest level on the streets of Chicago and we're excited that her road to the Olympics will once again run through our city," said Pinkowski. "The Shamrock Shuffle is an opportunity for Liliya to celebrate the start of a new season alongside the local fans who have supported her and will be rooting for her as one of their own at the Olympic Games."
There is precedent for a Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K winner to go on to win the gold medal in the Olympic Marathon. Constantina Dita of Romania, the 2006 Shamrock Shuffle champion (and 2004 Chicago Marathon champion) struck gold at the 2008 Olympic Marathon in Beijing.
To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org or go to www.shamrockshuffle.com
Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon Draws Competitive Field
Mocko to defend men's title; 34th edition will cultivate Boston Marathon "connection"
NAPA, Calif. - (February 16, 2012) - Two recent Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon champions will return to the 34th edition on Sunday, March 4, 2012 determined to leverage their experience on the fast and scenic course through the Napa Valley wine country into repeat victories. A fine contingent of invited runners will head the sold-out crowd of 2,500 marathon participants, but only one man and one woman will ascend the winner's podium and take home the first place prize: their weight in distinguished Napa Valley wine.
Chris Mocko (San Francisco, Calif.) will defend his 2011 Napa Valley Marathon (NVM) men's title. Last year, the former Stanford University Scholar Athlete (for maintaining a grade-point average of 3.5 and above) scored the victory in only his third marathon.
Mocko's NVM win in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 2 seconds, came on his 25th birthday. Since then, he has lowered his marathon personal record to 2:23:40 and also scored a PR this month at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon where he ran 1:08:35 for third place.
"Since last year's race, I've changed jobs and moved to San Francisco," said Mocko who works 12-hour days as a Product Coordinator at Square, a start-up company that makes mobile credit card readers and applications. "With my demanding work schedule, and no marathon races in the past nine months, I'm a little uncertain about what to expect at Napa. I can only ask to be competitive in the race for as long as possible, and hope the allure of amazing wine and a wonderful [post-race] massage at the Vintage High School gymnasium will push me to the finish line."
Another San Franciscan with a stimulating job and a hefty work schedule is the top prospect for the women's victory at NVM. 2007 NVM women's champion Devon Crosby-Helms, 29, will make her second appearance at the race only seven weeks after competing at the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston, Texas. where she lowered her personal best marathon to 2:38:55 and placed 36th. Crosby-Helms has earned more prominence, however, at "ultra" race distances from 50 kilometers (31 miles) to 100 miles. In fact, she is one of the top female ultrarunners in the world.
As a certified personal chef, Crosby-Helms trains and competes between responsibilities to her small business where she cooks gourmet meals for her clients in their homes. As a member of U.S. national teams, she has competed in three IAU World Cup 100K races, an international event which is often referred to as the 100K "world championship" of ultra-distance running. At the 2009 IAU World Cup 100K in Belgium, Crosby-Helms finished fourth overall while helping the U.S. women's team win the team gold medal. In addition, she is a two-time U.S. champion at ultra distances, winning the U.S. 50-mile road championship (2010) and the U.S. 100-kilometer championship (2011).
Crosby-Helms has registered for NVM twice since her 2007 win, but both times the flu has kept her from competing. Crosby-Helms will use the Napa Valley Marathon to gauge her fitness and speed as she prepares for two challenging ultras in South Africa: the Two Oceans Marathon (56 kilometers/34.8 miles) on April 7 and the Comrades Marathon (56 miles) on June 3.
"To be competitive in these ultra races, I need to not only go the distance, but also do it fast," Crosby-Helms said. "I still have a lot of learning to do in the marathon.
Marathon racing is very different from ultras and you have to use different racing tactics. I feel I'm just scratching the surface of what I can do in the marathon. Napa lined up perfectly in my schedule so I can test myself as I prepare for Two Oceans and Comrades."
Additional top contenders in the invited fields include:
MEN
Nathan Yanko (30, San Francisco, Calif.) who hopes to improve upon his third-place finish at last year's Napa Valley Marathon in a 2:33:07 personal best
Rob Wiley (36, Gurnee, Ill.), who registered a 2:26:06 at last year's Boston Marathon and a 2:25:22 for 29th place at the 2010 Twin Cities Marathon (which hosted the 2010 USA Men's Marathon Championship)
John Van Metre (30, San Jose, Calif.) whose resume includes a 4:20 mile and 1:08:13 half marathon
WOMEN
Lori Stich (41, Colorado Springs, Colo.), a three-time U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier (2000, 2004, 2008) with a 2:38:44 marathon best
Eileen Torres (41, Atlanta, Ga.), 2:50:21 marathon PR, 3:47:51 50K
Tammy Lifka (41, Glen Ellyn, Ill.) who started running in 2007 after having three children, 2:53:15 marathon PR
Sanya Syrstad (46, Glen Ellyn, Ill.) who competes at distances from 800 meters to the marathon and was second Masters woman at the 2011 Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon in 1:26:10
Also entered in the race is legendary ultramarathon runner Tim Twietmeyer (53, Auburn, Calif.). Twietmeyer is renowned for his five victories and unprecedented 25 sub-24 hour finishes at the Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run. He has completed over 200 marathon and ultramarathon races.
The Napa Valley Marathon women's course record of 2:39:43 was set by Diana Fitzpatrick in 1992. Dick Beardsley, a two-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier (1980 and 1988), holds the men's course record of 2:16:20 set in 1987. Beardsley will be on hand at this year's NVM again, inspiring runners at the event's Marathon College which this year commemorates the 30 year anniversary of Beardsley's epic "Duel in the Sun" with Alberto Salazar at the 1982 Boston Marathon (more below).
The record for the most wins at NVM is held by Mary Coordt (Elk Grove, Calif.). Coordt, 42, who coordinates the invited athletes at NVM, captured the women's crown four times (1997, 2005, 2009, 2010). She is not competing this year following her participation in her fourth U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials last month in Houston.
The Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon is also one of the most popular races in the country for runners to score a qualifying time for the revered Boston Marathon-the "holy grail" of marathoning for many aspirants. This year's NVM weekend will provide special inspiration to achieve that goal. The centerpiece for NVM's annual Marathon College will highlight the 30-year anniversary of the memorable day at the 1982 Boston Marathon that subsequently was coined "The Duel in the Sun."
In that race, then world record holder Alberto Salazar and young upstart Dick Beardsley dueled from mile 4 to a dramatic finish. Many fans consider it the most compelling competition in the history of the Boston Marathon, and, perhaps, in the entire history of marathons. To highlight the historic anniversary, Dick Beardsley and his coach at the time, the renowned Bill Squires, will recreate that memorable day in a 90-minute program at the Marathon College.
The "College," which includes varied presentations by a faculty composed of respected running authorities and celebrity runners, is scheduled for Saturday, March 3rd from 10:00am to approximately 3:00pm at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa. "The Duel in the Sun" presentation begins at noon. Marathon weekend includes a Sports and Fitness Expo on Friday, March 2nd from 1:00pm to 6:00pm and Saturday, March 3rd from 9:00am to 5:00pm at the Marriott. Both the Marathon College and Sports and Fitness Expo are free for the general public.
The 2012 edition of NVM has again been selected by the Road Runners Club of America as its Western Regional Marathon Championship, a designation it has received since 2009.
The 2012 Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon starts on Sunday, March 4 at 7:00am sharp in Calistoga on the Silverado Trail near the intersection of Rosedale Road. The 26.2-mile road course runs the length of the beautiful Silverado Trail and finishes at Vintage High School in Napa.
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.
Every Napa Valley Marathon participant assists important local causes. All proceeds from the Napa Valley Marathon (a non-profit organization) are donated to local charities and schools in the Napa Valley region.
For more information, visit: www.napavalleymarathon.org
RRCA Announces National Running Award Recipients
Honorees include RRCA Distance Running Hall of Fame inductees
ARLINGTON, Va. - (February 15, 2012) - The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA), the oldest and largest distance running organization in the United States, has announced its 2012 RRCA Distance Running Hall of Fame Inductees and the 2011 National Running Award recipients.
Since 1971, the RRCA has honored dedicated individuals for their outstanding service to the RRCA and the sport of distance running. The outstanding contributors to our sport will be honored at the upcoming RRCA National Running Awards Banquet and Ceremony on March 17, 2012, in Memphis, Tennessee.
RRCA Distance Running Hall of Fame Inductees
Abdi Abdirahman, Tucson, AZ
Linda Somers-Smith, Arroyo Grande, CA
Joe Vigil, Green Valley, AZ
Outstanding Club President of the Year
Beth Onines - Alpine Runners of Lake Zurich - Lake Zurich, IL
Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA
Al Becken - RRCA Board Member (1986-89), State Rep of the Year (1984)
Outstanding State Representative
Betsy Boudreaux - Louisiana
Outstanding Volunteer of the Year
Mary Zemanski - Calumet Region Striders of Northwest Indiana - Calumet, IN
Outstanding Youth Program Director
Marc Glotzbecker - Fremont Flash Youth Running Program - Freemont Elite Runner's Club - Fremont, OH
Road Runners of the Year
Ryan Hall - Open Male
Janet Cherobon-Bawcom - Open Female
Terry McCluskey - Male Master
Linda Somers-Smith - Female Master
Outstanding Club Newsletter - Small Club
The River to River Running Reporter - Editor David Bond - River to River Runners - Carbondale, IL
Outstanding Club Newsletter - Large Club
River City Runners and Walkers Newsletter - Editor Donna Graham - River City Runners and Walkers - Parkersburg, WV
Outstanding E-Newsletter
Wicked Running Register - Editor Michele Campbell - Wicked Running Club - Salem, MA
Club Writer of the Year
Ed Hardee - Amelia Island Runners - Fernandina Beach, FL
Journalism Excellence
Rachel Toor - Senior Writer, Running Times Magazine
Outstanding Website
Garden State Track Club - www.gardenstatetc.org
Outstanding Beginning Running Program
Evan Thomas - Annapolis Striders Beginning Running Program - Annapolis, MD
RRCA Road Race of the Year
Presidio 10 - Race Director, Jeff Landry - The Guardsmen - San Francisco, CA
For more information on the awards and past recipients, visit: RRCA.org
Marine Corps Marathon Selected as "Best U.S. Marathon"
Outside Magazine online reader poll ranks MCM #1 among top U.S. marathons; 2012 MCM registration opens Wednesday, March 7
QUANTICO, Va. - (Feb. 22, 2012) - The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM), known as "The People's Marathon", remains the people's choice. The MCM has been selected "The Best U.S. Marathon" by readers of Outside magazine's website Outside Online, which conducted a recent poll that included top marathons including Boston, Chicago and New York City.
The MCM received more than half the total votes cast. Outside Online conducts weekly polls about subjects relevant to their website and that of Outside magazine, a leading publication in adventure travel and active lifestyles.
Readers of Outside Online were asked "What's the best U.S. marathon?" and through the week of January 30 through February 6, during which the poll appeared, the MCM was their top pick.
The 37th Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) will open registration online to the public at 3:00pm Eastern on Wednesday, March 7 at www.marinemarathon.com. The 2012 MCM will register 30,000 runners.
The 26.2 mile event will start in Arlington, VA, run through Washington, DC and finish at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Rosslyn, VA. The MCM is organized annually by the U.S. Marine Corps, and according to Running USA, in 2011, MCM was the world's 9th largest marathon with 21,042 finishers (and #4 in the U.S.).
About the MCM: Voted the "Best Marathon for Families" and the "Best Marathon in the Mid Atlantic", the Marine Corps Marathon honors the dedication, sportsmanship and patriotism of its participants. Runners from all walks of life participate in the largest marathon not to offer prize money, earning the name "The People's Marathon". The 37th MCM will be held on Sunday, October 28, 2012 in Arlington, Virginia.
Contact Information
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director, ryan@runningusa.org, (805) 696-6232
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