Running USA wire 63, July 29, 2012

Running USA wire 63, July 29, 2012
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In this edition:
London Calling: 2012 U.S. Olympic Distance Team Has High Hopes
Sub-2:20 Performers Kabuu, Kiplagat to Clash at 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Fast, Deep World Class Field Set for 2012 TD Beach to Beacon 10K
Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Generates $18.25 Million in Economic Impact

UPCOMING EVENTS

Join Running USA today and have your event listed here, as well as on www.RunningUSA.org

Olympic Games, London, GBR, Aug 3-12
Track & Field Competition
15th TD Bank Beach to Beacon 10K, Cape Elizabeth, ME, Aug 4
Atlanta's Finest 5K, Atlanta, GA, August 4
Woodstock 5K, Anniston, AL, August 4
Salinas Valley Half-Marathon, Salinas, CA, August 4
Step Up for Cancer, Denver, CO, August 5
Central Coast Cancer Challenge 10K, San Luis Obispo, CA, Aug 5
Great Kilted Run 5K, Seattle, WA, August 5
New Balance Falmouth Mile, Falmouth, MA, August 11
August 5K, Atlanta, GA, August 11
Challenge Addiction 5K, St. Paul, MN, August 11
Colorado Springs Panerathon, Denver, CO, August 11
40th New Balance Falmouth Road Race, Falmouth, MA, Aug 12
Fifteen's 5K, Minneapolis, MN, August 12
Inaugural GNC Live Well Liberty Mile, Pittsburgh, PA, Aug 17
Celebration of Running 5K, Orlando, FL, August 18
Pikes Peak Ascent, Manitou Springs, CO, August 18





London Calling: 2012 U.S. Olympic Distance Team Has High Hopes

Can Team USA add to medal count from Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008?

By Ryan Lamppa, Running USA wire



London will host the Olympics for a record third time, and the 2012 U.S. Olympic distance team - led by two-time Olympic 1500 meter medalist Bernard Lagat, 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi and 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan - is perhaps the deepest ever for the Games. The London team has plenty of veterans, including the above, such as past Olympians Abdi Abdirahman (fourth team), Dathan Ritzenhein (third team), Galen Rupp (second team), Ryan Hall (second), Kara Goucher (second), Matt Tegenkamp (second), Jenny Simpson (second), Andrew Wheating (second), Shannon Rowbury (second), Leo Manzano (second) and Lopez Lomong (second) and rising star and new U.S. steeple record holder Evan Jager.



In Athens 2004, the Team USA won two Olympic Marathon medals - Keflezighi's silver and Deena Kastor's bronze, while in Beijing 2008, Flanagan earned a 10,000 meter bronze medal and U.S. record, and in London, it would be a surprise if the U.S. distance team didn't win at least one medal as well as contend for several podium places.

The track & field competition - held in Olympic Stadium - starts on Friday, August 3 (the women's 10,000 meters is the first track final) and ends Sunday, August 12 (the men's marathon is the final event).



The following includes the 2012 U.S. Olympic distance team and event summary for the Summer Games hosted by London, Great Britain.



MEN



1500 Meters (3:35.50 / 3:38.00, Olympic "A" and "B" standards) - Final, Tuesday, August 7
Olympic Record (3:32.07), Noah Ngeny, Kenya, Sydney 2000
World Record (3:26.00), Hicham El Guerrouj, Morocco, 1998
U.S. Record (3:29.30), Bernard Lagat, 2005



Last American gold medal (Mel Sheppard, London 1908)
Last American medal (silver, Jim Ryun, Mexico City 1968)
TOTAL MEDALS = 13 (3 gold, 6 silver and 4 bronze)



* Leonel Manzano (Austin, TX), 2012 Olympic Trials champion, two-time Olympic team member
* Matthew Centrowitz (Eugene, OR), 2011 World Championships 1500m bronze medalist
* Andrew Wheating (Eugene, OR), 2008 Olympian 800m



3000 Meter Steeplechase (8:23.10 / 8:32.00) - Final, Sunday, August 5
Olympic Record (8:05.51), Julius Kariuki, Kenya, Seoul 1988
World Record (7:53.63), Saif Shaheen, Qatar, 2004
U.S. Record (8:06.81), Evan Jaeger, 2012



Last American gold medal (Horace Ashenfelter, Helsinki 1952)
Last American medal (bronze, Brian Diemer, Los Angeles 1984)
TOTAL MEDALS = 5 (1 gold, 1 silver and 3 bronze)



* Evan Jager (Portland, OR), 2012 Olympic Trials champion; U.S. record holder (8:06.81 - 2012)
* Donn Cabral (Glastonbury, CT), 2012 NCAA steeplechase champion; Princeton grad
* Kyle Alcorn (Mesa, AZ), 2008 NCAA steeplechase champion



5000 Meters (13:21.50 / 13:28.00) - Final, Saturday, August 11
Olympic Record (12:57.82), Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, Beijing 2008
World Record (12:37.35), Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, 2004
U.S. Record (12:53.60), Bernard Lagat, 2011



Last American gold medal (Bob Schul, Tokyo 1964)
Last American medal (gold, Bob Schul, Tokyo 1964)
TOTAL MEDALS = 3 (1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze)



* Galen Rupp (Portland, OR), 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials champion
* Bernard Lagat (Tucson, AZ), 2007 World Champion 5000m; two-time 1500m Olympic medalist
* Lopez Lomong (Beaverton, OR), two-time Olympic team member



10,000 Meters (27:45.00 / 28:05.00) - Final, Saturday, August 4
Olympic Record (27:01.17), Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, 2008
World Record (26:17.53), Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopia, 2005
U.S. Record (26:48.00), Galen Rupp, 2011



Last American gold medal (Billy Mills, Tokyo 1964)
Last American medal (gold, Billy Mills, Tokyo 1964)
TOTAL MEDALS = 2 (1 gold and 1 silver)



* Galen Rupp (Portland, OR), 2012 Olympic Trials champion; U.S record holder (26:48.00 - 2011)
* Matt Tegenkamp (Portland, OR), two-time Olympic team member
* Dathan Ritzenhein (Portland, OR), three-time Olympic team member



Marathon (2:15:00 / 2:18:00) - Final, Sunday, August 12
8 mile loop, multi-turn course
Olympic Record (2:06:32), Sammy Wanjiru, Kenya, Beijing 2008
World Record (2:03:38), Patrick Makau, Kenya, 2011
U.S. Record (2:05:38), Khalid Khannouchi, 2002



Last American gold medal (Frank Shorter, Munich 1972)
Last American medal (silver, Meb Keflezighi, Athens 2004)
TOTAL MEDALS = 10 (3 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze)



* Meb Keflezighi (Mammoth Lakes, CA), 2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist; three-time Olympic team member
* Ryan Hall (Flagstaff, AZ), fastest U.S. marathoner (2:04:58 - 2011); two-time Olympic team member
* Abdi Abdirahman (Tucson, AZ), four-time Olympic team member



WOMEN



1500 Meters (4:06.00 / 4:08.90) - Final, Friday, August 10
Olympic Record (3:53.96), Paula Ivan, Romania, Seoul 1988
World Record (3:50.46), Yunxia Qu, China, 1993
U.S. Record (3:57.12), Mary Decker, 1983



Last American gold medal (not yet)
Last American medal (not yet, best U.S. finish, 7th by Shannon Rowbury, 4:03.58, Beijing 2008)



* Morgan Uceny (Mammoth Lakes, CA), 2012 Olympic Trials champion; #1 world-ranked 1500m in 2011
* Shannon Rowbury (San Francisco, CA), 2009 World Championships 1500m bronze medalist; two-time Olympic team member
* Jenny Simpson (Colorado Springs, CO), 2011 World Championships 1500m gold medalist; two-time Olympic team member



3000 Meter Steeplechase (9:43.00 / 9:48.00) - Final, Monday, August 6
Olympic Record (8:58.81), Gulnara Samitova-Galkina, Russia, Beijing 2008
World Record (8:58.81), Gulnara Samitova-Galkina, Russia, Beijing 2008
U.S. Record (9:12.50), Jenny Barringer, 2009



Last American gold medal (not yet)
Last American medal (not yet, best U.S. finish 9th by Jenny Barringer, Beijing 2008)



* Emma Coburn (Crested Butte, CO), 2012 Olympic Trials champion; 2011 NCAA steeplechase champion
* Bridget Franek (Eugene, OR), 2010 NCAA steeplechase champion
* Shalaya Kipp (Salt Lake City, UT), 2012 NCAA steeplechase champion



5000 Meters (15:15.00 / 15:25.00) - Final, Friday, August 10
Olympic Record (14:40.79), Gabriela Szabo, Romania, Sydney 2000
World Record (14:11.15), Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia, 2008
U.S. Record (14:44.76), Molly Huddle, 2010



Last American gold medal (not yet)
Last American medal (not yet, best U.S. finish, 9th by Lynn Jennings '96 and Kara Goucher '08; in 3000m, Cindy Bremser 4th, '84)





*Julie Culley (Clinton, NJ), 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials champion

*Molly Huddle (Providence, RI), U.S. 5000m record holder (14:44.76 - 2010)

*Kim Conley (West Sacramento, CA), third 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials 5000m



10,000 Meters (31:45.00 / 32:10.00) - Final, Friday, August 3
Olympic Record (29:54.66), Tirunesh Dibaba, Ethiopia, Beijing 2008
World Record (29:31.78), Wang Junxia, China, 1993
U.S. Record (30:22.22), Shalane Flanagan, 2008



Last American gold medal (not yet)
Last American medal (bronze, Shalane Flanagan, Beijing 2008)
TOTAL MEDALS = 2 bronze



* Amy Hastings (Mammoth Lakes, CA), 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials champion
* Lisa Uhl (Portland, OR), 2010 NCAA 10,000m champion
* Janet Bawcom (Rome, GA), third U.S. Olympic Trials; five-time USA road champion



Marathon (2:37:00 / 2:43:00) - Final, Sunday, August 5
8 mile loop, multi-turn course
Olympic Record (2:23:14), Naoko Takahashi, Japan, Sydney 2000
World Record (2:15:25), Paula Radcliffe, Great Britain, 2003
U.S. Record (2:19:36), Deena Kastor, 2006



Last American gold medal (Joan Benoit, Los Angeles 1984)
Last American medal (bronze, Deena Kastor, Athens 2004)
TOTAL MEDALS = 2 (1 gold and 1 bronze)



*Shalane Flanagan (Portland, OR), 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials champion; 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist

*Desiree Davila (Rochester Hills, MI), 2011 Boston Marathon runner-up

*Kara Goucher (Portland, OR), 2008 Olympian 5000m / 10,000m; 2007 World Championships 10,000m bronze medalist



2012 Olympic Schedule of Distance Events
London, Great Britain, August 3-12

Subject to change; times are local London time (5 hours and 8 hours ahead of EST and PST, respectively).



Friday, August 3, 2012
1:00pm - 3000m Steeplechase men 1st round
8:05pm - 1500m men 1st round
9:25pm - 10,000m women final



Saturday, August 4, 2012
11:35am - 3000m Steeplechase women 1st round
9:15pm - 10,000m men final



Sunday, August 5, 2012
11:00am - Marathon women final
8:15pm - 1500m men semi-final
9:25pm - 3000m Steeplechase men final



Monday, August 6, 2012
11:45am - 1500m women 1st round
9:05pm - 3000m Steeplechase women final



Tuesday, August 7, 2012
10:55am - 5000m women 1st round
9:15pm - 1500m men final

Wednesday, August 8, 2012
10:45am - 5000m men 1st round
7:45pm - 1500m women semi-final



Friday, August 10, 2012
8:05pm - 5000m women final
8:55pm - 1500m women final



Saturday, August 11, 2012
7:30pm - 5000m men final



Sunday, August 12, 2012
11:00am - Marathon men final



For more information, including the TV schedule and media guide, visit: http://usatf.org/events/2012/OlympicGames/index.aspx






Sub-2:20 Performers Kabuu, Kiplagat to Clash at 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon

Kenyan women look to end 10-year winless drought in Chicago


CHICAGO - (July 26, 2012) - The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has announced that two of the fastest female marathon runners in the world will compete in the October 7 race, as sub-2:20 performers Lucy Kabuu and Florence Kiplagat, both of Kenya, will match strides on Chicago's flat and fast course. Kabuu currently has the #3-ranked performance of the year and #14 all-time after her 2:19:34 at the Dubai Marathon in January; while Kiplagat is ranked #18 all-time after winning the 2011 BMW Berlin Marathon in 2:19:44.



"Lucy and Florence are two of the most exciting athletes in the sport," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "They are both relatively new to the marathon, which, combined with what they have accomplished on the track and in cross country, promises a very bright future ahead. The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a course that will suit them well and I think these two athletes will push each other to even greater heights."



Kabuu is a two-time Olympian with top 10 finishes in the 10,000 meters at the 2004 and 2008 Games. After breaking from competition in 2009 and 2010 to recover from injury and start a family, she turned her attention to the roads and found immediate success. Dubai was her first marathon, and her debut ranks as the second fastest all-time (behind marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain). In April, she placed fifth at the 2012 Virgin London Marathon, narrowly missing out on making her third Olympic team.



Kiplagat is Kenya's 10,000 meter record-holder (30:11.53) and has won two gold medals on the world stage: the 2009 IAAF World Cross Country title (long course) and the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon title. After she was unable to finish the 2011 Boston Marathon, Kiplagat conquered the marathon distance in Berlin, besting stalwarts Radcliffe and Irina Mikitenko of Germany for the win. Her bid to make her first Olympics fell agonizingly short; with the top three finishers qualifying for the Kenyan team, she placed fourth in her country's marathon trials (2012 London Marathon) and 10,000 meter trials.



It was also announced that Kenya's Caroline Rotich, the fourth place finisher from the 2011 Boston Marathon with a personal best of 2:24:26, will compete in her first Bank of America Chicago Marathon.



Incredibly, it has been 10 years since a Kenyan woman broke the finish tape in Chicago-that being Catherine Ndereba in 2001 in a then-world record of 2:18:47. In fact, since Ndereba's runner-up performance the following year, a Kenyan woman has not finished among Chicago's top three, and only Joyce Chepchumba (fourth, 2004) has finished among the top five. This trio of Kenyan athletes will look to put an end to the winless streak at the 2012 event.



About the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Celebrating its 35th year and a member of the World Marathon Majors, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon annually attracts 45,000 participants, including a world class elite runner and wheelchair field, and an estimated 1.7 million spectators. As a result of its national and international draw, each year, the iconic race assists in raising millions of dollars for a variety of charitable causes while generating $170 million in economic impact to its host city according to a report by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign's Regional Economics Applications Laboratory (R.E.A.L.). The 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon will start and finish in Chicago's Grant Park beginning at 7:30am on Sunday, October 7. In advance of the race, a two-day Health & Fitness Expo will be held at McCormick Place Convention Center on Friday, October 5, and Saturday, October 6.



Visit www.chicagomarathon.com for more information.






Fast, Deep World Class Field Set for 2012 TD Beach to Beacon 10K

Aheza Kiros of Ethiopia to defend women's title, while men's field includes 11 with sub-28:00 10Ks on the roads; prize purse nearly $60,000 for 15th edition


CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine - (July 25, 2012) - The deepest and most talented world class field ever assembled for the TD Beach to Beacon 10K will toe the line for the special 15th running of the acclaimed road race on Saturday, August 4 in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, race organizers have announced.



The 30-plus men and women distance runners in the 2012 field include some of the top racers on the American circuit as well as a strong contingent of Kenyan and Ethiopian track athletes who narrowly missed the London Olympics, where some would have contended for medals.



The men's field features 11 runners who have recorded sub-28:00 10Ks in their careers, with even faster times on the track, putting the race's 9-year-old course record (27:28) in jeopardy.



In the women's race, returning champ Aheza Kiros of Ethiopia is pitted against a stellar field with no less than six runners with sub 31:30 10Ks, including two women with the fastest times ever on the course as well as fellow Ethiopian Aberu Kebede, who might be the most talented distance athlete in the world not competing in London, according to Larry Barthlow, the elite athlete coordinator for the TD Beach to Beacon.



"I really believe we've put together the deepest overall field we've ever had, something special for the 15th running," Barthlow said. "We have runners who have been winning on the American roads this year, but also many new faces fresh off the tracks in Europe who are determined to make some noise here. With the right conditions, both course records could fall."



Running icon Joan Benoit Samuelson, winner of the first Olympic Marathon for women in 1984 and founder of the TD Beach to Beacon 10K in her native Maine, agreed.



"With all the excitement surrounding the London Games, this field is going to showcase a number of Olympic-caliber athletes right here in Maine," said Benoit Samuelson, who will join the field this year to commemorate 15 years. "Many of our athletes who just missed the cut on their Kenyan or Ethiopian Olympic teams would have been competing for medals at 5000 or 10,000 meters in London."



Prize money for the winner of the men's and women's races is $10,000. In all, nearly $60,000 in prize money will be awarded to the top finishers and place winners in the various categories for men and women. A $2500 bonus also is available for any runner who breaks an open course record.



The men's field is wide open, Barthlow said, with at least eight runners in legitimate contention for the title.



One of the favorites is Atsedu Tsegay, 20, of Ethiopia, whose 58:47 in Prague this spring remains the fastest half-marathon in the world so far in 2012 and is only 24 seconds off the world record. He is an Olympic team alternate for Ethiopia with a personal best (PR) of 27:46 at 10K.



He will be challenged by another young Ethiopian, Abera Kuma, 21, who finished fifth at the 2011 World Championships at 5000m (13:26) and clocked a 27:18 at 10,000m two weeks ago in Belgium.



Lucas Rotich, 22, of Kenya, is back after finishing second at the 2011 TD Beach to Beacon (27:56) and winning the Falmouth Road Race a week later. He has since recorded a blazing 26:43 on the track at 10,000m.



Then there's Kenyan Stanley Biwott, 26, who broke course records at both the Paris Marathon (2:05:11) and Paris Half Marathon (59:04) already in 2012. And keep an eye on Ethiopians Gebretsadik Abraha, 20, who took silver at the 2010 World Junior Championships at 10,000m, and Azmeraw Bekele, 26, winner of the 10,000m at the 2011 Ethiopian Athletic Championships.



Ed Muge, 29, of Kenya, who won the TD Beach to Beacon 10K in 2008 (setting a PR 27:52) and 2009, is back for his fifth consecutive race. He finished third last year and fifth in 2010.



The field is so deep that one of the most decorated runners on the American road race circuit so far in 2012 - Allan Kiprono, 22, of Kenya - is almost an afterthought among title contenders. Kiprono has already won three major U.S. road races - Bellin Run, Lilac Bloomsday Run and BolderBOULDER 10K - and is returning after finishing fifth in 2011 and second in 2010.



Who else? Lelisa Desisa, 22, is an alternate on the Ethiopian Olympic team after recording a 27:12 earlier this summer. Lewis Nyariki, 23, of Kenya, has run 27:22 at 10,000m. Kiplomo Kumatai, 30, of Kenya, is returning to the TD Beach to Beacon for the first time since his third place finish (a PR of 27:59) in 2008 and has recorded 27:17 on the track. Sammy Chelanga, 27, of Kenya, was an NCAA Cross Country champion at Liberty University and set an NCAA record at 10,000m (27:08.49).



The leading American entered is Sean Quigley, 27, a top U.S. distance runner and former NCAA champion at LaSalle.



On the women's side, Aheza Kiros, 26, is back after becoming the first Ethiopian woman to win the TD Beach to Beacon title (32:09) in 2011. She will likely need a significantly faster time to compete this year - although her 31:06 PR at 10,000m suggests she is more than capable.



Lineth Chepkurai knows all about speed along the picturesque TD Beach to Beacon course. The 24-year-old Kenyan shaved 26 seconds off the course record with a blistering 30:59 to win the 2010 race. It was the first sub 31:00 10K ever on Maine soil. She has finished in the top 10 in the World Cross Country championships three times, and also won the Lilac Bloomsday Run and the Bay to Breakers three times each. Her PR for the 10K is 30:45.



The woman with the second fastest time (31:07) on the TD Beach to Beacon course is Wude Ayalew, 25, of Ethiopia, who finished second to Chepkurai's record setting performance in 2010. She returned a week later to beat Chepkurai at the Falmouth Road Race. Ayalew is in top form after finishing second at the 2011 All-Africa Games. She has clocked 30:11 for 10,000m.



Aberu Kebede, 22, of Ethiopia, just missed making the highly-competitive Ethiopian Olympic team and will be anxious to put on a good show, Barthlow said. Her 1:07.39 is the second fastest Half Marathon ever run by an Ethiopian. She earned a bronze in the Half at the World Championships and her 2:20:33 marathon is among the top 20 all time for women.



Two top Russian distance athletes are also in the field. Valentina Galimova, 25, is a Russian 10,000m champion who finished a disappointing fifth at the 2012 Olympic qualifier, while Kseniya Agafonova, 29, a Russian indoor champ who finished fifth at 5000m at the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Final and has a PR of 31:08 at 10,000m.



Other top contenders include: Margaret Wangari-Muriuki, 26, of Kenya, who finished sixth at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships running barefoot and second at the African Cross Country Championships earlier this year; Pauline Njeri-Kahenya, 27, of Kenya, who is on the rise after recording a PR 31:25 in Paris in April; Rita Jeptoo, 31, of Kenya, the 2006 B.A.A Boston Marathon champ who has clocked 31:12 at 10K; and Jelliah Tinega, 26, of Kenya, who finished second at the 2011 TD Beach to Beacon and has victories at the Bellin Run and Cherry Blossom 10 Mile already in 2012.



A strong contingent of American women also is entered. Lindsey Sherf, 25, took fourth at the 2012 USA 15K Championship and runner-up at the USA 25K Championship. The Harvard graduate has recorded a personal best 32:51 at 10K. Rebecca Donaghue, 36, finished fifth at the 2009 TD Beach to Beacon, which she followed up with an impressive second at Falmouth a week later. This year, she finished in the top 20 in the U.S.

Olympic Trials for both the marathon and 10,000m. Katie McGregor, 34, finished 11th at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston after narrowly missing the 2004 and 2008 Olympics with consecutive fourth place finishes at 10,000m, where her PR is 31:21. She took second at the 2011 USA 10K Championship.



The professional athletes will join a race day field of 6,000 for the TD Beach to Beacon 10K, one of the gems on the U.S. road race circuit. The race begins near the Crescent Beach State Park entrance on Route 77 in Cape Elizabeth and ends 6.2 miles later in Fort Williams Park at the Portland Head Light, the most photographed lighthouse in America.



For additional information, visit www.beach2beacon.org or call the race hotline at (888) 480-6940.






Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon Generates $18.25 Million in Economic Impact

Race's impact on Northeast Ohio has grown 170 percent since 2004


CLEVELAND - (July 25, 2012) - A recently completed economic impact study has concluded that the 2012 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon generated $18.25 million toward the City of Cleveland's economy during race weekend, May 18-20. That figure represents a growth of 170 percent over the 2004 findings that resulted in a figure of $6.8 million.



The study of the May race was conducted by Forward Analytics, a Pittsburgh-based full-service marketing research and strategic planning firm that boasts numerous major clients located throughout the country.



"This report demonstrates the continued vibrancy of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon and its beneficial impact on the economy of the greater Cleveland region," said Jack Staph, Executive Race Director of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon. "We're extremely proud of the fact that the race has experienced 300 percent growth over the last 10 years, the runners continue to have an overwhelmingly positive experience and the event provides a large infusion of money to our hometown."



A record 20,008 runners, walkers and wheelchair racers competed in the 35th anniversary weekend of events that included the full marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K and Kids' Run. The study found that each runner was accompanied by a mean of 2.3 friends and/or family, with that core group responsible for contributing nearly $13.4 million towards the local economy. Additional on-course spectators were not included in the study as there was no way to accurately measure their numbers.



Cleveland Marathon, Inc. contributed $4 million in direct and indirect spending in order to put on the race, while generating an estimated $459,057 in government tax revenues. The Health & Fitness Expo vendors and the more than 2,000 race volunteers were also significant contributors.



"As a general rule, we tend to be conservative with our estimates for marathons," said Candace Campbell, Senior Project Director at Forward Analytics. "With no way to pinpoint the number of spectators over the two-day event in Cleveland, we firmly believe that even more money was contributed to the local economy by those that came out and lined the course."



Additionally, the study does not take into account the hundreds of thousands of dollars raised by this year's participants to support the race's more than 30 charity partners, almost all of whom are local non-profit organizations.



Forward Analytics also asked participants about their level of satisfaction regarding various aspects of the race weekend. The survey found that 94.3 percent of respondents agree that the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon adds value to the region, while 68.5 percent of those living outside of the Cleveland region said that they are like to visit the area again as a tourist.



"The survey results clearly demonstrate that the City of Cleveland and the surrounding areas benefit tremendously from having a high-profile event that not only attracts people from all over the state, but also from around the country," said Staph. "The fact that our satisfaction rate is 92.8% is very encouraging. However, the survey pointed out some areas in which we can get better, and we work year-round to respond to runner feedback. These numbers provide a good roadmap as we strive to continually improve upon the 'Cleveland Experience.'"



Survey Methodology: A total of 3,343 runners completed post-event surveys by the designated response date (20.9% response rate), representing a statistical significance of +/- 1.96% at the 95% confidence interval. This means that the results reflect the answers of between 93.04% and 96.96% of the total population. To view a full copy of the report, visit: www.clevelandmarathon.com/Economic_Impact_2012



One of the 50 oldest races in the country, the 2013 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon will take place May 18-19. For event details and registration, go to: www.clevelandmarathon.com







Contact Information


Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director, ryan@runningusa.org, (805) 696-6232




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