Running USA wire 71, August 26, 2012

Running USA wire 71, August 26, 2012
Running USA advances the growth and success of the running industry in America.


Partners: Active Network, Ashworth Awards, Competitor Group, Leslie Jordan, Inc. and MarathonFoto help make this wire possible.




In this edition:
Running USA, ACTIVE Network Renew Partnership to Grow the Sport
Shobukhova Seeks Unprecedented Four-Peat at 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
John Hancock's 2012 Boston Marathon Non-Profit Program Raises a Record $6.8 Million
U.S. Marine Claims Victory at Sold-Out Gender Defender 5K

UPCOMING EVENTS

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

NFL Back to Football Run 4 Mile, New York, NY, August 30
Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach 1/2 Marathon, VA, September 2
Oregon Wine Country Half-Marathon, Carlton, OR, Sept 2
Kauai Marathon, Kauai, HI, September 2
35th Stratton Faxon New Haven Road Race, CT, September 3
USA 20K Championships
American Discovery Trail Marathon, Colorado Springs, CO, Sept 3
Inaugural Ragnar Relay Colorado, Aspen, CO, September 7
FASB Fitness Festival 5K, Denver, CO, September 8
HOPE Center 5K, Stapleton, CO, September 8
Alta Peruvian Lodge Downhill Dash 8K, Alta, UT, September 8
Bronx 10 Mile, Bronx, NY, September 9
Atlanta Eikiden Team Relay, Atlanta, GA, September 9
Air Force Marathon Weekend, Dayton, OH, Sept 14-15
Autumn Rock n' Run, Casselberry, FL, September 15
20 Miler, Elk Grove Village, IL, September 15
CVS Caremark Downtown 5K, Providence, RI, September 16
USA Men & Women's Championships
35th Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia 1/2 Marathon, PA, September 16
La Sportiva EverGold Trail 5K & 10K, Vail, CO, September 16









Running USA, ACTIVE Network Renew Partnership to Grow the Sport

ACTIVE designated as Official Technology Partner of Running USA and Presenting Sponsor of organization's annual conference


COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - (August 26, 2012) - Running USA today announced that ACTIVE Network has renewed its strategic partnership with the national industry non-profit organization through February 2016. ACTIVE Network, the leader in cloud-based activity and participant management™ solutions, is the "Official Technology Partner of Running USA" as well as a "Presenting Sponsor" of the organization's annual conference.



"ACTIVE has been with us as a Founding Member since 1999, and we share their vision to build and promote the sport of running," said Susan Weeks, CEO Running USA. "Together, our strategic partnership has built the Running USA Conference into the sport's largest and best. Our 10th industry conference February 24-26, 2013 in Savannah, Georgia should be something special as the sport comes together to network and share ideas and best practices."



ACTIVE Network provides a robust technology platform, ACTIVE Works® Endurance, to power the online registration and membership management process for Running USA members as well as race event directors nationwide. The platform helps race directors manage their events more efficiently while helping streamline the process for athletes throughout the participant journey.



"We have been a longtime strategic partner of Running USA and are proud to continue our relationship as the organization's official technology provider," said Mike Coleman, Running USA board member and director of strategic accounts at ACTIVE Network. "Working together over the years, we have helped to shape and grow the sport of running and increase participation from a new generation of athletes."



About Running USA
Running USA advances, serves, promotes and celebrates the sport of running as a clearinghouse and resource center and though its popular annual conference, Running USA wire, Running USA Industry E-News, website, annual marathon, half-marathon and State of the Sport reports, National Runner Survey and by providing athlete support with the Allan Steinfeld Development Award.



Running USA's more than 325 members include events with 2-plus million finishers and prize money exceeding $5.7 million, race services companies, running-related media companies and organizations and the athletic industry.



In March 2009, the non-profit industry organization marked a decade of achievement to build and promote the sport. For more information, visit: RunningUSA.org or contact Ryan Lamppa at (805) 696-6232 or ryan@runningusa.org



About ACTIVE Network
ACTIVE Network (NYSE: ACTV) is on a mission to make the world a more active place. With deep expertise in activity and participant management™, our ACTIVE Works® cloud technology helps organizers transform and grow their businesses. We do this through technology solutions that power the world's activities and through online destinations such as ACTIVE.com® that connect people with the things they love to do. Serving over 50,000 global business customers and driving over 80 million transactions annually, we help organizers get participants, manage their events and build communities. ACTIVE Network is headquartered in San Diego, California and has more than 30 offices worldwide.



Learn more at ACTIVENetwork.com, ACTIVE.com or on Twitter @ACTIVENetwork, @ACTIVE and on Facebook.





Shobukhova Seeks Unprecedented Four-Peat at 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Defending champion joins Kenya's Kabuu and Ethiopia's Dibaba to headline talented women's field at 35th edition on October 7



CHICAGO - (August 23, 2012) - The Bank of America Chicago Marathon has announced that Liliya Shobukhova of Russia will go for an unprecedented fourth consecutive victory in the event's 35th running on Sunday, October 7. After she was unable to finish the Olympic Marathon on August 5 due to stomach cramps, Shobukhova, a pre-race gold medal favorite, will look to get back to her winning ways in Chicago where she is undefeated in three appearances.



"It was heartbreaking to withdraw from the Olympic Marathon after I had trained so hard and my preparation had gone so well," said Shobukhova. "But I am still very fit and in good health, and I am going to focus all my energy on a great performance at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. There is no place that I feel more comfortable than when I am competing in Chicago. I love the course and appreciate the support from the fans. I am especially motivated to win for the fourth time in a row, which has never been done before in Chicago."



Shobukhova, 34, who ran the third-fastest time in history (2:18:20) to win last year's race, will face her stiffest competition yet in the bid for her fourth title. Sub-2:20 performer Lucy Kabuu of Kenya (2:19:34) stands in her way, as does Ethiopia's Ejegayehu Dibaba, who ran 2:22:09 in a runner-up finish to Shobukhova last year.



These three athletes have the potential to put Paula Radcliffe's 10-year-old course record and former world record of 2:17:18 in jeopardy. Kenya's Florence Kiplagat was forced to withdraw from the field due to an injury.



"Liliya has already made history at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon with three victories in a row, and this year she has a chance to join the great Khalid Khannouchi with four total victories," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "She is truly one of the great champions of the sport, and while her race at the Olympics was not what she had wished for, she has a chance to return to the top of the world in Chicago."



Last year, Shobukhova became the first runner to win three consecutive Chicago Marathon titles, and a fourth victory would tie her for the most ever in Chicago. Khalid Khannouchi won four times in the span of six years (1997, 1999, 2000, 2002).



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.





John Hancock's 2012 Boston Marathon Non-Profit Program Raises a Record $6.8 Million
Runners in 116th Boston Marathon raised funds for 122 non-profits



BOSTON - (August 22, 2012) - John Hancock's 2012 Boston Marathon Non-Profit Program raised a record $6.8 million as part of the 116th running of the historic race in April of this year. The record total for 2012 represents a 29 percent increase over 2011's fundraising results.



As part of John Hancock's sponsorship of the Marathon, each year the company provides non-profits with guaranteed entry numbers ("bibs") that enable funds to be raised for their organizations. More than 1,000 runners helped raise funds and awareness for 122 organizations this year.



As part of that total, 114 employee runners from John Hancock and parent company Manulife Financial raised nearly $200,000 in 2012, a 14 percent increase over 2011.



Funds raised by employees benefited Artists for Humanity, the Boys & Girls Club of Boston, the Center for Teen Empowerment, Ron Burton Training Village and Habitat for Humanity Canada. In addition, John Hancock led a focused effort among its business partners to raise nearly $150,000 for the Myra H. Kraft Giving Back Scholarship Fund at the Boys & Girls Club of Boston.



"Our employees are a source of pride each year as they dedicate their running to benefit our community partners," said James R. Boyle, President of John Hancock. "We are especially proud our Boston Marathon principal sponsorship made it possible for so many individuals to raise money and awareness to support great causes throughout greater Boston."



Among the organizations benefitting from the 2012 program were MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston Children's Hospital, Tufts University, Boston Medical Center, Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, the Hoyt Foundation, Horizons for Homeless Children, and Perkins School for the Blind.



"Each year countless individuals in Boston and beyond are touched in many ways, large and small, by John Hancock's Boston Marathon Non-Profit program. At Mass General, this important funding has supported programs that enhance the quality of care for our youngest cancer patients and fuel innovative research focused on finding better cancer treatments and cures. We are grateful for John Hancock's generosity and the hope it offers to the children and families we serve," said Peter L. Slavin, MD, President, Massachusetts General Hospital.



This year, for the first time, John Hancock utilized a centralized online fundraising platform for its program through a partnership with CrowdRise™, an innovative online fundraising web site for individuals, charities and events.



2012 marks the 27th year of John Hancock's landmark sponsorship of the legendary Boston Marathon and also the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Company. John Hancock is committed to its long-standing partnership with the Boston Athletic Association to support one of the world's premier sporting events. Over the past 27 years, the official B.A.A. Charity program and John Hancock's own Non-Profit Program have combined to raise more than $150 million for community based organizations.



As a result of John Hancock's primary sponsorship, the Marathon has also brought years of economic benefits to the greater Boston region. In 2012, the Marathon brought an estimated $137.5 million in spending impact to the Greater Boston region, according to the Greater Boston Convention & Visitor Bureau.

Visit BostonMarathon.org for more information.






U.S. Marine Claims Victory at Sold-Out Gender Defender 5K

Nearly 600 runners enjoy the VIP Finish Line experience at evening run on Quantico


QUANTICO, Va. - (Aug. 25, 2012) - On Saturday evening, Marine Corps 2nd Lt Nicholas Oltman, 24, of Fredericksburg, VA led 589 runners as top overall finisher at the pink- and blue-themed Gender Defender 5K, part of the MCM Event Series held aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico. With a time of 17 minutes, Oltman edged out Troy Mitchell, 31, of Quantico, VA, who finished in 17:21, and Jason Van Horn, 38, who finished in 17:37. Oltman also was the top military finisher in the Marine Corps Historic Half marathon held on May 20.



Susanna Sullivan, 24, of Falls Church, VA topped all female participants over 3.1 mile course in 17:45. Jenny Ratzel, 27, of Washington, DC finished second at 20:35, while Sara Perez, 34, of Stafford, VA rounded out the top three women (20:43).

Martin Irwin, 42, of Donnegal, Ireland finished in 17:57, becoming the top Masters finisher (40 and older). Irwin, who decided to run the Gender Defender 5K while visiting the United States after a Google search of local races, was pleasantly surprised by his performance. "There were a couple of wee small hills, but it was nice," he said. "It was a personal best for me, so I'll take it."



Yuko Whitestone, 40, of Springfield, VA took the female Masters title, clocking 21:13.

In an event where female participants outnumbered their male counterparts two to one, the Gender Defender 5K treated all finishers to an upscale post-race experience including Barefoot wine, Mic Ultra, Jack Black men's products, pampering by W Salon among the many treats. Despite wet weather, spirited runners clad in celebrated pink and blue attire completed Gender Defender's 3.1-mile course that wound through the streets of Quantico. Kimberly Herbert, 45, and her husband, Dion, 50, of Fredericksburg, VA enjoyed participating in the themed event that celebrated running and all the things that men and women love.



"It was a lot of fun, and we encouraged each other," Kimberly Herbert said, embracing the spirit of the event.



The final event in the MCM Event Series is the Turkey Trot 10K on November 17. Registration is available at: www.marinemarathon.com







Contact Information


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




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