Running USA wire 81, September 30, 2012

Running USA wire 81, September 30, 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:
2012 State of the Sport - Part IV: Largest Road Races
AthleteTracker Provides Text Updates for Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Fans
Coca-Cola Foundation Awards $50,000 Grant to JUST RUN Youth Fitness Program
National Geographic Channel's Rocket City Rednecks Test Latest Invention at Marine Corps Marathon

UPCOMING EVENTS

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



20th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, Kavarna, BUL, Oct 6
Cartersville 10K, Cartersville, GA, October 6
XTERRA Marathon of Trail Races, Colorado Springs, CO, October 6
Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Weekend, Minneapolis, MN, Oct 6-7
USA 10 Mile Championships & USA Masters Marathon Championships
B.A.A. Half Marathon, Boston, MA, October 7
Woodrow Wilson Bridge Half-Marathon, National Harbor, MD, Oct 7
35th Bank of America Chicago Marathon, IL, October 7
World Marathon Major
Pikes Peak Road Ascent, Cascade, CO, October 7
Tyler Rose Marathon, Half-Marathon & 5K, Tyler, TX, October 7
Long Beach ICB Marathon, Long Beach, CA, October 7
Portland Marathon & Half-Marathon, Portland, OR, October 7
Rock 'n' Roll San Jose 1/2 Marathon, San Jose, CA, October 7
Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women, Boston, MA, October 8
USA Women's 10K Championship / USARC Finale
Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival, MD, October 13
Mount Desert Island Marathon, Bar Harbor, ME, October 14
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon & Half, CAN, October 14
Wild Life Marathon, Concord, MI, October 14






2012 State of the Sport - Part IV: Largest Road Races

Top 100 largest timed U.S. road races include 42 half-marathons; for the first time, top 100 exceeds 1.6 million finishers and 5 road races had more than 40,000 timed finishers




COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - (September 30, 2012) - As part of its mission to promote and celebrate the sport, Running USA annually releases statistics for the nation's top road races including such popular lists as the Top 100 U.S. Timed, Largest by Distance, Largest by State, Largest Festivals, Women-Only, World's Largest and Youth Runs. Below is a summary of each category with tables.



Top 100 U.S. Timed - In 2011, the Top 100 U.S. Timed list accounted for more than 1.6 million finishers (an all-time high) compared to 922,500 finishers in 2000, a 75% increase. In 2000 the 100th race on the U.S. list had more than 3,600 finishers and by 2011 that number had grown to more than 8,000. Last year, half-marathons accounted for 42% of the races listed in the Top 100, with 15 of these being represented by Competitor Group's popular Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series. As mentioned in previous State of the Sport Reports, since 2003, the half-marathon has been the fastest growing distance in the U.S., with women leading the charge. See Table 1.



Also, for the first time in the same year, there were 5 U.S. road races with more than 40,000 timed finishers: Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race 10K, Lilac Bloomsday Run 12K, Dick's Sporting Goods BolderBOULDER 10K, ING New York City Marathon and Zazzle Bay to Breakers 12K plus a record 11 U.S. road races with more than 30,000 timed finishers.



For the rest of the 2012 State of the Sport - Part IV, CLICK here.





AthleteTracker Provides Text Updates for Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Fans

Avtex, Twin Cities In Motion partner to bring races to fans' mobile phones via free service


MINNEAPOLIS - (September 26, 2012) - Fans of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and the Medtronic TC 10 Mile on Sunday, October 7 can follow the progress of runners via text message again this year thanks to AthleteTracker, powered by Avtex, a complimentary application that will send real-time reports on individual runners on race day.



Avtex, a provider of customer experience technology solutions, will once again partner with Twin Cities In Motion to bring the state's premiere running events closer to the people following them. Fans can now track up to three athletes registered in the marathon or ten mile. As runners move along the course, real-time updates via text-message will be sent to their fans' phones.



In addition to allowing spectators to sign up and use the service, this year AthleteTracker includes the ability for runners to sign-up and see who is following them and invite others to follow them.



"We received a lot of great feedback from runners last year and wanted to improve the experience to allow them to have some control over who was following them," said Eric Raarup, Chief Marketing Technology Officer for Avtex.



This year, AthleteTracker will also take advantage of the latest cloud technologies from Microsoft. Raarup added, "We send tens of thousands of text messages with AthleteTracker and we wanted to leverage the scalability of the cloud during the race."



The registration website has been optimized to allow individuals to sign-up using a smartphone, tablet or computer. To register for the free service, go to: www.avtex.com/athletetracker



At the sign-up page, fans simply enter their mobile phone number and submit the names of the runners they wish to track. Athletes running in the events can use the same web-page to see who plans to follow them on race day. To use AthleteTracker, users must register by Saturday, October 6 at 7:00pm.



"We're happy to have AthleteTracker back at our event," Virginia Brophy Achman, executive director for Twin Cities In Motion, said. "New technology solutions from innovative companies like Avtex allow us to offer an interactive race experience. With AthleteTracker, we are able to extend the thrill of the race to a broader audience, giving them more visibility while supporting the runner with a more aware and participatory fan base."



More than 20,000 runners will compete in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Medtronic TC 10 Mile. In turn, they will be followed by more than 300,000 fans along the course and by additional friends and family members who cannot be in Minneapolis and St. Paul on race-day but who can now track the race from afar with AthleteTracker.

For more information, contact: athletetracker@avtex.com



About Twin Cities In Motion (TCM)
Twin Cities In Motion (formerly Twin Cities Marathon, Inc.) is the non-profit organization that provides nationally recognized, high quality running events throughout the year, including the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon. With a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through running, TCM and its charity partners contribute over $500,000 to related causes each year. For more information, visit www.tcmevents.org, www.facebook.com/TwinCitiesInMotion and follow us on Twitter @tcmarathon.






Coca-Cola Foundation Awards $50,000 Grant to JUST RUN Youth Fitness Program

Grant funds to be used to expand JUST RUN in underserved areas within California



CARMEL, Calif. - (September 27, 2012) - JUST RUN®, the nationally acclaimed youth fitness program under the auspices of the Big Sur International Marathon organization, has received a $50,000 grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation. The contribution is part of the Foundation's support of fitness and healthy living programs in local communities throughout the United States.



JUST RUN is a free, website-based program available to schools, teachers and youth leaders in any locale. In the most recently completed school year, 2011-12, JUST RUN reached 9,221 students in 89 schools throughout 12 states. The focus of the grant is to increase the number of both students and schools throughout California.



"We're honored to have been chosen for this significant grant," said Mike Dove, Big Sur Marathon board member and developer of the JUST RUN program. "With this funding we'll be able to implement a greater outreach effort in currently underserved areas of the state."



The JUST RUN grant was one of 19 second-quarter grants issued by The Coca-Cola Foundation. The philanthropic arm of the Coca-Cola Company awarded a total of $1.6 million in support of active healthy lifestyles, and another $1.25 million to the USO's Operation Enduring Care program focused on three crucial areas including physical health and recreation.

"One of our Foundation's priorities is to build sustainable communities by encouraging individuals, families and communities to live active, healthy lifestyles," said Lori George Billingsley, Vice President, Community Relations, Coca-Cola Refreshments.



Coca-Cola Distribution Center Manager for Salinas and San Jose, Tim Albrecht, added, "Just Run is a premier, invaluable local organization serving schools and students nationwide, providing access to exercise, physical activity, and nutritional education. We're proud to be able to support them through this grant."



Goals for the JUST RUN program through the Coca-Cola grant will be to increase the student participation to more than 11,000 in 120 schools throughout California. In addition to teaching running as a part of living an active healthy lifestyle, JUST RUN focuses on healthy nutrition and good citizenship, or "Just Deeds." Other components of the program include tangible incentives for mileage run, establishment of goal races, and a "Run Across the USA" component which tracks mileage and offers teachers an opportunity to enhance teaching through geography and history of various areas that the students 'virtually' run through.



Since its inception in 2004, JUST RUN has received many awards and accolades. Nationally, JUST RUN was selected as a 2012 recipient of the Community Leadership Award by the President's Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition (PCFSN), is endorsed by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and is recognized as a significant youth fitness program in the national "Let's Move" campaign initiated by First Lady Michelle Obama. During the first year of its existence, JUST RUN received a Gold Medal from the (California) Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, and its leaders, Mike Dove and Susan Love, were named as Youth Fitness Contributors of the Year by Running USA, the industry's trade organization. Locally, JUST RUN was recently honored by the Monterey County School Boards Association as the 2012 recipient of the 'Excellence in Education' award for exemplifying the very best of teaching and learning.



JUST RUN operates under the 501(c)3 designation of the Big Sur International Marathon, whose mission is to serve the community by producing a world class marathon and related fun events that raise funds for contribution to local charities, while promoting health and fitness.



To learn more about JUST RUN, visit: www.justrun.org



The Coca-Cola Foundation awarded more than $70 million to 263 community organizations around the world in 2011 to support sustainable community initiatives, including water stewardship, community recycling, active, healthy living and education. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, go to: www.thecoca-colacompany.com/citizenship/foundation_coke.html



National Geographic Channel's Rocket City Rednecks Test Latest Invention at Marine Corps Marathon



At 37th edition, Dr. Travis Taylor will compete wearing 40 pounds of full-body armor for special episode in Season Two which premieres Thursday, November 29 on NGC


WASHINGTON, D.C. - (September 26, 2012) - The Rocket City Rednecks have bombproofed a truck using beer cans in an effort to create armor for military vehicles and constructed a homemade hovercraft using a tarp from the garage. This October they'll bring their unique mix of southern charm and advanced degrees to the 37th Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) in Washington, D.C., as Rocket City Rednecks star Dr. Travis Taylor runs the course wearing the Rednecks' latest invention - a lightweight, full-body armor suit.



With the loss-of-limb rate for U.S. troops at an all-time high, the Rednecks were inspired to create an alternative version of full-body armor that would protect troops in combat without impairing mobility or performance.



To prove that the suit is mobile, Travis will run the 37th Marine Corps Marathon in the Full-body Armor Suit Test Unit #1 (FAST U1), which also includes a removable facemask. The armor is made of Kevlar, Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), canvas, polyurethane, polyurea and polycarbonate materials, and weighs 40 pounds, the same amount as the U.S. military's current armor, which protects only the torso. The entire process is being filmed for a special episode to premiere during the show's second season, which begins Thursday, November 29 on NGC.



"My older brother is an E9 in the U.S. Air Force, and is about to leave on his fourth deployment," said Travis. "I want to do everything I can to make certain that he and the other superheroes like him in our armed forces always come home safely."



"There is not a more appropriate event for Rocket City Rednecks to showcase this new prototype that could ultimately enhance the protection afforded the men and women of the armed forces," says Rick Nealis, MCM director. "The MCM is an ideal testing ground for Dr. Taylor."



Prior to Travis' appearance at the MCM, the Rocket City Rednecks will test the suit through a series of rigorous experiments to confirm that the suit can withstand the same elements our troops face overseas, including detonating improvised explosive devices underneath it, shooting at it with various firearms, burning it and running an obstacle course under the direction of a U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor while wearing the suit to test mobility.



"National Geographic Channel is proud to support the dedication and service of the U.S. Marine Corps, and we're honored to have the Rocket City Rednecks debut their creation at the Marine Corps Marathon," said Michael Cascio, EVP of programming for National Geographic Channel. "This represents an incredible feat of engineering and is a testament to how science and technology can solve issues in unique and unconventional ways."



The 37th Marine Corps Marathon will be held on Sunday, October 28, 2012, in Arlington, VA, and throughout the nation's capital. Thirty thousand runners from across the United States and representing 52 nations will participate.



Rocket City Rednecks, called "ridiculously fun" and a "rip-roarin reality series" that is "as addictively tasty as a platter full of Southern-fried chicken" by critics in season one, follows a family of NASA rocket scientists living in Huntsville, Ala., as they combine hillbilly ingenuity with advanced engineering and physics to tackle real-world scenarios. With their thick accents and distinctive vocabulary, the tight-knit group brings its own unique style of southern charm to science and technology.



For more information, visit: www.natgeotv.com/rednecks



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 that does not offer prize money, earning the name "The People's Marathon".

For more information, go to: www.marinemarathon.com







Contact Information


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




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