Running USA wire 91, November 4, 2012

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In this edition:
ING New York City Marathon Canceled, Race to Recover Effort Announced
Horst Repeats, Mescal Wins Men's Race at Rock 'n' Roll Savannah
Ragnar Relay Series Goes International with 2013 Canadian Race
Nominations Open for 2012 RRCA National Running Awards

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Election Day 5K, St. Paul, MN, November 6
Norfolk Freedom Marathon Weekend, Norfolk, VA, November 9
Disney Wine and Dine Half-Marathon, Lake Buena Vista, FL, November 10
Catalina Eco Marathon, Avalon, CA, November 10
35th Anthem Richmond Marathon, Richmond, VA, November 10
McDonald's Half Marathon & HCA 8K, Richmond, VA, November 10
Founder's Day 10K & 5K, Celebration, FL, November 10
XTERRA Oak Mountain Trail Run, Pelham, AL, November 10
Veterans Day 5K, St. Paul, MN, November 11
Gateway Bank Outer Banks Marathon & Half-Marathon, Outer Banks, NC, November 11
Veterans Day 5K, San Diego, CA, November 10
Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, San Antonio, TX, Nov 11
Race for Fetal Hope, Denver, CO, November 11
XTERRA Tanasi Trail Run, Ocoee, TN, November 12
Turkey Trot 10K, Quantico, VA, November 17
Gobble Wobble, Denver, CO, November 17
Philadelphia Marathon Race Weekend, Philadelphia, PA, November 18
Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay, Monterey, CA, November 18
XTERRA Topanga Turkey Trot Trail Run, Los Angeles, CA, November 22
Evanston Flying Turkey 5K, Evanston, IL, November 22
Dana Point Turkey Trot, Dana Point, CA, November 22
Turkey Trot, Denver, CO, November 22
Turkey Trot 5K, Orlando, FL, November 22
Thanksgiving Day 5K, Kansas City, KS, November 22
Bend Turkey Trot, Bend, OR, November 22
Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot, 10K, 5K, Kids Races San Jose CA, November 22
Flying Feather Four Miler, Dublin, OH, November 22
Atlanta Half-Marathon & Thanksgiving Day 5K, Atlanta, GA, November 22


ING New York City Marathon Canceled, Race to Recover Effort Announced
The New York Road Runners will have additional information in the days ahead for participants


NEW YORK CITY - On Friday, Nov. 2, the City of New York and New York Road Runners issued a joint statement to announce that the 2012 ING NYC Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 4, had been canceled in the wake of devastating Hurricane Sandy, which struck the city earlier in the week.



On Sunday morning, rather than running through the streets of New York, thousands of runners participated in volunteer efforts and helped clean up storm damage and debris. Fundraising efforts to assist people whose homes and businesses were damaged by the storm were also announced.



"While holding the race would not require diverting resources from the recovery effort, it is clear that it has become the source of controversy and division," NYRR said in a press release. "We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event -- even one as meaningful as this -- to distract attention away from all the critically important work that is being done to help New York City recover from the storm. New York Road Runners will have additional information in the days ahead and we thank you for your dedication to the spirit of this race."



A joint statement was issued from New York City Mayor Bloomberg and NYRR President and CEO Mary Wittenberg:



"The Marathon has been an integral part of New York City's life for 40 years and is an event tens of thousands of New Yorkers participate in and millions more watch. While holding the race would not require diverting resources from the recovery effort, it is clear that it has become the source of controversy and division. The marathon has always brought our city together and inspired us with stories of courage and determination. We would not want a cloud to hang over the race or its participants, and so we have decided to cancel it. We cannot allow a controversy over an athletic event -- even one as meaningful as this -- to distract attention away from all the critically important work that is being done to recover from the storm and get our city back on track. The New York Road Runners will have additional information in the days ahead for participants."



NYRR, in partnership with the Rudin Family and the ING Foundation, has established the "Race to Recover" Marathon Fund to aid New Yorkers impacted by Hurricane Sandy. Over $2.6 million has been raised, including a $1 million donation by NYRR. We are asking you to join us by making a $26.20 donation, or whatever you can afford, to help bring recovery and hope to those communities and families most affected.



Proceeds will go to Hurricane Sandy Relief, administered by the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City. You can also donate to the relief effort through NYRR's fundraising platform, CrowdRise, which includes the American Red Cross and other charities. From your mobile phone, text "redcross" to 90999 to donate $10 through your wireless carrier.



"As a founding member of the marathon, we are incredibly proud to be able to partner with NYRR's club to support the Mayor's Fund disaster relief efforts for the city we love so much," said Jack Rudin. "New York has always been my home and this is the right thing to do."



"All of the NYRR members are New Yorkers either by locale or in spirit and we hope that they'll join in this effort to help New York get back on its feet," said George Hirsch, Chairman of the NYRR Board.


For the latest updates on the race cancellation and additional information on fundraising for Hurricane Sandy victims, visit nyrr.org











Horst Repeats, Mescal Wins Men's Race at Rock 'n' Roll Savannah

Stephen Pifer, Venera Sarmosova victorious in half-marathon; Mescal runs for ACS, first charity runner to win a Rock 'n' Roll race; Adelitas Way headlined the post race concert



SAVANNAH, Ga. - (November 3, 2012) - The Hostess City of the South rolled out a welcoming combination of ideal weather and thousands of enthusiastic spectators as more than 17,000 entrants took to the streets for the 2nd Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon & ½ Marathon benefiting the American Cancer Society on Saturday, Nov. 3. The road race started in downtown Savannah and ended in Forsyth Park.



In the men's half-marathon, a pack of five ran together from the start, but Stephen Pifer of Jacksonville, Fla. and Curtis Begley of Boulder, Colo. soon emerged as the top two. Begley led until mile 10, when Pifer put his race plan in motion and made his move.



"Curtis had been doing a lot of the work and I was feeling good and didn't want to be one of those guys that just sat on him and nipped him at the line," said Pifer. "He was tough, he kept surging and I thought he was going to drop me but I said, run through the pain. My hat's off to him."



Pifer ran his first full marathon just a few weeks ago in Chicago, and credited Savannah's spectators for helping to push him through this race. He won in 1 hour, 5 minutes, 32 seconds, with Begley in second at 1:06:00.



"It's hard to come back after that but you guys were awesome here and I can't say enough about how loud everybody was cheering. It was really cool."



The women's half-marathon winner was 33-year-old Venera Sarmosova of Russia, who won in 1:17:44, trailed by Kimberly Ruck, 23, of South Carolina.



A revamped course took runners through the city's iconic downtown squares and the scenic campus of Savannah State University, a change that the returning women's champion in the full marathon, Jill Braley Horst, welcomed.



"It was a better course than last year, especially going through the campus. The students are always excited and cheering and a little more lively so I liked that a lot," she said.



Horst, who lives in Rome, Ga., ran alone for the majority of the distance, winning in 2:52:05. Behind her was Anne-Marie Sibal who finished in 3:03:05.



"I felt great. It was probably the best I've ever felt through 18 miles. You couldn't ask for a better day," added Horst.



In the men's full marathon, 47-year-old Jeff Mescal of Indiana became the first charity runner to ever win a Rock 'n' Roll event, surging at mile 18 to win in 2:43:04. Mescal was running with the race's benefiting charity, the American Cancer Society, on behalf of his mother.



"She died of cancer 20 years ago and I still miss her. I always thought I'd dedicate a race to her and it never felt right until I was over at the ACS table at the Expo yesterday. I'm glad I did this one for her - she would have loved this place."



Also running with the American Cancer Society was actress Andrea Powell, starring in the upcoming Twilight film "Breaking Dawn II." Powell ran in honor of her late father and completed the half-marathon in 2:29:08.



Rock band Adelitas Way headlined the post race concert in beautiful Forsyth Park and Savannah's Mayor Edna B. Jackson fired off the starting gun downtown.





2nd Rock 'n' Roll Savannah Marathon and Half-Marathon

Savannah, GA, Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012



Men's Marathon

1) Jeff Mescal, 47, Indiana, 2:34:04, $1,000

2) Joseph Hillenbrand, 28, Pennsylvania, 2:48:36,$500

3) John Tolerton, 42, South Carolina, 2:48:54, $250



Women's Marathon

1) Jill Braley Horst, 34, Georgia, 2:52:05, $1,000

2) Anne-Marie Sibal, 32, South Carolina, 3:03:05, $500

3) Shannon Roof, 30, North Carolina, 3:12:48, $250



Men's Half-Marathon

1) Stephen Pifer, 27, Florida, 1:05:32, $1,000

2) Curtis Begley Jr, 25, Colorado, 1:06:00, $500

3) Rueben Mwei, 26, Georgia, 1:07:34, $250



Women's Half-Marathon

1) Venera Sarmosova (RUS), 33, Florida, 1:17:44, $1,000

2) Kimberly Ruck, 23, South Carolina, 1:19:03, $500

3) Lyubov Denisova (RUS), 41, Florida, 1:19:57, $250



For complete results, photos and more, go to: http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/savannah









Ragnar Relay Series Goes International with 2013 Canadian Race
Overnight, 200-mile relay event set for June 14-15 in Ontario, finishing at Niagara Falls

KAYSVILLE, Utah - Ragnar Relay Series presented by NordicTrack, one of the fastest growing endurance races across the United States, has announced its first international race with the debut of the Ragnar Relay Niagara Ontario event in Canada.


This 200-mile, two-day, overnight team relay event will be held Friday-Saturday June 14-15, 2013 in Ontario. It will start on the northwest coast of Lake Ontario in Cobourg, Ontario. Teams of 12 (or six if an ultra team) will head west and south, passing through multiple towns and communities in the metropolitan Toronto area. Once runners reach the Burlington area, they'll begin heading east towards the finish line area of Niagara Falls. Running primarily along the Waterfront Trail along Lake Ontario throughout a large amount of the course, runners will experience the beauty Lake Ontario, and also pass through Ontario's wine country near Niagara on the Lake and St. Catharines.


"In 2004, we set out to create an experience where people of all ages and experience levels could participate in Ragnar to connect as a team, conquer a 200 mile challenge and celebrate together," said Tanner Bell, co-founder of Ragnar Relay Series. "It's been a thrill to see hundreds of thousands of people participate and create lasting memories at events across the US, and today to be able to take the Ragnar Relay experience to Canada as the first of many international races to come!"


As part of this inaugural event, Ragnar Relay Series will partner with the Toronto-based Waterfront Regeneration Trust, a nonprofit organization committed to preserving and supporting the waterfronts along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence Rivers. The organization will help in the recruitment of volunteers and course development for the Ragnar Relay event, and will also receive a financial contribution from Ragnar based on total number of participants.


Ragnar Relay Series hosts two-day, overnight relay runs throughout the U.S. and now Canada. In 2012, the series hosted 15 races across the United States from January through November in locations including the Florida Keys, Napa, Colorado, Seattle, Washington DC and Las Vegas.


More than 80,000 participants from all fifty states and more than 10 countries along with more than 100,000 fans across the country came out to experience the thrills of overnight, team relay running. Race officials anticipate participation surpassing 125,000 runners per year by 2015.


2013 will also mark the 10th anniversary of the Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back race in Utah, which regularly sells out within days of its registration opening. Ragnar Relay Series is presented by NordicTrack, with additional national sponsors including Petzl, Clif Bar, SweatVac, Monster Beverages and Scott James Jewelers.



Based in Utah, Ragnar Events, LLC is the largest overnight running relay series in the United


States. To learn more about the Ragnar Relay Ontario race, visit www.ragnarrelay.com/race/ontario




Nominations Open for 2012 RRCA National Running Awards
Physically Challenged Athlete of the Year category added to the Road Runners of Year awards for 2012




In 1971, the RRCA developed the RRCA National Running Awards to acknowledge the service and dedication of outstanding volunteers to the running community. Each year club and event leaders around the United States are encouraged to nominate outstanding individuals for an RRCA National Running Award.


The outstanding contributors to our sport are recognized at the RRCA Annual Banquet and National Running Awards Ceremony. Each year the RRCA provides a travel stipend and a free ticket for these deserving individuals to attend the banquet and awards ceremony.



The categories for the awards are as follows. Get more information about each category by clicking the hyperlinked category name:



RRCA Distance Running Hall of Fame Inductee(s)
The Browning Ross Spirit of the RRCA Award
Outstanding RRCA Club President of the Year
Road Runners of the Year
Road Runner of the Year Challenged Athlete
RRCA Outstanding Volunteer of the Year
RRCA Journalism Awards for:
Outstanding Club Newsletter(s) (print)
Outstanding Club E-Newsletter
Outstanding Club Writer
Journalism Excellence
Outstanding RRCA State Representative of the Year
RRCA Outstanding Youth Program Director of the Year
RRCA Outstanding Beginning Running Program
RRCA Road Race of the Year
Outstanding Club Website
New to the awards this year is the Physically Challenged Athlete of the Year.

In May 2012, the RRCA Board of Directors elected to include the category of Physically Challenged Athlete of the Year as part of the annual Road Runners of Year award category that is included in the overall RRCA National Running Awards program.



Nominees for this award must actively participant in running events with a verified disability. For this award category, the RRCA defines a physically challenged athlete as a male or female athlete racing in multiple events throughout the course of the year without the use of a limb or combination of limbs (leg, arm). Athletes may race with or without the use of prosthetics. Athletes may also race using a push-rim wheelchair. Physical disabilities also include dwarfism, amputation/limb loss, blindness/visual impairment, spinal cord injury/wheelchair-users and cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke.



To nominate a deserving individual for an award, review the Award Categories and Selection Criteria Information below; then complete the online nomination form during the nomination period. Nominations open November 1st and are due 5:00 PM Eastern on Monday, December 31. Only nominations made through the official online form will be accepted.



Award winners are chosen by a volunteer selection panel from the nominations submitted for each award category. The RRCA awards selection panels are a great opportunity to get involved with the organization at the National level. For more information about serving on a selection panel email programs@rrca.org.



For more information, visit http://www.rrca.org/services/national-running-awards/




Contact Information


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