Running USA wire 3-02-15

Issue 3-02-15                                                           Feb. 16, 2015 Upcoming Events  Disney's Princess Half-Marathon Weekend, Walt Disney World Resort, FL, Feb. 19-22 Pub Run Series, Dallas, TX, Feb. 19 Ragnar Relay Del Sol, Prescott-Tempe, AZ, Feb. 20-21  Snowman Stampede 5 & 10 Miler, Littleton, CO, Feb. 21 Mermaid Half Marathon Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, Feb. 21 XTERRA Thrill in the Hills Trail Run, Winder, GA, Feb. 21 XTERRA Monster Dash Trail Run, Chesterfield, VA, Feb. 21 Form Follows Fitness 5K, Dallas, TX, Feb. 21 Polar Bear 5 Mile, 3 Mile, Doubler, Indianapolis, IN, Feb. 21 NYCRUNS Central Park Marathon, New York, NY, Feb. 22 XTERRA Crystal Cove Trail Run, Newport Beach, CA, Feb. 22 National Masters 8K Championships, Brea, CA, Feb. 22 Find the full Running USA events calendar here.  NYRR Announces First Times Square Kids' Run at the 2015 United Airlines NYC Half NEW YORK  - In addition to the 20,000 runners covering 13.1 miles through Manhattan, the 2015 United Airlines NYC Half will host 1,000 youth runners in a special 1500-meter race through Times Square on Sunday, March 15, 2015, it was announced by Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. "The Times Square Kids' Run at the United Airlines NYC Half is a first for this event, and a great way to celebrate the 10th running of our flagship half-marathon,"  said Wittenberg. "These dynamic youth runners, including the NYRR Young Runners, will help highlight the significance of physical activity for young people as they run their own race through Times Square, alongside some of the world's top professional runners and thousands of participants of all ages and abilities. This will be a true representation of our 'Run for Life' philosophy." The inaugural NYRR Times Square Kids' Run at the 2015 United Airlines NYC Half will feature an out-and-back 1500-meter run along Seventh Avenue with divisions for high school, middle school, and elementary school athletes. Youth runners-ages 7-18-from New York City's five boroughs and beyond will dash through Times Square alongside the world's top professional athletes and a range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners participating in the 2015 United Airlines NYC Half. Read the rest of the story on RunningUSA.org   Sold Out 2015 Napa Valley Marathon Features Worldwide Entrants NAPA, Calif. - A sold-out field of 3,000 entrants from 18 countries, 48 U.S. states, and Washington, D.C. will gather in California's Napa Valley for the 37th Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon on Sunday, March 1, 2015. The Napa Valley Marathon (NVM) asks each entrant to describe their reasons for entering the race.   Many responses annually illustrate how the challenges of a 26.2-mile race spurs marathoners to undertake charitable deeds that assist others who face adversity, to overcome personal adversities themselves, or to travel the globe in search of the most compelling races.   A high percentage of respondents also cited the reputation of NVM as one of the best organized marathons in the U.S., and the allure of the picturesque Napa Valley wine growing region, as primary reasons for entering the race.  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. Numerous NVM participants, however, choose to go beyond NVM's annual philanthropy by dedicating their race to others, often raising donations that fund the charities of their choice.  Read the rest of the story on RunningUSA.org  Medtronic TC 1 Mile Moves to Hennepin Avenue in Downtown Minneapolis ST. PAUL, Minn. - Hennepin Avenue will provide the dramatic backdrop for the Medtronic TC 1 Mile, which will draw more than 3000 runners to a brand new downtown Minneapolis course on Thursday, May 14. The event, which will host the USATF Men's and Women's 1 Mile Road Championships, moves to the city's signature thoroughfare after a decade of racing on Nicollet Mall. The event will start near the Parade Athletic Fields adjacent the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, race by the Basilica of St. Mary, and finish in the heart of the Hennepin Avenue Theater District near the 6th Street intersection. The move to the lively downtown locale was prompted by planned construction on Nicollet Mall and the addition of the Metro Transit Green Line last summer. "We knew the event would need to find a new home by 2016 at the latest, so we started looking for a new route well ahead of time," Twin Cities In Motion Executive Director Virginia Brophy Achman said. "When conversations with the city turned to running into downtown Minneapolis on Hennepin Avenue, we were excited by the possibilities. We think the atmosphere for the event will pull from the bustling energy of downtown, as we run through the heart of Minneapolis." Read the rest of the story on RunningUSA.org  Operational, Competitive Enhancements Set for 2015 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle CHICAGO - The March 29, 2015, the Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle will host its seventh Elite Club 8K Competition, featuring men's and women's USATF-member racing teams from across the country vying for a $20,000 prize purse on Sunday, March 29. The 2014 competition attracted more than 200 national and local runners from nine states and more than 40 clubs.  For the third year in a row, runners from the Michigan-based Hansons-Brooks Distance Project won both the men's and women's elite individual titles, but the Playmakers Elite from Lansing, Mich., stole the show on the men's side, outpacing a competitive field and winning the team title. The Hansons-Brooks Distance project captured the women's title, led by overall first-place finisher, Katie Kellner. Read the rest of the story on RunningUSA.org    Follow Running USA on social media Visit RunningUSA.org   2015 Chicago Event Announced Running USA Blog   Member News Updates 2015 Race Calendar More About Us         Running USA Presenting Sponsors                   Running USA Contacts To request an interview with Running USA, contact RIch Harshbarger, Running USA CEO at rich@runningusa.org or phone (313) 408-3655 For information about becoming a member, partner or supporter of Running USA, contact Galen Burson, Director of Fundraising and Membership, at galen@runningusa.org or (720) 935-4175 For information about running, road racing and elite athletes, contact Scott Bush, Running USA Communications Director, at scott@runningusa.org, or (503) 704-7169 To submit a press release to the Running USA wire or website, email leah@runningusa.org In case you missed it on RunningUSA.org  Kathrine Switzer, Team USA Minnesota Among Award Winners at 2015 Running USA Industry Conference  WICHITA, Kan. (Feburary 13, 2015) - A record number of attendees, outstanding speakers and an exciting host city all contributed to the success of the 12th edition Running USA Industry Conference powered by ACTIVE Network, February 8-10 in New Orleans. Throughout the three-day conference, Running USA handed out four separate awards and inducted three new members of the Running USA Hall of Champions, and awarded $35,000 in grants to deserving programs. This year's three Hall of Champions honorees were pioneering female marathoner Kathrine Switzer, Chevron Houston Marathon race director Brant Kotch and Competitor Group Senior Vice President Tracy Sundlun. The Hall of Champions award is reserved for individuals who have made a difference in the sport of road running at the highest levels, while continuing to show devotion, vision, and commitment to their respective ventures and the runners they serve.   "Kathrine, Brant and Tracy have each devoted decades of their lives to improving the sport of distance running for everyone around them," says Running USA CEO Rich Harshbarger. "Their enthusiasm and drive to inspire thousands of runners each and every year is what makes them true champions."   Team USA Minnesota won the Allan Steinfeld Development Award, given to one program annually which supports the development of professional runners and their dreams of making the Olympics. Team USA Minnesota was presented a grant of $25,000 to help support their impressive stable of professional distance runners.   "We appreciate the opportunity that Running USA provides to American distance training programs and we are extremely pleased to be selected for this award," said Pat Goodwin, president and founder of Team USA Minnesota. "The grant will provide tremendous assistance to our group as we complete our fourth Olympic cycle in 2016."   Two youth program awards were also celebrated, as Just RUN, based in Monterey, Calif., won Youth Program of the Year, while Kids Run RVA, a Sports Backers program out of Richmond, Va., won Youth Event of the Year. Each program received a $5,000 grant to help further their support of youth runners and programs that introduce kids to the sport and living a healthy lifestyle.  The Women's Trailblazer Award, awarded to a woman each year who has been a leader in the running world, went to Kathy Kinane, President of Southern California-based Kinane Events. Read the rest of the conference recap on RunningUSA.org

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