Running USA wire 78, September 19, 2012

Running USA wire 78, September 19, 2012
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In this edition:
Powerful International Field Expected at 2012 ING New York City Marathon
Ragnar Relay Series Launches Run Vegas with an Olympian Contest
Max King Chasing Fifth Consecutive XTERRA National Championship
Beach Running World Championships Return on October 21, 2012

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Hells Canyon Relay, Baker City, OR, September 21
Inaugural ZOOMA Cape Cod Half-Marathon, Falmouth, MA, Sept 22
Miracle Miles 5K & 15K, Orlando, FL, September 22
Singleton 5 & 10 Mile, Atlanta, GA, September 22
Great Prostate Cancer Challenge, Carmel, IN, September 22
Lady Speed Stick Women's Half-Marathon, Nashville, TN, September 22
Inaugural Brewers Mini-Marathon, Milwaukee, WI, September 22
Sports Authority Rock 'n' Roll Denver Marathon & 1/2, CO, Sept 22
20th St. Luke's Women's Fitness Celebration 5K, Boise, ID, Sept 22
Flagline 50K & Trail Festival, Bend, OR, September 22
USA 50K Trail Championships
Run for Heroes Marathon, Amherstburg, CAN, September 23
City of Pittsburgh Junior Great Race, Pittsburgh, PA, Sept 23
Challenge Aging 5K, St. Paul, MN, September 23
Heels and Hills and Him Half-Marathon, Irving, TX, September 23
XTERRA Trail Running National Championship, Ogden, UT, Sept 23
Lake Tahoe Marathon Weekend, Lake Tahoe, CA, September 28-30
Inaugural Tower of Terror 10 Mile, Orlando, FL, September 29
10th Akron Marathon, Akron, OH, September 29
Catalina Island Conservancy Half-Marathon, Avalon, CA, September 29
35th Richard S. Caliguiri City of Pittsburgh Great Race 10K, PA, Sept 30










Powerful International Field Expected at 2012 ING New York City Marathon

Including two-time race champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos, Morocco's two-time Olympian Abderrahime Bouramdane, Great Britain's Olympic marathoner Scott Overall and three-time Olympian Kayoko Fukushi, 2011 runner-up Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia, national record holders Valeria Straneo of Italy and Adriana Da Silva of Brazil set for November 4 race


NEW YORK - (September 19, 2012) - Two-time race champion Marilson Gomes dos Santos of Brazil and three-time Olympian Kayoko Fukushi of Japan will add fierce competition to the already stacked men's and women's fields in the 2012 ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, November 4. Joining Gomes dos Santos in the men's race will be Olympic marathoners Abderrahime Bouramdane of Morocco and Great Britain's Scott Overall. 2011 runner-up Buzunesh Deba of Ethiopia and national record holders Valeria Straneo of Italy and Adriana Da Silva of Brazil will add to the women's field, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.



Nationally, the telecast will be available on ESPN2, online at WatchESPN.com, and for fans who receive their video subscription from an affiliated provider on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app. Locally, New Yorkers can watch the race on WABC-TV and 7online.com.



Previously announced runners for the men's race include 2009 race champion Meb Keflezighi (USA), 2010 champion Gebre Gebremariam (Ethiopia), Olympic bronze medalist Wilson Kipsang (Kenya), 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon winner Moses Mosop (Kenya), four-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, 2012 Boston Marathon fourth-placer Jason Hartmann (USA), and 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials fifth-placer Brett Gotcher.



In the women's race, previously announced runners include 2012 Olympic Marathon gold medalist Tiki Gelana (Ethiopia) and bronze medalist Tatyana Arkhipova (Russia), defending champion Firehiwot Dado (Ethiopia), 2010 champion Edna Kiplagat (Kenya), 2012 Boston winner Sharon Cherop (Kenya), New Zealand Olympian Kim Smith, 2012 U.S. Olympians Julie Culley (debut), Amy Hastings and Janet Bawcom and top U.S. contenders Michelle Frey, Alisha Williams, Serena Burla and Molly Pritz.



"We are honored to attract such a dominant international pro field for the 2012 ING New York City Marathon," said Wittenberg. "Many of these runners grace us year-after-year, and we always welcome their boundless talent and ability to undoubtedly 'wow' us.



Marilson Gomes dos Santos and Kayoko Fukishi are dedicated competitors that will surely challenge the men's and women's field. Likewise, we look forward to hosting Olympians Abderrahime Bouramdane and Scott Overall, and Buzunesh Deba will be a test to the women's contest after placing second last year - it is going to be a phenomenal race day."

MEN

Gomes dos Santos, 35, of Brazil, is a two-time winner of the ING New York City Marathon (2006, 2008). This will be his sixth appearance in the race. He is the South American record-holder at 5000 and 10,000 meters and the half-marathon. Gomes dos Santos won the 2011 South American Half-Marathon Championships in Buenos Aires last September, and he placed fourth at the 2011 Virgin London Marathon in a personal-best 2:06:34.
Bouramdane, 34, of Morocco, has twice placed in the top five at the ING New York City Marathon. He is a two-time Olympian and the fifth-fastest Moroccan in history with his personal-best time of 2:07:33, which he ran at the 2010 Virgin London Marathon.
Overall, 29, of Great Britain, is a 2012 Olympian. He ran a personal-best 2:10:55 at the 2011 BMW Berlin Marathon. Overall set his half-marathon personal best of 1:01:25 at the 2011 NYC Half.
Solonei Rocha Da Silva, 30, of Brazil, is the 2011 Pan American Games gold medalist and has a personal best of 2:11:32. He also won the São Paulo Marathon in June in 2:12:25-four minutes ahead of the runner-up.


WOMEN

Fukushi, 30, of Japan, is a three-time Olympian and the Japanese record-holder at 3000 and 5000 meters and the half-marathon. She is also the Asian 15K record-holder. She set a personal best of 2:24:38 at the 2011 Bank of America Chicago Marathon.
Straneo, 36, of Italy, holds the Italian record of 2:23:44, which she set at the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon. She finished eighth at both the 2012 London Olympic Marathon (2:25:27) and the 2011 BMW Berlin Marathon (2:26:33).
Da Silva, 31, of Brazil, won the 2011 South American Half-Marathon Championships in Buenos Aires last September. She was the 2011 Pan American Games Marathon gold medalist and ran a Brazilian record of 2:29:17 at the 2012 Tokyo Marathon last February.
Deba, 30, of Ethiopia, who currently resides in the Bronx, NY, was the 2011 ING New York City Marathon runner-up in a personal-best time of 2:23:19. She won both the 2011 Los Angeles Marathon and the Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon, where she broke the course-record.
Eri Okubo, 29, of Japan, is a fast-rising marathoner with a personal best of 2:26:08, set at the 2012 Tokyo Marathon.
Ana Dulce Félix, 29, of Portugal, is the 2012 European Championships 10,000-meter gold medalist and a two-time European Cross Country Championships medalist. She finished fourth at the 2011 ING New York City Marathon.
Hilda Kibet, 31, of the Netherlands, is a 2012 Olympic marathoner and was the 2008 European Cross Country Champion. She won the 2007 NYC Half and the 2008 NYRR New York Mini 10K.
Jelena Prokopcuka, 35, of Latvia, is a two-time ING New York City Marathon champion (2005-06).


Visit INGnycmarathon.org for more information.



Ragnar Relay Series Launches Run Vegas with an Olympian Contest

Nation's largest overnight team relay series will host video contest where one lucky team can add U.S. Olympian Nick Symmonds to Ragnar Relay Las Vegas team


LAS VEGAS, Nev. - (September 19, 2012) - Ragnar Relay Series presented by Nordic Track, the nation's largest team-focused, overnight running series, wants one lucky team to experience what it's like to run with an Olympian during their final event of the 2012 calendar year in Las Vegas on November 9-10.



Ragnar Relay Series has launched its Run Vegas with an Olympian Contest, a program where one lucky and creative team will have a chance to add the third fastest 800 meter runner in American history to their 12-person relay. Nick Symmonds, a two-time Olympian and five-time U.S. 800 meter champion will become teammate number 12 for the team that submits the most creative one minute video telling Ragnar (and the world) why you want to run a Ragnar with Nick Symmonds.



Entries will be posted on Ragnar Relay's Facebook page for voting for a one-month period. Winners will be selected based on a combination of both total votes and a panel of independent judges. Videos will be judged based on content and not production value. Winners will be selected on or around October 16. The contest is open to teams already signed up for the Las Vegas event as well as new teams that register by October 1. To register, go to: https://www.facebook.com/TheRagnarRelaySeries



The winning team will then add Symmonds, described by some as the Brad Pitt of track and field and an outspoken advocate for the rights of track & field athletes to better market themselves. Symmonds took fifth in the 2012 London Olympic 800 meter final, running the third fastest time in U.S. history. A member of the elite Oregon Track Club, Symmonds is also an active outdoorsman who is thrilled to join the Ragnar Nation as he strives to try to get more people active.



"I've always admired what Ragnar Relay Series does in terms of connecting runners with each other, conquering the challenge of 200 miles over two days together, and then celebrating runners' success," said Symmonds. "Their participation and overall leadership shares a philosophy of mine - work hard play hard. I can't wait to do both in Vegas this November with the winning team."



Symmonds is also a strong advocate for the power of social media channels. In January 2012, he auctioned off his left shoulder on eBay to the highest bidder in the "Your Twitter Handle on an Olympian" competition. He has since grown his following on Twitter to more than 27,000, and was named a Top Olympian to Follow by Mashable in July 2012.



For more information on Nick Symmonds, visit his website at www.nicksymmonds.com or follow him on Twitter @NickSymmonds. For more information on the Ragnar Relay Las Vegas Race, visit: www.ragnarrelay.com/race/lasvegas



Max King Chasing Fifth Consecutive XTERRA National Championship

Defending champion to run USA 50K Trail Championship in Oregon the day before XTERRA race at the Snowbasin Resort in Utah


OGDEN, Utah - (September 19, 2012) - Max King is used to winning...and winning again. He's won four consecutive XTERRA Trail Run National Championships and four consecutive XTERRA Trail Run World Championships to prove it.



On Sunday morning, he'll go after his fifth consecutive XTERRA Trail Run National Championship at the Snowbasin Resort near Ogden, Utah. To do so, he'll have to complete his second consecutive "double".



King, 32, will run in two national championship races on back-to-back days next weekend. On September 22, he will enter the USA 50K Trail Championship in his hometown of Bend, Oregon. He'll be on a flight to Utah immediately after that race, and then get a few hours of sleep before running in the 21K XTERRA Trail Run National Championship on September 23.



For the record, that equates to 71 kilometers of trail running - at elevation - in two different states in fewer than 24 hours.



If it sounds outrageous, it's not. At least not for King. He did it last year...and won both races.



"I had had a lot of very good training going into this race last year and my body was feeling very good," King said. "This year I'll just have to see how my body handles the 50K the day before. I was surprised last year to come out of the weekend of racing so well. I was tired and somewhat sore after the (XTERRA race), but overall I would say that I handled it well."



The XTERRA Trail Run Nationals was held in Utah for the first time in 2011, and King said he was pleasantly surprised at the variety of challenging climbs and descents. The course at Snowbasin reaches an elevation of nearly 7,300 feet, and there will be more than 2,200 feet of total climbing during the XTERRA race. King said it is not significantly different from Bend, but "you can definitely feel it."



In preparation for the "double" weekend, King said he has been focusing on elevation change during his practice runs.



"Training is about the same but I have changed a few things," he said. "This year I've focused more on elevation change during my runs and have reduced the intensity in my training. It has definitely helped with the longer races, but I guess you could say I've probably neglected my short range speed. The focus on longer, harder races has possibly made me a bit stronger, however, and hopefully better able to handle the 'double.'"



There will be an abundance of challengers at the XTERRA race, including: Mario Mendoza, who placed second to King last year; Ben Bruce, who placed runner-up to King in 2008; Will Christian, who placed behind King at the XTERRA World Championship race in 2010.



If anything, King has already proved his versatility in 2012. He made the finals of the U.S. Olympic Trials in both the marathon and the steeplechase, although he came up short of qualifying in both.



For more information on the XTERRA Trail Run National Championship, go to: www.xterratrailrun.com





Beach Running World Championships Return on October 21, 2012

Cocoa Beach to host USA Track & Field sanctioned 10K & ½ marathon; entries from 15 states & 5 countries


COCOA BEACH, Fla. - (September 19, 2012) - The second Beach Running World Championships are all set for Sunday, October 21, 2012 at the Cocoa Beach pier. The event features running distances of 10-kilometers (6.2 miles) and a ½ marathon (13.1 miles) and is one of just a few of the nation's timed longer distance beach running events.



The Beach Running World Championships is sanctioned by USA Track & Field, and its courses take runners along a low tide out and back route on the wide and hard-packed beaches of Cocoa Beach.



"Everyone loves running or walking on an open beach," noted event director Mitch Varnes. "There are a lot of good 5K beach runs around, but we decided to focus on the longer distances to give runners a bigger challenge and to actually create more of an overall beach and ocean experience as we follow the race up with live music, lots of food and an awards ceremony - all on the beach."



Finishers of both races will receive custom medals featuring the Beach Running Championships logo.



The Beach Running World Championships has seen great community support and is open to any and all runners; with walkers welcome to participate in the 10K portion of the event.



"The vibe associated with last year's inaugural beach run was just amazing," Varnes continued. "It was different than the typical road running event and just a really fun morning for all involved. Our entry numbers are up markedly from the same time last year, and we are looking for an even bigger and better time this go round."



Information and registration for the Beach Running World Championships is available at: www.runonthebeach.com





Contact Information


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




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