World Record Holder Headlines Half Marathon In New Orleans
Inaugural race features strong fields.
Written By: Sean McKeon
The Inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon and Half Marathon, taking place February 28th in New Orleans, has attracted some of the world’s top distance runners. The men’s half marathon will feature a battle between Kenyan world record holder Sammy Wanjiru and fellow Kenyan Martin Lel, a three-time London Marathon champion. In the women’s race, Ethiopian legend Berhane Adere will square off against New Zealand record holder Kim Smith.
Let’s take a closer look at the runners to watch and what to expect in Sunday’s big half marathon.
2008 Olympic Champion Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya will race the half marathon in New Orleans. Photo: PhotoRun.net
Men’s Half Marathon:
The clear favorite in New Orleans will be Kenyan world record holder Sammy Wanjiru. In 2008 he captured his first Olympic gold medal, battling the Beijing heat to an Olympic marathon record of 2:06:32. He followed up his Olympic victory by setting course records in 2009 at the London (2:05:10, PR) and Chicago (2:05:41) marathons. Wanjiru set the standing half-marathon world record of 58:33 in 2007 in the City-Pier-City Loop in The Hague, The Netherlands. Looking to take down the world record holder is fellow Kenyan Martin Lel. Considered one of the greatest road racers of all time, Lel’s resume includes three London Marathon titles, two New York City Marathon titles, and additional podium finishes at London and Boston. Although his half-marathon PR of 59:56 is well shy of Wanjiru’s record, he undoubtedly presents a serious threat to Wanjiru in New Orleans.
The strongest challenge to a Kenyan 1-2 finish will come from a young runner from Ireland. Irish Olympian Martin Fagan, a product of Providence College, has a personal best of 1:00:57 and is known as a runner willing to take a chance with a fast pace. Considering that the Kenyans are approaching this race as a tune-up for later marathons, Fagan has a legitimate shot at hanging around deep into the race. However, Fagan will have two other serious Kenyan threats to deal with in the Big Easy.
Also in the mix on the men’s side will be former Oregon Duck, and 13:36 5000m runner Shadrack Biwott of Kenya. Biwott will make his half-marathon debut in New Orleans. Also in the hunt will be 2007 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose Half Marathon champion McDonald Ondara of Kenya. Ondara set his personal best of 1:01:11 in route to his win in San Jose.
Kiwi star Kim Smith will race for the win in New Orleans. Photo: PhotoRun.net
Women’s Half Marathon:
Berhane Adere of Ethiopia has had a long and illustrious career, including world records on the track and marathon wins on the road. Adere won her first of two Chicago Marathon titles in a still personal best 2:20:42. Her half-marathon personal best of 1:08:17 was set in 2001 at the world championships. Although she had top-five finishes at both Chicago and London in 2009, she had a poor showing earlier this year with a 14th-place finish at the Zayed Half Marathon (1:12:50). Adere certainly hopes to show better form in New Orleans.
Adere will have to battle with New Zealand record holder Kim Smith. Smith, another Providence alum, holds the Kiwi records for 3000m (8:35.31), 5000m (14:39.98i), 10,000m (30:35.54) and the half-marathon (1:09:35). With top-10 finishes in the 10,000m at the 2008 Olympics and 2009 World Championships, Smith is used to pushing the pace with the Africans. Her personal best for the half marathon came in the 2009 world half marathon championships, where she placed a strong seventh.
Ehiopian Azalech Maresha will toe the line with confidence, having set a personal best of 2:32:12 at the Mumbai Marathon in January. American marathon champion Ilsa Paulson has a personal best of 2:31:49 for the marathon. Paulson will look to improve upon her time of 1:17:04 from the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Half Marathon this January.
RunNow.com will have coverage all week, including live coverage on race day, from New Orleans.
[sig:SeanMcKeon]
Good Times In The Big Easy
Here’s how to celebrate finishing the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon or Half Marathon.
Written by: John Mendelsohn
Mention New Orleans, and most people think first of the famous French Quarter, with its unique architecture, great food, and interesting shops. Historic New Orleans walking tours of the Quarter are generally acknowledged as supremely informative and enjoyable. If anything remotely felicitous has happened anywhere in the city, beautiful young women are likely to be on the balconies above the narrow streets displaying their breasts.
The New Orleans’ Original Cocktail Tour typically lasts around three hours, at no time during which you will be compelled to listen to a lounge pianist playing Melancholy Baby. A splendid introduction to the French Quarter, it’s less a pub crawl, though, than a history tour, during which you’ll learn about the French and Spanish in the city, about Mardi Gras and Katrina, and about some of New Orleans’ most celebrated restaurants. Typically, you’ll enjoy a Pimm’s Cup at Napoleon House, a Sazerac at Antoine’s, a Bayou Bash at Sisters, “lemonade” at Tujague’s, and absinthe at Pirate Alley Café. You’ll probably want to take a taxi back to your hotel at tour’s end, or stagger, rather than drive.
Is it a little ghoulish that Grayline offers a tour called Hurricane Katrina – America’s Greatest Catastrophe? Of course it is. Are you highly like to go on it anyway? Of course you are.
Your guide will proudly show you not just the 9th Ward, but other parts of town that suffered woeful devastation. He’ll explain how the search and recovery was conducted, and point with pride to all the rebuilding that’s been done, including homes donated by such celebrities as Brad Pitt. Given the Saints’ recent Super Bowl victory, you can count on his pointing with particular pride to projects financed by quarterback Drew Brees.
There are those who’ll tell you that there’s no better way to explore the city than on an old-fashioned cruiser-style bicycle, with a knowledgeable tour guide leading the way. Confederacy of Cruisers Bike Tours, named in honor of the wildly overrated novel A Confederacy of Dunces, invites you to savor stories of the culture, history, and architecture of a New Orleans less adventurous visitors rarely glimpse as you pedal around the Creole Fauborgs.
No trip to New Orleans is complete without a visit to the endearingly ramshackle Preservation Hall, where jazz of a sort that nearly everyone enjoys — with the possible exception of a few goateed elitists who believe that jazz that isn’t atonal and anarchic isn’t jazz at all, but bourgeois crapola — will seemingly flourish forever. At $10, it might be the best deal in Louisiana. Get there early, as there are only about 70 seats, each less comfortable than the one beside it. Bring neither alcohol nor earplugs. The former isn’t allowed, and the music is delightfully unamplified.
Airboat Adventures is a favorite way for non-aquaphobes of all ages to see the bayous. In the swamplands where moss drapes the trees, alligators cavort in their natural habitat. If the tour leader’s Cajun-inflected drawl is nearly unintelligible, be consoled by the realization that there are still a few of us left with regional accents.
The New Orleans School of Cooking offers day-long classes for students intent on making themselves delicious bowls of jambalaya, shrimp Creole, gumbo, and other favorite local dishes when they get back to the culinary backwaters in which they reside.
Less than 10 minutes from downtown, you can meditate in the tranquility of The Longue Vue House and Gardens, surrounded by eight acres of gardens containing noteworthy fountains.
The electrifying Kermit Ruffins performs every Thursday evening at Vaughan’s Lounge, in an endearingly shabby, but safe neighborhood, where the folks are friendly and the beer cheap. Don’t be surprised — well, be pleasantly surprised, but not shocked into speechlessness — if, halfway through Kermit’s performance, you’re presented with a huge complimentary bowl of red beans and rice. The cover’s only $10.
Known colloquially as “The St. Louis Cathedral”, the gorgeous Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis King of France is the oldest Catholic cathedral in continual use in the United States, and one of New Orleans’ most-visited landmarks, not least because of its convenient location in Jackson Square, which is full, in clement weather, of street performers, artists, and even fortune tellers.
Bloody Marie’s Voodoo Best, which takes one to such noteworthy sites as Marie Laveau’s tomb in St. Louis Cemetery #1, is thought by many to be the city’s best tour of its type, or maybe people are just saying that for fear of a limb falling off.
Don’t go to the Audubon Zoo expecting the San Diego Zoo with a Cajun accent. It’s fairly tiny, but easily navigated, and with some creatures you might not glimpse at bigger zoos. Many animal-lovers cite elephants Jean and Panya, the Komodo dragon, and white tiger brothers King Rex and King Zulu as their favorites. One of the enjoyable interactive displays at the new Audubon Insectarium, inside the historic Custom House, dares you to get on a stationary bike to race a grasshopper. Afterward, you can snack on insects.
If it’s sweltering, duck into the always-chilly Musee Conti Wax Museum. Most of it is dedicated to the history of New Orleans, but there’s also a section devoted to voodoo and black magic that the faint of heart may want to miss.
***
The multitalented John Mendelsohn is a writer, graphic artist, and singer/songwriter who lives near New York City. Check out his new song collection, Sorry We’re Open.
Rock Around The Calendar
Photo: Courtesy James Staten
James Staten aims to become the first person to complete 14 Rock ‘n’ Roll events in a single year.
Interview by: Matt Fitzgerald
No one has ever run 14 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series events in a single year. That’s because there have never been 14 such events in a single year, until this year. In 2010 there is one individual who is known to be planning to complete the full series, which has expanded from 11 events in 2009. That individual is James Staten, 42, of Redwood Shores, Calif., who works in market research.
James started his quest in grand fashion on January 17, setting a new personal best of 3:17 at the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon, his 22nd marathon. We spoke to James as he was getting ready to taper for the second chapter of his adventure: the Rock ‘n’ Roll Mardi Gras Marathon on February 28.
RunNow.com: So, how long did this whole thing get started?
James Staten: I’ve been casually running for eight or nine years and I got serious in 2003. That’s when I ran my first half marathon. I started out by traveling a lot with my job and getting really frustrated because I never saw any of the cities I went to. So I would just get out of my hotel room, turn left and run. I never ran more than six miles until a friend of mine from work said, “If you like to run you should try a half.” So I ran the San Francisco Kaiser Half Marathon, which happened on Super Bowl Sunday. It just about killed me, because I had been training for six miles and jumping up to 13 was a really stupid idea.
But it was a chance for me to see all of these Team in Training people cheering everyone else on besides me. That got me thinking, “If I ever do this again, or if I do a full, I really ought to do this [Team in Training thing] so I can have this kind of support.” That’s what got me into Team in Training.
If that first half marathon just about killed you, what made you come back for more?
Probably the same thing that a lot of people feel: the incredible feeling when I crossed the finish line. I asked myself, “Do I want to have that feeling again?” Absolutely. “Do I want to have the feeling I had in mile nine through 13? Absolutely not.”
What was your first marathon?
I did the Mayor’s Midnight Sun Marathon in Alaska in 2004. I started as a member with [Team in Training] just like everyone else, then I became a mentor for them, then a captain for them, and now I’m a coach for Team in Training.
A lot of people go through the Team in Training program once, maybe twice, then move on. Why did you choose to stay with and move up in the organization?
A lot of it was because of the social connections I made through the program. I have tons of friends I’ve made through Team in Training. I sort of informally run an alumni group for people who just want to keep running together but can’t do the fundraising thing every single time. And that’s become a really nice feeder network for people to go back into the team.
I lost my mom to cancer, I lost my aunt to cancer, my uncle, and a lot of other people in my family, so it’s a cause that’s very important to me. And I’ve met a lot of people who have suffered with Leukemia through this program and now they’re all personal friends and I raise money for them. I’ve raised $50,000 for the cause thus far.
What was your first Rock ‘n’ Roll event?
My first Rock ‘n’ Roll event was the inaugural San Jose half marathon. I did that just for fun with some friends and really enjoyed the multiple bands and how incredibly well organized it was.
At the time there were only seven Rock ‘n’ Roll events. I thought, “San Jose was great—wouldn’t it be cool to do all of them?” Then it became eight, and then nine, and then 10, and then 11. When it finally got to 14, that became such a greater goal than just doing seven in a year. If I’m the only person who ends up doing them all, then I’ll be the first. I set a big fundraising goal of $10,000 and I’m more than halfway there already.
So, event number one—Arizona—is in the bag. Number two, Mardi Gras, is in a few days. How are you feeling at this point?
I’m feeling pretty good. I just finished my 18-mile run a few minutes ago. Now I just taper.
Is it going to be difficult to juggle all of these events with your job?
My work has been really great. They’ve been very supportive, and as long as I can set up consulting engagements that are close to these cities [in the Rock ‘N’ Roll Series], they’re going to help out with some of the travel costs, which is great. PowerBar is one of my sponsors, and they’ve been great, and I’m trying to get some other corporate sponsors and really spread the word about how to fight blood cancers, how to get in better shape and how to take advantage of these great events.
What are the other biggest challenges associated with this project?
I think the biggest challenge is the number of events. The most events I’ve ever done in a year is eight, and I’ve never done marathons only three weeks apart. That happens in June with San Diego and Seattle. Two weeks after New Orleans is [the Rock ‘N’ Roll] Dallas [Half Marathon], so that’s pretty rapid. Keeping up the training through a whole year, keeping my body injury free, and hopefully keeping the same time through most of these events is the challenge for me.
Are you doing anything special to stay healthy through this process?
I think the key for me to stay healthy is to stay in a high-mileage training mode. I’m a little worried about having dips in my training and then trying to build back up again. I probably should pay more attention to the mileage on my shoes. I’m one of those people who tends to push the limit.
Do you have some friends or fellow Team in Training members that you will be able to run or at least travel with or visit at each of these events?
That’s what’s been so great about all of the friends I’ve made with Team in Training. I’ve got six people from this team coming to New Orleans. There’s four of us all going to Nashville. My company has a very large office in Dallas and I’ve recruited a bunch of my work colleagues to run with me in Dallas. Pretty much at every event we’re going to have a big group. San Diego’s probably going to be our biggest because we’re renting a beach house and there’s about 14 of us coming down.
How can people help you out with your fundraising?
The easiest way is for people to go to my blog, which is at smsjames.blogspot.com. That’s where I’m also chronicling all of my training and all of my events this year.
[sgi:MattFitzgerald]
Best Of Competitor 2009: Southeast Region
Every year we ask you to make some serious choices. In your opinion, what are the best local bike shops and running stores? Which short- and long-distance running, triathlon and cycling events give you the best bang for your buck?
Below is Competitor Magazine’s Best of 2009 for the Southeast region. Thank you for taking the time and for your feedback!
Click here to see other regions.
Best Running Store
On A Shoestring
Best Bike Shop
Atlanta Cycling Inc.
Best Outdoor Store
REI
Best Brew Pub
Brick Store Pub
Best Energy Drink
Fluid Recovery
Best Energy Food
PowerBar
Best Sports Injury Clinic
1st Choice Healthcare Center, LLC
1stchoiceonline.com
Best Event Swag
ING Miami Marathon
Best 5K or 10K
Canes Cross Country Classic 5K
Best Half Marathon
Sarasota Half Marathon
Best Marathon
ING Miami Marathon
Best Cycling Event
Beautiful Back Roads Century
Best Running Club
Bradenton Runners Club
Best Triathlon Club
Atlanta Tri Club
Best Triathlon Shop
All3sports
Best Triathlon
Chattanooga Waterfront Triathlon
Best Health Club
YMCA
Best Sports Massage
Amanda Del Castillo, LMT
ING Miami Marathon Entries Soaring Higher
South Florida ’s premier running event is getting larger.
Entries for the 2010 ING Miami Marathon and Half-Marathon® which will be held January 31, 2010 through the streets of downtown Miami , Miami Beach and Coconut Grove, are trending 20% higher than in 2009 and more than 18,000 runners are expected to participate this year.
The deadline for entries is January 22, but registration will resume on race weekend at the Nissan Health and Fitness Expo presented by The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald January 29 and 30 at the Miami Beach Convention Center . The increase in entries is attributed to the growth of the running community both locally and nationally.
“Marathons and half marathons around the country are seeing a continual climb,” said ING Miami Marathon® Race Director David Scott. “The surprising thing is the growth that we are seeing on the women’s side of the race. We have more women’s entries this year than we have men’s entries and that is a first for our race.
“I also think that with so much attention given to health reform a spin off to that is people are looking to be more active and healthier. Plus our event is now established in the running community. People who live down here look forward to this race and runners from out of town look forward to visiting South Florida in January.”
Race Results Weekly, the wire service of distance running, recently reported an 11% increase in participation in road races nationwide after an analysis of 200 races.
One of the key attributes fueling the growth of races such as the ING Miami Marathon is the expansion of on-course entertainment. People want more than a race. They want an event.
The ING Miami Marathon obliges by providing entertainment from start to finish with music and entertainers of all sorts. Whether it’s the Latin Beats of Xpresso at the spectator-filled orange ING Cheer Zone, a Rock Band video game break station, high school bands and cheerleaders, or the famous Parrot Heads Fan Club of South Florida singing, dancing and cheering runners through Key Biscayne, participants in the 2010 ING Miami Marathon and Half-Marathon® will find plenty to keep them entertained throughout their grueling trek.
“Running is good for people and it makes them feel better,” Scott said. “Even in the tough economic times that we have been experiencing the past few years, the continued growth of the ING Miami Marathon is proof of that.”
ING Georgia Marathon Named RRCA Championship Race
Atlanta, GA – January 7, 2010 – For the 3rd consecutive year, the 2010 ING Georgia Marathon has been named a Championship race by Road Runners Club of America (RRCA). RRCA Championship status communicates to athletes and the community that the race organizers have agreed to follow established guidelines and standards in the conduct of the event, including USATF-certification of the course distance, safety standards, and 5-year age groups, and have demonstrated success in conducting a high-quality event. The ING Georgia Marathon is owned and operated by US Road Sports and Entertainment Group.
“From a race director’s stand point, this is a real honor to have this race named as the RRCA Georgia State Marathon Championship,” said Race Director of the ING Georgia Marathon Jeff Graves. “It is a great opportunity to recognize the fastest Georgia finishers at what we believe is the best marathon in the Southeast.”
The ING Georgia Marathon will take place on Sunday, March 21, 2010 at 7:00 AM. The race course will travel through 26.2 miles of the Metro Atlanta area’s most interesting and historic areas including the Sweet Auburn District, Inman Park, Decatur, Druid Hills, Virginia-Highlands, and Midtown. Along the way, it will pass landmarks including the King Historic Site, Carter Center, four college campuses, and Piedmont Park. Participants can now sign up online at www.inggeorgiamarathon.com or mail in registration forms to US Road Sports & Entertainment Group of Georgia LLC at 528 Plasters Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30324.
“The RRCA is pleased to announce the selection of the ING Georgia Marathon as the Georgia RRCA State Championship Race,” said RRCA State Representative, Mark Ward. “For the past two years, the ING Georgia Marathon has produced great results and we are confident that this year’s race will provide the same type of competitive atmosphere that our runners have come to expect.”
The ING Georgia Marathon has been awarded RRCA Championship status every year that it has been eligible for the distinction. In addition to a prize purse and age group awards for the fastest division finishers, RRCA State Championship plaques will be awarded to the fastest Georgia Male and Female Open, Masters (40 and over), and Grandmasters (50 and over) Marathon finishers, for a total of six RRCA Championship awards.
About US Road Sports: US Road Sports & Entertainment Group is a health and wellness company dedicated to the production of world-class endurance events. The mission of US Road Sports is to offer an unparalleled participant sports experience that showcases host communities and endures as a deeply valued local asset through events that are a part of the city’s culture, identity and brand. For each participant, US Road Sports strives to offer events that allow participants of all skill levels the opportunity to improve their physical and mental health and accomplish life-altering goals while having fun. US Road Sports provides sponsors and municipalities highly effective exposure to help maximize their presence and message in the community.
About RRCA: The RRCA is the oldest and largest organization in the US dedicated to distance running. The RRCA is dedicated to supporting the growth of grassroots running clubs, training programs, and running events while promoting the common interests of runners throughout the United States.
Source: Nick Schubert/US Road Sports & Entertainment
Footlocker South Regional Recap
Sveinsson and Lutz capture regional titles in Charlotte, N.C.
Source: Kenny Fried/Footlocker Cross Country Championships
Chelsey Sveinsson of Dallas, Texas, and Craig Lutz of Highland Village, Texas, won the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships (FLCCC) South Regional today. In the girls’ race, Sveinsson, a junior from Greenhill High School, Kathryn Fluehr from Naples, Fla., and Rachel Johnson from Plano, Texas, ran a tight race until Sveinsson took a 100-meter lead late in the race to secure the win in 16:53. Sveinsson qualifies for the National Finals for the third consecutive year, with her second South Regional title.
In the boys’ race, Lutz, a junior at Marcus High School, took charge early on and maintained his lead throughout the entire race, finishing in 14:34. Kirubel Erassa from Grayson, Ga., and Jake Hurysz from Mebane, N.C., followed to claim second and third place respectively.
The top ten boys and the top ten girls in today’s seeded races qualified to compete against runners from the Northeast, Midwest, and West Regional meets in the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships National Finals, on Saturday, Dec.12 at Morley Field, Balboa Park in San Diego, Calif.
Boys Qualifiers
Place Name Hometown High School Time
1) Craig Lutz Highland Village, Texas Marcus High School (11) 14:34
2) Kirubel Erassa Grayson, Ga. Grayson High School (12) 14:43
3) Jake Hurysz Mebane, N.C. Eastern Alamance High School (12) 14:46
4) Matthew Mizereck Tallahassee, Fla. Leon High School (12) 14:51
5) Brandon Lord Hixson, Tenn. Baylor School (12) 14:51
6) Blake Williams Durham, N.C. Northern Durham (11) 14:52
7) Parker Stinson Austin, Texas Cedar Park (12) 14:53
8) Colin Barker Atlantic Beach, Fla. Bishop Kenny (12) 14:53
9) Kevin Dowd Fairfax, Va. Fairfax High School (12) 14:54
10) Brian Atkinson Melbourne Beach, Fla. Melbourne High School (12) 14:57
Girls Qualifiers
Place Name Hometown High School Time
1) Chelsey Sveinsson Dallas, Texas Greenhill School (11) 16:53
2) Kathryn Fluehr Naples, Fla. Community School of Naples (11) 17:09
3) Rachel Johnson Plano, Texas Plano High School (11) 17:10
4) Megan Ferowich Caryville, Tenn. Knoxville Catholic (10) 17:12
5) Shelby Hayes Orlando, Fla. Winter Park High School (12) 17:12
6) Wesley Frazier Raleigh, N.C. Ravenscroft High School (9) 17:17
7) Amanda Russell Cedar Park, Texas Vista Ridge High School (12) 17:19
8) Erika Fluehr Naples, Fla. Community School of Naples (11) 17:20
9) Paige Kvartunas Springfield, Va. West Springfield High School (12) 17:22
10) Grace Tinkey Macon, Ga. First Presbyterian Day School (9) 17:24
2009 Atlanta Marathon And Half Marathon Recap
Michael Green, Janet Cherobon, Nathan Tew and Eileen Torres Claim Victories in the 2009 Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon
Atlanta, November 26, 2009 – With over 11,000 registered runners, 2009 marked another great year for this Atlanta Thanksgiving Day tradition, the Atlanta Marathon and Half Marathon. With 10,025 registered participants, the 2009 Atlanta Half Marathon was the second largest in the race’s history. The Atlanta Marathon had 1,042 registered runners. Along with the marathon and half marathon, the event also featured the Kilometer Kid’s One Mile Fun Run for children ages seven to twelve.
“We saw strong performances from some of the area’s most talented runners today,” stated Tracey Russell, Executive Director of the Atlanta Track Club. “These performances coupled with great runner turnout and the wonderful weather made for the perfect start to the Thanksgiving holiday.”
Michael Green, 33 of Troy, Alabama, brought home his third Atlanta Half Marathon victory crossing the finish line with an official gun time of 1:06:35 – just under a minute faster than his 2008 finish time of 1:07:23. “I was hoping to do a little better than last year, but didn’t expect to beat it [my time] by almost a full minute,” commented Green. Green, who also won the 2006 Atlanta Half Marathon, and second place finisher, Andrew Fuller of Rome, Georgia, battled it out through mile nine prior to Green pulling ahead to victory.
In the women’s half marathon race, Janet Cherobon, 31 of Rome, Georgia, crossed the finish line first with an official gun time of 1:15:26. Cherobon’s time was the second best women’s time on this course, just 41 seconds shy of the women’s course record of 1:14:45 set in 2000 by Valerie M. Young. “I’m really excited and hopefully I’ll be back next year,” stated Cherobon. This was Cherobon’s, first time participating in the Atlanta Half Marathon.
Nathan Tew, 21of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was the first finisher in the 2009 Atlanta Marathon crossing the line with an official gun time of 2:34:24. Tew, a graduate of Brookwood High School and Georgia Tech student, took the lead early and stayed strong through the finish. This was Tew’s first marathon. Atlanta Track Club competitive team member, Eileen Torres 39 of Atlanta, Georgia, was the first female marathoner with a time of 3:04:13.
2009 Atlanta Half Marathon Top Five Finishers (Official Gun Time)
Male
Place Name Age City, State Time
1 Michael Green 33 Troy, AL 1:06:35
2 Andrew Fuller 24 Rome, GA 1:07:25
3 Trevor Sprague 20 Dunwoody, GA 1:11:12
4 Jonathan Sellers 22 Lithia Springs, GA 1:11:25
5 Brian Deal 24 Atlanta, GA 1:11:57
Female
Place Name Age City, State Time
1 Janet Cherobon 31 Rome, GA 1:15:26
2 Jennifer Feenstra 28 Duluth, GA 1:18:20
3 Jill Horst 31 Rome, GA 1:19:19
4 Allison Kreutzer 23 Lilburn, GA 1:20:33
5 Tamara Karrh* 40 Marietta, GA 1:21:33
2009 Atlanta Marathon Top Five Finishers (Official Gun Time)
Male
Place Name Age City, State Time
1 Nathan Tew 21 Lawrenceville, GA 2:34:24
2 Gabriel Helmlinger* 43 Cambridge, MA 2:40:08
3 James Harper 32 Greenville, SC 2:40:22
4 Jon Obst 26 Kennesaw, GA 2:42:50
5 Francisco Martinez 40 Jackson Heights, NY 2:43:19
Female
Place Name Age City, State Time
1 Eileen Torres 39 Atlanta, GA 3:04:13
2 Allison Dublinski 25 Athens, GA 3:11:48
3 Gina Krabbendam 36 Lookout Mtn., TN 3:11:56
4 Liz C. Dickinson 27 Atlanta, GA 3:20:17
5 Susan Park* 40 Acworth, GA 3:20:52
*Masters Winner
Love Named USATF Youth Athlete Of The Year
INDIANAPOLIS – Carolina Elite’s Bryce Love, of Raleigh, N.C.,has been named the 2009 Youth Athlete of the Year by USA Track & Field’s Youth Committee. Love will be honored on Saturday, December 5, at the Jesse Owens Awards and Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, held at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Indianapolis, Ind. The event is held in conjunction with USA Track & Field’s 2009 Annual Meeting.
Love’s record-breaking ways began at the 2009 North Carolina USATF Junior Olympics, held June 26-28, at North Carolina A&T’s Irwin Belk Stadium, in Greensboro, N.C., when he set records in winning the midget boys 200 and 400 meters.
Love recorded national record breaking times of 23.57 seconds in the 200m, and 52.16 over 400m. The previous records of 23.74 and 52.90 were set by Xavier Jones in 2007. In addition to this outstanding single day performance, he also ran a windy 11.68 (+2.2mps) to win the 100m.
“I am honored and blessed to receive this prestigious award,” said Love. I thank USA Track & Field (USATF) for this recognition. I have participated with USATF since I was 8 years old. I was inspired as I stood by the track and watched the older athletes run phenomenal times. I set goals and worked hard to do my best. This award is special. I’d like to thank my family, team, coaches and community for their continued support.”
Love concluded his track season by running national record breaking times of 11.64 in the 100m, 23.37 in the 200m and 50.75 in the 400m dash. It was the first time a midget boy has set three national records in one year.
At the Russell Blunt East Coast Invitational, Love blazed to a national record-setting 11.64 in the 100m, taking .05 off the previous record of 11.69 set by Darian Trout-Brown in 2008. Just days later, on day four of the USATF National Junior Olympic Outdoor Track & Field Championships at N.C. A&T State University, Love ripped to a national youth record 51.76 in 400m prelims and, but for a bit too much wind, he would have laid claim to the national youth 100m record as well. Aided by a just-over-the-allowable 2.4 meters-per-second breeze, Love dashed to an 11.59 in the heats.
The next day, Love zipped to a 23.37 into a headwind in the 200m to trim .01 off his own national youth mark of 23.38 that he had set in the qualifying heats. He ended competition at the USATF Junior Olympics with a win in the 100m at 11.79 into a stiff wind, and then made the best of terrible weather conditions to rip his own 400m record to shreds, slicing more than a second off the time he turned in Friday in the prelims in crossing the line in 50.75.
“Bryce is a shining star for the USATF youth program,” said USATF Youth Athletics Committee Chair Lionel Leach. “We are proud that he got his start in the USATF youth programs and will eagerly be watching his progress as he moves on to the high school and collegiate levels.”
For more information on the USATF Annual Meeting, visit www.usatf.org.
New Bahamian Marathon Announced For 2010
Marathon Bahamas 2010 will be with first marathon in the Bahamas in the 21st century.
Written by: Mr. Franklyn R. Wilson for Marathon Bahamas 2010
As Chairman of Sunshine Insurance, I am pleased to announce our corporate decision to serve as lead organizer and major sponsor for Marathon Bahamas 2010, the first marathon of The Bahamas in the 21st century.
Marathon Bahamas will bring together runners from around The Bahamas, and every effort will be made to encourage participation from persons outside of The Bahamas.
Marathon Bahamas is conceived to be an annual event, and in an effort to encourage continuity through time and efficiency of execution, a separate non-profit legal entity has been created.
Sunshine Insurance is delighted that leaders from throughout the community have agreed to serve as subscribers to the company’s formation and/or as founding directors.
These include:
• From the country’s number one industry, Tourism
- Mr. Robert “Sandy” Sands, President Bahamas Hotel Association
- Mr. Ed Fields, Vice President Kerzner International
- Ms. Janet Johnson, Ministry of Tourism
• From one of, if not, the country’s leading Road-Runners Club, Roadmasters
- Ms. Youlanda Deveaux
• From the world of athletics
- Mrs. Pauline Davis-Thompson, a member of IAAF and legendary participant on the world stage
- Mr. Alpheus Finlayson, a past member of IAAF and past President of BAAA
• From the world of finance
- Mr. Geoff Andrews, partner at Deloitte & Touche
• From the world of medicine and health
- Dr. Beverton Moxey
- Mr. Charles Sealey, President of Doctors Hospital
We are particularly pleased that Mr. Frank “Pancho” Rahming, nationally recognized as an expert in may aspects of athletics, has agreed to serve as Race Director.
Executives from Sunshine Insurance who are also Directors of Marathon Bahamas are Brian Moodie, President; Shelly Wilson, Deputy Operations Manager; Keith Bell, General Council; and Kyron Strachan, Corporate Secretary. Ms. Veronica Duncanson, Corporate Executive for Marketing at Sunshine Insurance, shall serve as the Chief Operations Officer for Marathon Bahamas.
The date for Marathon Bahamas is Sunday, February 14th, 2010. The start time is 6:00am.
We will shortly announce the names of the charities who are to benefit from Marathon Bahamas 2010.
The route for the race is consciously being designed to showcase the beauty of New Providence.
Every effort shall be made to differentiate Marathon Bahamas from all others. This will result in entrepreneurial opportunities for all who sell and/or promote products or services which reflect the essence of The Bahamas.
Race registration forms and sponsorship packages will be available on Monday, November 2nd, 2009, and may be collected from both Sunshine Insurances Offices at Shirley Street and at our Blue Hill Road Office.
Marathon Bahamas is one of those rare opportunities for every Bahamian or resident of the country. For example, everyone is encouraged to extend invitations to overseas friends, business colleagues, old school friends, Bahamians living abroad and former residents. Let them come and spend the weekend with us.
To help deepen and widen participation, there shall be three categories:
• A full marathon
• A half marathon
• A relay marathon so that for example, a group of friends or family or from a club, church, business or school would combine to cover the full course.
There will also be numerous volunteer jobs, and we will be advising the public on these and other marathon related matters as we proceed.
Ladies and gentlemen, Sunshine Insurance (Agents & Brokers) Ltd. is pleased to be associated with a major event which can be sustained over time, and in the process, to help raise funds for charities that build the common good.
