FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: 501-371-4770
Little Rock Marathon Race Update
In this update:
* New Course - New Start Times
* Relay Marathon Shaping Up - Form A Team Today
* Biggest Cash Purse Offered In Arkansas
* Children Helping Children
* Marathon Medicine
* Smile Fund For Little Rockers
* Volunteers - It Takes A Small Army
* Adopt A Mile
* The World Is Watching
* Thank You to Our Official Sponsors
NEW COURSE - NEW START TIMES
Third times the charm! With construction of the new $23 million River
Trail Project underway, Bill Torrey was faces with a dilemma - How do you
take thousands of people around a huge construction project (affecting
miles 15 - 20) without anyone noticing? You don't and he didn't. Finding
about 5 miles of "gentle and kind" road in Little Rock is not an easy
task! A draft of the new course is available on line. The final map (with
mile markers, relay areas and the all important water stops) will be on
line shortly.
Here are the start times for the 2005 races:
7:50 am - 5K
7:55 am - Wheelchair Marathon Race
8:00 am - Marathon, Half Marathon, Relay Marathon
2:00 pm - Little Rockers Kids Marathon
RELAY MARATHON SHAPING UP
Think it is too late to participate in the 2005 race? It's not too late!
Individuals representing corporations, schools, churches, civic groups,
friends or families can enter the Little Rock Relay Marathon. A relay
marathon is the marathon (26.2 miles) divided into four segments (6.8
miles, 6.4 miles, 7.4 miles and 5.6 miles) and is comprised of four
individuals (aka team) running and/or walking their leg of the marathon.
Each relay exchange area is set up like a marathon finish line with all the
fan fair of the full marathon. Transportation is provided to each relay
exchange areas. Your team can run or walk the Little Rock Relay Marathon
and your team has 8 hours to complete the race. A team kit and training
information is available on the website. If you need more information
contact Roy Lamm, Relay Marathon Team Chair at 501-228-7111 or
. Make sure to watch our relay marathon partner KATV
Channel 7 for updates and to find out what companies are racing.
BIGGEST CASH PURSE OFFERED IN ARKANSAS
All the volunteers around marathon headquarters know that bigger is better!
So when our "Outrageous" Chair, Greg Hatcher, talked about paying a cash
purse to the top athletes, we went to work on funding the purse. Led by
The Hatcher Agency and several corporate partners, more than $17,000 will
be awarded to the top athletes in the marathon and half marathon races.
Please see the "Star" on the website for details.
CHILDREN HELPING CHILDREN
Arkansas Children's Hospital has come on board as the presenting sponsor of
the Little Rockers Training Program. With the hospital's generous support,
we will be able to expand our free program across the state for the 2006
season. The talented folks at Children's will also help us refine
marketing materials and helps us create a program that is fun, as well as
easy-to-follow.
MARATHON MEDICINE
Did you know that the Little Rock Marathon training program is training
more than 2,300+ athletes across the country? Did you know that we offer
online support to our athletes training for any of the Little Rock Marathon
races? Dr. Kent Davidson of Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics is our
Marathon Medicine Man and helps athletes through those aches and pains that
crop of in while they are training? If you haven't utilized this free
services offered by Arkansas Specialty Care Centers, please check out the
training page of the website or email Dr. Davidson directly at
marathonmedicine@arspecialty.com
SMILE FUND FOR LITTLE ROCKERS
What is the Smile Fund? The Smile Fund is an opportunity for individuals,
schools, churches, or civic organizations to help less fortunate students
pay for their participate in the Little Rockers Kids Marathon on Sunday,
March 6, 2005. Funds contributed to the Smile Fund will pay the
registration fee of those students in our community who are currently
training in one of our many school programs who are financially unable to
pay for the register fee of the Little Rockers Kids Marathon. The Smile
Fund will also help schools participating in the program pay for supplies.
Please help give every Little Rocker the chance to be a finisher and
participate in the 2005 Little Rockers Kids Marathon.
VOLUNTEERS - IT TAKES A SMALL ARMY
Last year's marathon would not have been possible without the 1,200+
volunteers we had working countless hours to make it happen. We need even
more volunteers this year with the increase in participants and the
potential for seasonal March weather. If you need more information contact
Linda Sue Sanders, Volunteer Chair at 501-228-2008 or suewho2@att.net. The
website also has complete details along with a volunteer application.
ADOPT A MILE
Want a cost effective way to make a lasting impression on thousands? Adopt
a mile of the 26.2-mile Little Rock Marathon Course. You could receive an
award for the best mile! Several corporations have already taken a mile.
Please contact Greg Hatcher at 375-3737 or greg@hatcheragency.com for
pricing and requirement.
THE WORLD IS WATCHING
The Little Rock Marathon was recently written up in the January 2005 issue
of Runner's World as a race to do in 2005. They article made note of our
medal - "the world's largest finisher's medal," the Hatcher House Perks
Tent, and our race shirt.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR OFFICIAL SPONSORS
We are presented by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Also sponsored in part by:
Little Rock Convention & Visitors Bureau, Arkansas Children's Hospital,
Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics, Barrett Hamilton Inc., Citadel
Broadcasting Co., Clear Mountain Water, Healthy Arkansas, Datamax of
Arkansas, Diamond Bear Brewing Company, Fence World, KARK Channel 4, KTHV
Channel 11, Magna 4 Printing, The Hatcher Agency, The Rotary Club of Little
Rock, adidas, Alltel Corp., Bedford Camera & Video, Clear Channel
Television, Hugg & Hall, KATV Channel 7, KDIS FM 99.5 Radio Disney, Lemon
Grass Design Studio, Macaroni Grill, Papa John's Pizza, Pepsi Americas,
Riggs Power Solutions, Stephens Group, Inc., Arkansas Pediatric Clinic,
Delta Dental, Easy Runner, Lamar Companies, Landers Buick Pontiac GMC
Hummer, MEMS, Qualchoice Of Arkansas Inc., SBC Corporation, Sysco Foods,
Unum-Provident Insurance and Janet Jones Company.
The 2005 Little Rock Marathon will take place on Sunday, March 6, 2005 in
Downtown Little Rock. Online Registration is available at
www.littlerockmarathon.com. Proceeds from the Little Rock Marathon and
companion events help to fund the programs and services of Little Rock
Parks & Recreation. To learn more about Little Rock Parks & Recreation
please visit www.lrpr.org or call 501-371-4770.
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