FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karen Boe
(801) 230-5404
kboe@devinerace.com
FIRST SALT LAKE CITY MARATHON & 5K GREAT SUCCESS
Running Field of over 6,300 Combined Sets Course Records
Salt Lake City (April 28, 2004) - An elite field of talented world-class
runners from around the globe set the course records for the inaugural Salt
Lake City Marathon, Run, Bump & Boogie on April 24, 2004. Over 3,200
participated in the marathon and 3,100 in the 5K for the inaugural year,
with over 30 percent of the marathon field from out of state. The Salt Lake
Tribune declared the race "had everything it needed to be a stunning
success from world class athletes mixing with hundreds of regular runners
to flawless organization, an army of spirited volunteers and astonishing
community support along almost every inch of the 26.2-mile course around
the city. Just like the Olympics everything about the event was an utter
joy to experience." A post race awards ceremony was held at 7:00 p.m.,
followed by a concert headlined by the B-52s. Over $50,000 was donated from
the race to the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
Race Director Scott Kerr was pleased with the success of the inaugural
event. "I want to thank all runners and our awesome team that put their
heart and soul into this race. They took care of participants every need.
We put together a tremendous course that is ideal for beginners and fast
for elites. This is such a great beginning for the long-term success of
this event."
On a perfect spring morning with the snow capped peaks of the Wasatch Range
in the background, these athletes competed for a prize purse of over
$100,000 with the top male and female winners receiving $25,000 for their
dramatic wins. Gabriel Muchiri of Kenya set the course record at 2:17:21
for his first marathon win, pulling ahead three miles prior and finishing
just nine seconds ahead of training-mate Tanzanian Michael Mislay. Mislay
took second place with a 2:17:30, suffering from a hamstring injury from
January. Following up with third place in the mens race with a time of
2:18:57 was Mindaugas Pukstas from Lithuania. Pukstas took third place in
his marathon debut in Austin in 2004. Coming in fourth was Hillary Lelei
from Kenya with a 2:20:27, with William Kemey from Kenya coming in fifth at
2:20:58. Pukstas and Juan Carlos Gutierrez from Columbia led the field for
the first 13 miles of the race. Gutierrez dropped out of the field
mid-race.
Retta Feyissa from Ethiopia took sixth place with a time of 2:22:34,
followed closely by Juan Chavez from Mexico who placed seventh with a
2:21:53. Kassahun Kabiso from Ethiopia placed eighth with a time of
2:23:49, ahead of Aleksey Khokhlov from Russia who took ninth place with a
2:24:07. Ogden, Utah based Joe Wilson was the only U.S. male in the top 10
finishers with a time of 2:28:36. The Weber High School track coach
recently overcame a case of bronchitis to earn a top ten finish.
Russian master Gennady Temnikov came in at 2:29:31, ahead of Bernie
Boettcher from Silt, Colorado who ran a 2:35:50. Jerry Henley came in third
in the masters division with a time of 2:36:05.
The womens race was dominated by Lioudmila Kortchaguina from Russia,
setting a course record of 2:30:41 with overwhelming support from the
thousands who lined the course to cheer on the athletes. Kortchaguina won
in the 2003 Pittsburgh Marathon and won the 2003 Dallas White Rock
Marathon. Coming in over three minutes behind her was master runner Irina
Bogacheva from Kyrgystan with a respectable 2:33:02. Bogacheva is a
two-time Olympian for Kyrgystan and has already been selected for the 2004
Athens Games. Hong Kong born Provo, Utah resident Maggie Chan-Roper, who
led the pack until the 5-mile marker, finished third at 2:35:49 after
suffering from serious blister problems since mile eight. The new mother
sliced more than two minutes off her best time from the 2002 Richmond
Marathon.
Placing fourth was Romanian Aurica Buia with a time of 2:40:31. Buia ran
2:34:15 in the 2003 Los Angeles Marathon and boasts a personal record of
2:31:39 from Vienna. Russian Rimma Dubovik in masters division took fifth
place overall with a time of 2:41:16, outpacing Maria Portilla from Peru
who placed sixth in the race with a time of 2:42:40.
Local elite runner Michelle Simonaitis took seventh place with a 2:47:23,
making it to the finish line well ahead of Paula Morrison from Tucson,
Arizona who placed eighth with a 2:56:11 time. Simonaitis boasts a record
of 2:40:34, run in the 2002 National Marathon Championships. She is also
the winner of the Top of Utah Marathon 2000 and is a three-time Olympic
Trials qualifier. Morrison took third place in the 2002 St. George Marathon
with her personal record of 2:44:50. She was a U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
Qualifier this year. Becky Sondag from Wyoming, ran for ninth place with a
2:59:44 time, ahead of another U.S. runner Brenda Graham Gray at 3:02:13.
Masters division Irina Bogacheva finished in second place overall with a
time of 2:33:02, followed by Rimma Dubovik at 2:41:16. Coming in third in
the womens masters division was Luzma Caballero at 3:13:34.
Utah Finishers
Top Three Utah Women
- Maggie Chan-Roper, Provo, UT 2:35:49
- Michelle Simonaitis, Draper, UT 2:47:23
- Rachel Garten Salt Lake City UT, 03:07:58
Top Three Utah Men
- Joe Wilson, Ogden, UT 2:28:36
- Sasha Pachev, Provo, UT 2:30:28
- Bob Thompson, Salt Lake City UT, 02:34:58
Male Wheelchair
- Stephen Ellefson, Calgary, Canada, 1:37:44
- Christopher Waddell, Park City, UT 1:49:51
- Geoffrey Erickson, Wilmington, CA, 2:12:27
Female Handcycle
- Muffy Davis, Salt Lake City, UT 2:06:43
Male Handcycle
- Keith Barney, Orem, UT, 1:34:12
- Harold Warner, Tucson, AZ, 1:49:54
- Aaron Lanningham, Salt Lake City, UT, 1:52:26
5K Top Finishers Male
- Teren Jameson, Salt Lake City, UT, 14:31
- Aleksandar Tomas, Salt Lake City, UT, 15:13
- B.J. Christenson, Taylorsville, UT, 15:19
5K Top Finishers Female
- Emily Jameson, Salt Lake City, UT, 17:01
- Jessica Winters, Riverton, UT, 18:03
- Rebecca Walter, Salt Lake City, UT, 18:21
Editors Note: Full results, photos and biographies available upon request
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