Marathon/Running News: 9/7/08 - 9/14/08

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News From: Friday, September 12, 2008
	Auckland Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Auckland Marathon tickets running out the door to TradeMe (National Business Review) Auckland Marathon hopefuls desperate to get an entry into the race have been turning to an online trading site to purchase entries, some worth up to three times their value on TradeMe. A handful of auctions saw bids for half-marathon entries at $110-153 and a full marathon ticket is up to to $400 having started at $100. The original tickets cost $106 for the full marathon and $89 for the half and late entry fees were $151 but tickets were sold out even before the first early entry fee deadline.
	Colombo Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Colombo Marathon to popularise Sri Lankan image (The Daily Mirror) Over thirty foreign participants have confirmed to participate in the Ninth Colombo Marathon. Many hope the marathon will be an opportunity to encourage more tourists to visit the country. This event is supported my the Ministry of Sports along with the Athletic Association, Sri Lanka Tourism, SriLankan Airlines, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Youth Affairs, Negombo Hoteliers Association and several other private sector entrepreneurs.
	Cowtown Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Cowtown Marathon Runners now can toss in their chips (Dallas News) The new ChronoTrack chip which is waterproof, disposable and attached to he runner's bibs will become more frequently used at races in Texas. Raul Najera's Austin-based Run Far timing system has tested ChronoTrack since July. The commonly used ChampionChip can be a hassle for race organizers to distribute and collect.
	Houston Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Houston Marathon kickoff party to showcase charity program (Galveston Daily News) The Houston Marathon's September kickoff party will be more than a pre-race party. The party will be a showcase the Run for a Reason program, in which participants in the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon raise money for a number of local charities. Also new at the kickoff, will be the absence of a registration table where runners can sign up for the January marathon or half marathon since the race reached its combined capacity during the summer, and the waiting list is almost full.
	Rochester Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Rochester Marathon culmination of Irondequoit resident's lifestyle change (Democrat and Chronicle) Becky Vanderhoff who weighted 250 pounds fifteen years ago will celebrate a dramatic metamorphosis by running the 2008 Rochester Marathon in singlet and shorts, as trim and fit as the hundreds of others who'll be racing alongside her. What began with short walks, a Weight Watchers regimen and a new treadmill, Vanderhoff discovered a love of running. She'll weigh about 140 on race morning.
	Rock 'n' Roll Montreal Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Montreal marathon back on the map: founder (The Gazette) Over 17,000 participants are expected at the 2008 Marathon Oasis de Montreal in events such as the marathon, half-marathon, 10k run, 40k cycling course, 10k wheelchair circuit, 5k student challenge and a 1k race for children. 9,500 people have signed up for the full marathon, many of them international elite runners. Defending champion of the women's race Wioletta Kryza, the fastest woman in Montreal in 2006 and 2007, ran a 2:43.25 in last year's edition of the race.
News From: Thursday, September 11, 2008
	Air Force Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Special Forces soldier not your average US Air Force marathoner (Air Force link) Captain Ivan Castro will compete in the 12th annual U.S. Air Force Marathon at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; but he won't compete in a special category. Castro, who served with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command's elite Special Forces, survived a mortar attack in Iraq in 2006 having sustained a damaged arm, shoulder, neck, heart, nose, cheek, finger, buttocks, back, legs, lungs and nerves were mending, along with the aneurism, multiple abrasions and contusions and the loss of sight in both his eyes. While recovering from injuries, he listened to doctors and nurses around him discussing their experiences at the Marine Corps Marathon. Castro is now the only blind officer to serve in USASOC Special Forces and has run the Army Ten Miler, Bataan Memorial Death March Marathon and the Boston Marathon.
	Baystate Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Springfield runner has marathon goals for Bay State Marathon (Mass Live) At twenty-four Joe Hegarty has big goals for his first attempt at the marathon distance. Aiming for a 2:30-2:35 finish at the Bay State Marathon, if things go well, his long-range goal of running in the 2012 Olympic Trials could be a possibility. Bay State Marathon will take place in Lowell, Massachusetts on Oct. 19.
	Berlin Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Gebrselassie hopes to break world record at Berlin Marathon (International Herald Tribune) Haile Gebrselassie is confident to break the world record again when he runs the Berlin Marathon. He ran a 2:04:26 on Berlin's relatively flat course in 2007 to take the world record title from Paul Tergat who set the previous mark of 2:05:55 in 2003.
	Odds And Ends
		Non-Marathon/ Other Running
		Ndereba training for Philadelphia Distance Run (Philly.com) Two-time Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba will headline the field of elite athletes at the Philadelphia Distance Run. Ndereba who trains in Philadelphia has won the event five times and is also a two-time winner of the Broad Street Run. Ndereba's impressive career includes being the first four-time women's winner at the Boston Marathon, two victories at the Chicago Marathon and runner-up finishes in the London and New York City marathons.
	Rochester Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Rochester Marathon expects big numbers (Democrat and Chronicle) The Preferred Care Rochester Marathon returns for the fourth staging of the event with over one thousand registered for the half marathon, more than five hundred for the marathon and eighty-two relay teams (with three or four individuals). Race director Greg Brooks is making final preparations for the large crowds.
	Safaricom Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Over Sh31m raised from 2008 Safaricom Lewa marathon (The Daily Nation) Over Sh31 million has been raised from this years Safaricom Lewa Marathon, the highest amount ever realized from the annual race. Since its inception in 2000, the marathon has raised more than Sh600 million. Ten percent of the proceeds (approximately Sh3.1 million) will be donated to the Kenya Red Cross Society to assist those who were internally displaced following post-election unrest. Other beneficiaries of the marathon will include health, education, conservation and community development projects in and around Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.
	Toronto Waterfront Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Kelai to Defend Toronto Waterfront Marathon Title (Race Results Weekly) John Kelai will return to defend his title at the 2008 Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Last year saw a battle to the finish between Kelai and fellow Kenyan Daniel Rono with finishes of 2:09:30 and 2:09:36. With Rono not returning to the race, Kelai's key challenger will be Tariku Jufar of Ethiopia.
		Toronto Waterfront Marathon '08 best Canadian showing in years (The biulletin) Toronto Waterfront Marathon and its flat fast course has been the reason for so many people reaching a personal best, qualifying for Boston and was one of only 4 sub-2:10 marathons in North America awarded a prestigious IAAF Silver label for 2008. All marathoners and half marathoners get adidas Climalite technical t-shirts and exciting new finisher's medals for 2008 and will be entertained on the course by bands and other neighborhood entertainment.
News From: Wednesday, September 10, 2008
	Bermuda Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Boston Marathon director returning to Bermuda (The Royal Gazette) Dave McGillivray is slated to give an inspirational talk at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess in Bermuda this Saturday. Besides being the race director for the most prestigious and longest running marathon in the country, McGillivray is also well known for his 1978 run across America which he did in 80 days.
	Big Bear Marathon
		Post-Race Review/ Results
		Thousands flock to Big Bear marathon (Big Bear Grizzly) More than 1,400 athletes cycled, ran and walked the events surrounding the inaugural Big Bear Marathon. Despite the growing pains an inaugural race is apt to face, Darrell Courtney of HBT Events, marathon organizers, was 100 percent pleased with his first marathon event in Big Bear stating that participants and everyone involved were excited and some were already asking about registration for next year.
	Chicago Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Gold Medalist Dita Leads Chicago Field (Race Results Weekly) Reigning Women's Olympic Gold Medalist, Constantina Tomescu-Dita, has officially entered the field for the 2008 Chicago Marathon.
		Tomescu-Dita back for Chicago Marathon (International Herald Tribune) Romania's Tomescu-Dita, the 2008 Beijing Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist, will run in her fifth Chicago Marathon this October. She won the Chicago Marathon in 2004. William Kipsang, Kenya, is one of the favorites among the men with the fifth-fastest marathon time this year at 2 hours, 5 minutes, 49 seconds.
		Gold Medalist Dita Leads Chicago Field (Race Results Weekly) Beijing Olympic Games gold medalist, Constantina Dita will return to take on the Chicago Marathon course for the fifth time. Dita's key rivals will be Bezunesh Bekele, Worknesh Tola, Lidiya Grigoryeva and Alevtina Biktimirova. On the men's side, the fastest men in the field are William Kipsang and Emmanuel Mutai.
	Disney World Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Health Service Company CIGNA Named Presenting Sponsor of Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (AC Service News) CIGNA has signed on as the presenting sponsor for the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend for the 2009 and 2010 events that draw more than 80,000 participants and spectators. It is one of the largest events held in Central Florida.
	Lake City Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Lake City Running Club Marathon Saturday (Times-Union) The Lake City Running Club will host its annual half-marathon, marathon, and 50 Kilometer race this weekend. Michael Wardian will headline the 50K race as he attempts to break the U.S. 50K record. He will be speaking at the pasta dinner on Friday night as well.
	New York City Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Kara Goucher to Make Marathon Debut in New York (Race Results Weekly) Fresh off the 2007 IAAF World Championships 10,000m, bronze medalist Kara Goucher will make her marathon debut at the ING New York City Marathon. Under the tutelage of marathon legend Alberto Salazar, Goucher's racing schedule will include her debut in the marathon distance before going back to the track for spring and running another marathon next fall. Goucher, and New Zealand's Kim Smith, are the key debutantes at New York this year.
	Toronto Waterfront Marathon
		Pre-Race Review/ Lineup
		Kelai to Defend Toronto Waterfront Marathon Title (Race Results Weekly) Defending Champion John Kelai is set to defend his title at the 2008 Toronto Waterfront Marathon.
News From: Tuesday, September 9, 2008
	Chennai Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Student dies on Chennai marathon run (The Times of India) The "Give Life" Chennai marathon ended in tragedy Sunday with the death of a 22-year-old Anna University student, who collapsed in the final leg. M Santosh, a native of Kochapalli village near Pakkam-Agaram in Krishnagiri district was struggling just prior to the finish and collapsed and died apparently due to cardiac arrest. The heat and sun that came out later in the race were cited as factors in his death.
	City of Los Angeles Marathon (L.A. Marathon)
		Human Interest Story
		Marathon Kids Look Forward to LA Kick Off (Happy News) Marathon kids will kick off on Saturday, October 11. Each participant will begin running 26.2 miles in one quarter mile to one half mile increments all while committing to eating 26.2 days per month of 5 fruits and vegetables until the City of Los Angeles marathon kicks off. 13,518 registered Los Angeles Marathon Kids achieved an 85% completion rate last year. This year 17,000 are expected to participate.
	Disney World Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		Health Service Company CIGNA Named Presenting Sponsor of Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (MarketWatch) Philadelphia-based health service company, CIGNA, will be the presenting sponsor of the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend for both 2009 and 2010. The Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, which attracts more than 80,000 participants and spectators from all over the world, is one of the largest events held in Central Florida. CIGNA believes this will be a way to encourage thousands to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
	Icebreaker Indoor Marathon
		Human Interest Story
		No Sprint for Indoor Marathon! (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Chris Ponteri stated that his indoor marathon of 95 laps around the Petit Center has received 40 registrations. Ponteri over estimated his guess for a full race of 100 registrations in 2 hours. He cited cold weather as a reason for the low registration turn out.
	Loch Ness Marathon
		Training/ Health
		As always, prevention is better than cure for us marathon runners! (The Scotsman) Fiona Russell is training for the Baxters Loch Ness Marathon on October 5th and she is taking a lesson from Olympians. After watching the Olympic marathon Russell has found the secret to avoiding a Radcliffe-esque race from hell. She will employ massage therapists, physiotherapy, and podiatry to avoid a painful short fall to her marathon.
	Odds And Ends
		Human Interest Story
		What makes Stern's fiancee run. (Denver Post) Beth Ostrosky says her first priority these days is training for the New York City Marathon in November. Her wedding to radio shock jock Howard Stern is something she isn't really thinking about. She has put in distances of 10 and 18 miles for her training.