Press Release - The Gold Coast Airport Marathon - 5/1/09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

               Troop on Marathon Mission to Gold Coast

GOLD COAST - 1 May 2009 - Three-time Olympic marathon runner and 
former Gold Coast Airport Marathon winner Lee Troop will return to 
Australia to run at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon this year, part of his 
mission to compete at his fourth Olympics in 2012.

The 36-year-old, who is now based in Boulder in the United States, will 
make a hit-and-run mission to the Gold Coast for the annual event on Sunday 
5 July.

Troop will not be out to win the Marathon but will be a Pace Runner for 
30km in the full 42.195km Gold Coast Airport Marathon.

"The main reason I am coming to the Gold Coast Airport Marathon this 
year is to be the pace runner to 30km for runners aiming to break two hours 
20 minutes for the marathon," said Troop.

"The event organisers initiated this in their continued efforts to 
develop future Australian marathon talent.

"There seems to be a lot of runners around the 2:20 to 2:24 mark in 
Australia and I am really looking forward to assisting the organisers to 
help some of those runners break into new territory."

Troop, the winner of the 2006 Gold Coast Airport Marathon and 2004 Asics 
Half Marathon, made the commitment after his recent 13th placing at the 
Boston Marathon in 2:16.

"Boston has definitely motivated me to get going again and have a real 
crack over the next few years leading into London 2012.

"I took a lot of positives from Boston and, even though I was only about 
80 percent fit, I finished just behind a Russian who was 14th in Beijing, 
and ahead of an American who was 22nd, so I know that I cannot be that far 
away if I really put my head down, train hard but keep enjoying this great 
experience."

Troop made the move to America to train under legendary Welsh marathon 
runner Steve Jones, who is a former world record holder and winner of the 
prestigious London, New York and Chicago Marathons.

"I am loving this change and it has rekindled my love for running 
especially after the disappointment of the Beijing Olympics."

Troop, who has a marathon personal best of 2:09:49 set back in 2003, 
said he was excited to be "“coming home to be involved again this year".

"The Gold Coast Airport Marathon is one of the very few weekends that I 
thoroughly love to attend," said Troop.

"The races are all on flat courses with great depth of running talent 
and abilities and perfect weather in one of Australia’s premier tourist 
destinations.

"The organisers and volunteers make all athletes feel welcomed and the 
event is really trying to help promote the top end of our elite athletes 
with great prizemoney and incentives."

Entries are currently open for the 2009 Gold Coast Airport Marathon with 
the early bird entry fee deadline being Wednesday 3 June. 

Elite runners at the Gold Coast Airport Marathon will be striving for a 
slice of the placegetter prizemoney and jackpot opportunity. First placed 
male and female in the marathon will run away with $10,000, with $15,000 up 
for grabs if the winner breaks 2 hours 10 minutes (men) and 2 hours 30 
minutes (women).

Visit www.goldcoastmarathon.com.au. 

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