FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OLYMPIAN SHATTERS RECORD, LARGEST FIELD IN SOUTH
FLORIDA HISTORY CELEBRATES RUNNING
PERFECT CONDITIONS LEAD TO COURSE RECORDS,
MORE THAN 3,000 CHILDREN COMPLETE THEIR MARATHON
MIAMI (January 27, 2008) – Cool morning breezes and thousands of spectators
ushered in the momentous start of the 2008 ING Miami Marathon and Half
Marathon at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami. The field, which
included US Olympic marathoner Brian Sell and teammates from the Hansons
Brooks Distance Project, was the largest in the history of the race and
South Florida running with 10,452 athletes making it to the start. After
the half marathoners finished their race, thousands of children lined up
for the Final Mile of their marathon, running the last leg of their 15-week
marathon with Olympian Gigi Fernandez through the ING Run for Something
Better youth program.
PR Racing Miami, organizers of the event, expected a fast half-marathon
with 62 degrees start temperature and an overcast day. Sell from Rochester
Hills, Michigan, qualified for the Olympic Team in November and used the
Miami race to begin training for the Summer Games in Beijing. The finish
line area, adorned in the race's signature orange, also featured red,
white, and blue as Sell crossed the finish line with a time of 1:03:46. As
expected, Sell shattered the course record set by 2007 champion Jared
Nyamboki. Nyamboki, who led the 2007 Boston Marathon for 17 miles, pulled
out with an injury early. However, 5 other men in the field beat the
previous record, including four other members of the Hansons team. Joseph
Sitienei, a Kenyan running out of Atlanta, took second place with a time
of 1:05:14, edging out Hansons runner Mike Morgan, also of Rochester Hills,
by two seconds. Other runners who beat the record included Hansons
teammates Todd Snyder, Mike Reneau, and Luke Humphrey.
The women's half marathon included several open field runners with fast
times. The winner, Yolanda Fernandez of Colombia, beat a four-year-old
course record by more than one minute with a time of 1:16:01. Kathleen
Jobes of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, who entered as one of the few elites,
took second with a time of 1:18:05. Behind her, another open field runner,
Carmen Martinez of Puerto Rico, ran one of the five fastest times in race
history, finishing in 1:18:40.
For the full marathon, another Olympian took home the title in what was a
competitive race until the last mile and a half. Jose Garcia, who will
represent Guatemala in Beijing, beat out the field with a strong push at
the end of his race. Garcia, who finished in 2:17:43, was followed by a
late entrant, Samuel Kiprotich, who pushed him to the end. Kiprotich, from
Kenya but living in Mexico, finished in 2:18:14 and was almost caught at
the end by Ethiopian Demesse Tafera who ran a 2:18:29.
Kelly Lijleblad, a world-class American runner and triathlete from Boulder
Colorado, trailed second place finisher Nedezha Tuptova of Russia through
Mile 16. Liljeblad took the lead and ran through the finish at 2:47:13
beating Tuptova who finished in 2:48:09. Carol Rowe of Richmond, Utah, took
third place by beating a group of elite athletes and finishing in 2:50:08.
After the winners came through, the crowd gathered for what was the most
exciting and emotional portion of the race. With thousands of runners and
spectators at the finish line, more than 3,500 children got on the course
to take part in the ING Run for Something Better Final Mile, one of the
largest children's races in the United States. The 15-week program is
implemented in Miami-Dade County Schools, promoting physical fitness and
goal-setting to children to help prevent childhood obesity and foster
confidence. Olympians Gigi Fernandez and Frank Shorter as well as local
figures joined the children as they completed their marathon on race
morning. As the children crossed the finish, cheering fans and the top
runners from the day's events, including Sell and his teammates, welcomed
them. The program, which is funded by ING and the Fit Miami Foundation, has
garnered national acclaim and served as a model for similar programs in
major school districts nationwide, including Atlanta and San Francisco.
Registration for the 2009 ING Miami Marathon and Half Marathon opens on
Tuesday, January 29 at 6 AM EST. Participants can register for as lows as
50% off for each race. Organizers of the race, which US Road Sports and
Entertainment Group recently acquired, expect the event to grow to more
than 15,000 runners under new ownership. The 2009 race is scheduled for
January 25, 2009. For more information call 305-278-8668 or logon to
www.INGMiamiMarathon.com.
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