FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The 22nd Edition Of Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon & 1/2 Marathon
Welcomed Participants Of All Abilities To America's Finest City
- From elite athletes and first-timers to TV personalities and legacy
runners, over 23,000 registered runners descended upon the streets of
San Diego this weekend -
- Bernard Ngeno of Kenya wins men's half marathon in 1 hour, 8 seconds,
while 2019 Boston Marathon Champion, Lawrence Cherono, was 40 seconds
behind in second place -
- American Jennifer Brill and Bradley Wattleworth from London take top
spots in the marathon -
- Matt Nathanson performed for runners and spectators at the Rock 'n' Roll
Concert Series -
SAN DIEGO, Calif. (June 2, 2019) - Approximately 23,000 registered runners
from age 12 to 85 took to the streets of America's Finest City this weekend
to participate in the 22nd running of the Rock 'n' Roll® San Diego Marathon
& 1/2 Marathon. With a focus on the core pillars of Bringing Fun to the
RunTM with great music in a community environment, runners of all athletic
levels enjoyed taking in the iconic sights in the birthplace of the Rock
'n' Roll Marathon Series®.
It was a family-filled race weekend for many participants, especially Meb
Keflezighi. He not only ran the Rock 'n' Roll 5K presented by Brooks on
Saturday with his entire family, but he also ran the half marathon with his
older brother Aklilu Keflezighi (AK) and nephew Jacob Nelson. Meb paced AK
in his first-ever half marathon, finishing together in 1:52:25. AK's
running background spans all the way back to his days at San Diego High
School where he was on the cross-country team with Meb.
"To be here with my brother during his first half marathon was very
special," said Meb. "It also was fun because I got to know people on the
course and take a lot of photos. It was different than my normal pace and I
enjoyed it. I thought it was going to be harder [to run at a slower pace]
but it was fun."
In the half marathon, Bernard Ngeno (Kenya) set a goal to finish in under
60 minutes but ended clocking a winning time of 1:00:08. Lawrence Cherono
(Kenya), the 2019 Boston Marathon Champion, landed second place with a time
of 1:00:48. It was a close race in the women's half marathon between
Ethiopians Rahma Tusa and Meseret Belete, but Rahma ultimately edged out
Belete with a winning time of 1:09:09.
In the marathon, Bradley Wattleworth (London) ran the majority of the race
solo, claiming first place in 2:25:52. In his marathon debut, Wattleworth
credited cheering spectators, supportive cyclists and energetic music to
getting him through the race.
Local Brendan Gee (San Diego) placed second in the men's marathon with a
time of 2:28:40. Jennifer Brill from Baltimore won the women's marathon in
2:57:51, and Courtney Camden from Highlands ranch, Colo. secured second
place in 3:03:37.
Several local television journalists took part in the half marathon
including Heather Lake from FOX 5, Carlo Cecchetto and Kurt Boyd from CBS
8, and Claire Trageser from KPBS. All four media members have participated
in previous Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Half Marathons.
Live bands, cheer teams and supportive aid stations lined the marathon and
half marathon courses, while encouraging runners to the finish line. The
musically themed road race concluded with the sounds California-native Matt
Nathanson closing out a great two-day event with a performance for runners
and spectators at the Rock 'n' Roll Concert Series in Waterfront Park.
For complete results or for information on 2020 event, visit
RunRocknRoll.com/San-Diego.
For more information on the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series®, please visit
www.runrocknroll.com. Media may contact .
About Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series
The Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series® is the world's largest running series
taking part in over 30 destination events around the world every year.
Established in 1998, the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series simple idea of
making running fun has transformed both the U.S. and global running
landscape by infusing the course with live bands, cheer teams and
entertaining water stations, creating a block-party atmosphere for
participants and spectators alike. Focused on running, music and community,
race weekend kicks off with a free Health & Fitness Expo showcasing the
latest in running gear, sports apparel, health and nutritional information
and much more. Events culminate with an entertaining finish-line festival
featuring some of the biggest names in music, with past performances
including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, O.A.R. Aloe Blacc, Pitbull, Flo Rida,
The Band Perry, Fitz and the Tantrums, the Goo Goo Dolls and Bret Michaels.
Further information about the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series can be found
online at www.RunRocknRoll.com and follow @RunRocknRoll on all social
platforms.
About IRONMAN
As part of Wanda Sports Holdings, the IRONMAN Group operates a global
portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the
IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock 'n' Roll
Marathon Series®, Iron Girl®, IRONKIDS®, International Triathlon Union
World Triathlon Series races, road cycling events including the UCI
Velothon® Series, mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®,
premier marathons including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon,
trail running like Ultra-Trail Australia™, and other multisport races.
IRONMAN's events, together with all other Wanda Sports Holdings events,
provide more than a million participants annually the benefits of endurance
sports through the company's vast offerings. The iconic IRONMAN® Series of
events is the largest participation sports platform in the world. Since the
inception of the IRONMAN® brand in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING
IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines at the world's most challenging
endurance races. Beginning as a single race, IRONMAN has grown to become a
global sensation with more than 230 events across 53 countries. For more
information, visit www.ironman.com.
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