FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nearly 14,000 Registered Runners Converge In The Emerald City
For 2019 St. Jude Rock 'N' Roll Seattle Marathon & 1/2 Marathon
Shaun Frandsen takes the top spot in the marathon while
Christine Babcock takes top spot in women's race;
Kenneth Kosgei and Danna Herrick finish first in the half marathon
SEATTLE, Wash. (June 9, 2019) - Nearly 14,000 registered runners from age
10 to 81 took to the streets of the Emerald City this weekend to
participate in the 11th running of the St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Seattle
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 and sounds of Seattle.
The best-in-class running event kicked off on Saturday morning with a 5K
presented by Brooks run in Tukwila starting and finishing at the Museum of
Flight just south of Seattle. Runners were treated to a truly unique route
that winds through the Aviation Pavilion and onto E Marginal Way running
alongside Boeing Field.
The main event took place on Sunday, with runners from 48 states and 35
countries taking off on a tour of Seattle. With a brand-new run course, the
race started at the Seattle Center (home of the Space Needle) and took
runners through some of the city's feature some of Seattle's most beautiful
vistas, including Downtown Seattle, Fremont, Queen Anne Hill, Kerry Park,
Woodland Park, and Green Lake. Runners ran along Lake Union and through the
Fremont Google Campus before heading back down south as the St. Jude Rock
'n' Roll Seattle Marathon and 1/2 Marathon became the first running event
to cross the Ballard Bridge. Participants passed through the Queen Anne
Hill neighborhood and right by the famous Grey's Anatomy intern house.
Finally, runners were treated to views of the Seattle skyline as they
passed by Kerry Park and made their way back to the Seattle Center to cross
the finish line.
In the marathon Shaun Frandsen (Kirkland, Wash.) broke the tape as the
overall champion finishing in 2:36:14. Bennett Grimes (Seattle, Wash.)
finished in second with a time of 2:37:40 as Tim Rigby (Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada) rounded out the podium in third finishing in 2:42:16.
Christine Babcock (Seattle, Wash.) was the women's marathon champion with a
final time of 2:59:16. Kristina Randrup (Seattle, Wash.) took the
second-place spot in 3:00:40 and Jenna Petersen(Kenmore, Wash.) finish
third in 3:16:33. Marathon finishers were treated to a brand-new recovery
zone that included massages and catered food.
In the half marathon, Kenneth Kosgei (Salem, Ore.) won the race with his
first-place effort clocking a time of 1:06:56. Turner Whiley (Seattle,
Wash.) was second with a time of 1:09:42. Roosevelt Cook (Hesperia, Calif.)
followed in third place finishing in 1:12:38. Danna Herrick (Shelby
Township, Mich.) was the women's champion with a final time of 1:19:45 with
Michele Lee (Rochester Hills, Mich.) next behind her at 1:19:52. Alyssa
Houtby (Visalia, Calif..) rounded out the podium in 1:25:36.
Elite runners and fast times aside, Sunday's races were all about the party
atmosphere. Several local bands, including the likes of Biblioteka, Past
Curfew, Mean Beans, Jayomi, Jed Crisologo and the Sun Killers, Seattle
Kokon Taiko, DJ Kippy, Navy Band Northwest, Released from Quiet and many
more performed live on improved band stages along the route interspersed
with cheerleaders, themed water stations and new mile-markers that included
speakers to keep the music flowing throughout the event.
The musically themed road race celebrated the day's accomplishments by
paying tribute one of Seattle's most prolific bands, when Washed in Black,
A Pearl Jam Tribute took to the main stage of the Rock 'n' Roll Concert
Series on Fisher Lawn outside the finish line at the Seattle Center.
For complete results or for information on 2020 event, visit
RunRocknRoll.com/Seattle.
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 The IRONMAN Group
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 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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