FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Karen Boe
801-412-6060
Top International Field Expected at Salt Lake City Marathon
$125,000 Prize Purse; Course Records in Jeopardy
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - (April 20, 2005) - An international field of
world-class runners from around the globe will be vying for $125,000 at the
second annual Salt Lake City Marathon, Run, Bump & Boogie on Saturday,
April 23, 2005. The champions will take home $25,000 and possible course
records.
Last year, course records were set by Gabriel Muchiri of Kenya at 2:17:21
for his first marathon win and 2:30:41 by Russian Lioudmila Kortchaguina.
Olympians and marathon champions make up the 2005 race's diverse field from
Kenya, Australia, Russia, Ethiopia, St. Lucia, Slovenia, the Ukraine,
Poland, the Czech Republic and the United States. The packed elite field
includes six men with personal records under 2:13 and three women with PRs
under 2:30.
Heading the men's field is Elly Rono from Kenya. The 2004 Ottawa Marathon
champion in 2:11:48, Rono's personal record is 2:10:57 at the 2002
Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minn. Fellow Kenyans include John Birgen who
won the 2003 Milan Marathon and boasts a best of 2:09:08; Fred Ntabo
Getange who ran 2:13:37 in the Marathon de Reims in France and Gilbert
Koech who won his debut marathon in Las Vegas last January in 2:13:44.
Other top Kenyans include Simon Sawe (2:14:23, 2003 Chosun Korea Marathon);
Kibitok Metto (2004 Mexico City Marathon winner); Daniel Cheruiyot (second,
1:06:20, 2004 Las Vegas Half-Marathon); James Bungei (2:10:00, PR); David
Kemboi (2:10:30, PR) and Charles Njeru Kamindo, a two-time Green Bay
Marathon winner, who has run a best of 2:15:00.
Also vying for top spots should be: Australian Sisay Bezabeh (2:11:08, 2003
Chicago Marathon); Abraham Assefa of Ethiopia (2:14:40, PR); Zepherinus
Joseph from St. Lucia (2:16:06, PR) and Russian Sergey Fedotov with a PR of
2:11:16.
Local runners include Ogden's Joe Wilson, the top American here last year
(10th) and Sasha Pachev of Provo who was 13th in the inaugural race.
The women's field is led by Olga Kovpotina from the Ukraine who set a
course record of 2:31:53 at the 2005 Las Vegas Marathon in January and has
a PR of 2:27:39. Kovpotina should be tested by Dorota Gruca from Poland who
won the 2004 Mazatlan Marathon with course and personal records (2:28:49).
Other top women include masters runner and three-time Olympian Irina
Bogacheva of Kyrgyzstan, Olympian Anna Pichrtova from the Czech Republic
and Jenny Gillard from Australia. Top U.S. woman is Becky Sondag from
Casper, Wyo.
A full weekend of opportunities for fun and celebration abound and a new
event participation record is expected. The Ken Garff Volvo Bike Tour is
new this year, featuring a 25-mile non-stop, leisurely morning ride through
the most scenic and spectacular parts of the Salt Lake Valley. The tour,
starting at 6:00am follows the Salt Lake City Marathon route on race
morning April 23.
The Salt Lake City Marathon was among 12 new favorites listed by Runner's
World in its January 2005 Marathon Guide: "Small Wonders: Big Fun, Big
Scenery, Big Rewards." January's Competitor Magazine and Rocky Mountain
Sports Magazine both tout Salt Lake City as the "Best Race at Altitude."
For race information, call (801) 412-6060 or visit:
www.saltlakemarathon.com.
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