FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Olympians Highlight Field Set for USA Half Marathon Championships
Silver Medalist Keflezighi, Defending Champ Abdirahman Seek National Title
(Duluth, Minn.) A pair of Olympians from last year's Summer Games in London
head the list of Americans set to race in Saturday's USA Half Marathon
Championships.
Meb Keflezighi and Abdi Abdirahman, both members of the 2012 Team USA
marathon squad, will be among those competing for national titles and a
share of an $82,000 prize purse, including first place awards of $12,000.
Keflezighi, 38, placed fourth in the 2012 Olympics marathon on August 12
with a time of 2 hours, 11 minutes and 6 seconds. He was the silver
medalist in the marathon at the 2004 Athens Olympics (2:11:29). Keflezighi
has a personal best half-marathon time of 1:01:00 (2009, San Jose Rock ‘n'
Roll Half Marathon).
Abdirahman, 36, is the defending half-marathon national champion after
winning last year's event – also held in Duluth – in 1:02:46 and has a
best of 1:00:29 (2007, New York City Half Marathon).
For a complete list of those entered in the 2013 USA Half Marathon
Championships field, click here: http://bit.ly/16EXstT.
Duluth's history of hosting national championship road racing events
includes the 2003 and 2004 USA Women's Half Marathon Championships. The
city also hosted the 1987, 1990 and 1994 USA Women's Marathon Championships
as part of Grandma's Marathon, which is currently the country's 14th
largest marathon.
Grandma's Marathon Elite Field
In the 37th running of Grandma's Marathon, also scheduled for Saturday,
favorites in the men's field include Ethiopians Bazu Worku (PR 2:05:25,
2010) and Wegayehu Tefera (PR 2:08:25, 2010) and Kenyans Weldon Kirui (PR
2:09:06, 2010) and Ernest Kebenei (PR 2:10:55, 2011).
On the women's side, past champions Everlyne Lagat (2012) and Yihunlish
Delelecha (2011) are returning to Duluth with hopes of claiming their
second Grandma's Marathon victories.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
6:15 a.m. - USA Men's Half Marathon Championship
6:25 a.m. - USA Women's Half Marathon Championship
6:45 a.m. - Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon
7:45 a.m. - Grandma's Marathon (Wheelchair Start 7:40 a.m.)
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