FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Runners, Bikers Take Over the Streets of Mile High City
-Sports Authority Rock 'n' Roll Denver Attracts Local Sports Celebrities
including Denver Nuggets Star Corey Brewer and Rockies Manager Jim Tracy
-Japanese women Aoyama, Nasukawa take wins in full, half marathon
-Scotland's Andrew Lemoncello and Kenyan Abraham Kogo win men's races
-Race benefited Prostate Cancer Foundation; Trevor Hall Performs as Finish
Line Headliner
DENVER, CO, Sept. 22, 2012 – The 3rd annual Sports Authority Rock 'n' Roll
Denver Marathon & 1/2 Marathon benefiting the Prostate Cancer Foundation and
the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Denver Bike Tour transformed the streets of the
Mile High City on Saturday, Sept. 22. Participants started their race this
morning in the summer and finished in the fall, thanks to the Autumn
Equinox. Andrew Lemoncello of Scotland was first across the finish line in
Civic Center Park, covering the 13.1 mile course in 1:06:12, while Rui
Aoyama of Japan was crowned the women's half-marathon winner with a time of
1:14:35.
"I'm just happy to have done well, especially since this is my first race
at an altitude," said Lemoncello, who returned to racing for the first time
today since suffering a severe hamstring injury in 2011. "I was putting in
some surges early on to see how the competition would respond. I put
everything I had into the last hill and luckily I had enough of a break to
feed off that and keep the lead. I love Denver - I'm still trying to
persuade my wife to move here, it's really lovely."
Lemoncello and second place half-marathon winner, Kenyon Neuman (1:06:28),
split off from a pack of eight runners around mile 5. At mile 11,
Lemoncello broke away and held the lead from there. In the women's 13.1
mile race, Nuta Olaru, originally from Romania and now a U.S. citizen,
placed second for the third year in a row with a time of 1:15:00. Moeno
Nakamura was the second women's runner to cross the finish line, with a
time of 1:15:00.
"The women's race was strong," said Olaru, "When I started I pushed hard
the first 8 miles, but after that (Rui Aoyama) caught me and it was too
late. I wanted to run faster, but it's ok. It's two weeks before I compete
in the TriCities Marathon and then the U.S. Masters Championships so I feel
ready for that."
Abraham Kogo of Kenya placed first in the marathon with a time of 2:27:58
and Mizuho Nasukawa of Japan finished first among the women in 2:37:05.
Matt Dewald, who took third place with a time of 2:33:44, lead the opening
miles with a one minute lead in front of the lead pack. At mile 16 Kogo
caught Dewald, and made a decisive move to secure first place, which he
maintained to the finish line.
Dave Scudamore finished in second place in two hours, thirty-two minutes
and fifty-eight seconds. Last year's winner, Chris Siemers, helped pace the
women's marathon third place winner Paige Higgins (2:52:29) earlier on in
the race. Siemers, who last year broke the Colorado state marathon record
here, ultimately fell back to fourth place, finishing in 2:36:10.
In addition to the notable line up of elite runners, the rest of the
participants enjoyed live entertainment and the sounds of local bands
playing every mile. The scenic race toured Denver's beautiful city parks
and landmarks before an exciting finish line festival in Civic Center Park.
Colorado crowd favorite Trevor Hall energized the post-race celebration as
runners and fans gathered at the band stage in Civic Center Park.
Among the crowd of participants was a sea of runners who wore blue and
raised more than $50,000 for the fight against prostate cancer through
Athletes for a Cure, the fundraising and awareness program of the Prostate
Cancer Foundation.
For the first time, bicyclists of all skill levels took part in an
unprecedented ride at the Rock 'n' Roll Denver Bike Tour including Denver
Nuggets guard Corey Brewer. The inaugural event welcomed 750 cyclists along
24 miles of the marathon course prior to the start of the race, giving
participants a unique opportunity to ride closed streets and enjoy the Rock
'n' Roll experience on two wheels. A two-person relay distance was also
offered during the race.
For complete results, photos and more, visit:
runrocknroll.competitor.com/denver
Results - Sports Authority Rock 'n' Roll Denver
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Place, Name, Age, Country, Time, Prize
Full Marathon Results
MEN
1. Abraham Kogo, 32, Kenya, 2:27:58, $1,000
2. Dave Scudamore, 42, Denver, CO, 2:32:58, $500
3. Matt Dewald, 29, Denver, CO, 2:33:44, $250
WOMEN
1. Mizuho Nasukawa, 32, Japan, 2:37:05, $1,000
2. Nicole Chyr, 34, Englewood, CO, 2:51:24, $500
3. Paige Higgins, 30, Littleton, CO, 2:52:29, $250
Half Marathon Results
MEN
1. Andrew Lemoncello, 29, Great Britain, 1:06:12, $1,000
2. Kenyon Neuman, 25, Boulder, CO, 1:06:28, $500
3. Josh Eberly, 31, Gunnison, CO, 1:07:30, $250
WOMEN
1. Rui Aoyama, 23, Japan, 1:14:35, $1,000
2. Nuta Olaru, 42, Romania, 1:15:00, $500
3. Moeno Nakamura, 22, Japan, 1:16:01, $250
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