Press Release - Washington DC Marathon - 1/8/02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Angela Casey
703.528.8176
angela@h2oentertainment.com


    DC Marathon Registrants to Run in Memoriam of Pentagon Victims
            United States Military Teams from Europe to Compete;
           Raise Funds for Pentagon Memorial and Affected Families

WASHINGTON - Washington DC Marathon officials are creating a way to honor 
the victims of the September 11 attack at the Pentagon in nearby
Arlington, VA.

Registrants will have the option of running in honor of one of the Pentagon 
victims and to donate or raise funds for a number of charities which are 
currently helping the victims and their families.

"Many of the registrants have said to us that they wanted to do something 
to help those in Washington who were affected by September 11, and this is 
one small way we, as organizers of this event, felt we could honor these 
heroes," said Angela Casey, a spokesperson for the Washington DC Marathon.

Names of Pentagon charities will be posted on the marathon Web site - 
www.WashingtonDCMarathon.com - as will the instructions to fax or email 
Washington DC Marathon officials for the name of a victim if someone would 
like to run in memoriam.  

Those runners who take part in honoring a victim of the Pentagon will be 
asked to wear a black ribbon on race day to pay tribute.

Support has been overwhelmingly positive from the running community - and 
several marathoners are taking matters a step further.

Air Force Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Gibson, of the Pittsburgh area, is 
stationed just outside of Cambridge, England, at the Royal Airforce Base 
Mildenhall where he serves as a member of the Civil Engineering Squad.  As 
just one of many military service persons overseas that felt affected by 
the tragedies here in America - especially at the Pentagon, Gibson decided 
to do something to honor and support the victims stationed at the nation's 
military headquarters.  Gibson is organizing four European-based teams, one 
from each branch of the armed services, to compete in the March race and 
raise funds for not only the victims and their families, but also for a 
Pentagon memorial to honor those who gave their lives in the service of 
their nation.

"Many in the armed services I know here overseas felt separated from and 
homesick for our families in America on the day of the attacks, and now, we 
still want to lend our support or do something positive following the 
September 11 tragedies," said Staff Sergeant Gibson.

"This race that focuses on Washington, DC - our nation's capital - is a 
great way for us all to honor those who gave their lives and those who went 
to great lengths to save so many lives at the Pentagon."

Gibson is currently seeking to fill up the slots for these military teams 
and obtain corporate and private donations for the race.  He can be 
contacted for more information by emailing race organizers at 
info@washingtondcmarathon.com or via his own personal 
military email address at jeffrey.gibson@mildenhall.af.mil.  

Anyone interested in running in the Washington DC Marathon, being held on 
March 24, can sign-up on the marathon's Web site at:
www.WashingtonDCMarathon.com.

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