FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Regan Petersen
(303) 332-3896
Top U.S. Marathoner and Coloradoan Alan Culpepper
to Compete at 2006 Denver Marathon
Two-Time American Olympian Brings Elite Appeal to Denver Marathon
DENVER, Colo. -- September 19, 2006 – The new 2006 world-class Denver
Marathon TM is honored to welcome world renowned elite running athletes
including local phenomenon Alan Culpepper to run the Denver Half- Marathon
scheduled for Sunday, October 15, 2006.
Local Boulder elite athlete Alan Culpepper is ranked the #2 marathoner in
the U.S. by Track & Field News with a personal best of 2:09:41. His
running career highlights include the 2004 Olympic Trials marathon
champion; 12th at 2004 Olympic marathon; 2002 U.S. 5,000m champion; 1999
and 2003 U.S. 10,000m champion; two-time Olympian; 1996 NCAA Outdoor 5,000m
champion; 1999 and 2003 U.S. 12 km cross country champion. On April 18,
2005, in only the fourth marathon competition of his career, Culpepper ran
2:13:39 to finish fourth in the best placing by an American male at the
Boston Marathon since Dave Gordon placed fourth (2:13:30) in 1987. Long one
of America's top cross country, 5,000 and 10,000m runners, Culpepper ran
2:09:41 in his marathon debut at Chicago in 2002, tying him with Alberto
Salazar for the fastest American debut in history.
Culpepper, a Louisville, Colo. resident and University of Colorado
graduate, is preparing for the New York City Marathon which will be a
training run for the 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials scheduled for New York
City. Culpepper carefully selects less than ten events to run each year
choosing to focus on his training and build up his longevity for each
event.
"The inaugural Denver Marathon will only be the third half-marathon I've
ever run and choosing to compete in the Denver half-marathon was an obvious
decision because of the variety of the course and legendary reputation of
Denver's Race Director Dave McGillivray," said Culpepper. "As a marathon
runner and a Colorado resident, I am excited to run in a world-class
running event that presents great running challenges that are exclusive to
the Mile High city."
A sampling of other international elite athletes registered for this year's
Denver Marathon include:
* Mike Korir: born in Kenya and now living in Ohio; Philadelphia
Marathon champion in 2002 and 2004; Mercedes Marathon Champion in 2003.
* Franklin Tenorio: born and lives in Ecuador; two-time Olympian and
1999 bronze medalist at the Pan Am games.
Denver Marathon Details
The 2006 Denver Marathon is led by Race Director Dave McGillivray.
McGillivray, director of the prestigious Boston Marathon for the past 19
years as well as other sporting events from Maine to Florida, is known for
his operational expertise, attention to detail and creativity.
The inaugural race will offer runners the opportunity to participate in a
marathon, half-marathon, or a four-person marathon relay, highlighting
Denver's communities by incorporating a mix of urban neighborhoods,
shopping and restaurant districts, city parks and residential areas. The
course is flat and has little to no elevation change and will be certified
by USA Track & Field as a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.
Businesses and organizations can enter teams of four persons to run the
Denver Marathon Corporate Relay of which 100 percent of the money raised
will benefit Denver's Road Home – Denver Mayor John W. Hickenlooper's
10-year plan to end homelessness.
Registration fees for the marathon are: $95 and Walk-Up at the EXPO
(October 13-14), $105. Half-Marathon registration fees are: $75 and Walk-Up
at the EXPO (October 13-14), $85. Marathon relay registration fees are:
$160 and Walk-Up at the EXPO (October 13-14), $200.
Sponsors of the Denver Marathon include CBS4 Denver, KBCO-FM, Saturn, New
Balance, McDonald's, Colorado Athletic Club, Michelob Ultra, Adams Mark
Hotel, Coleman Natural Foods, 5280 Magazine, Gatorade, Clif Bar, and Deep
Rock Water.
For more information or to register, please visit www.denvermarathon.com.
About Denver Marathon TM
The new Denver Marathon TM is owned and operated by Run Denver, LLC, a
wholly-owned subsidiary of Experience Sports, LLC – a sports marketing and
management company. Run Denver was created to develop an annual Denver
marathon and half marathon that will bring a world-class running experience
to the Denver community and economic and social vitality to the metro
Denver area. For more information, please visit www.denvermarathon.com.
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