FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ING Georgia Marathon Elevated from State to Region
Championship Designation by Road Runners Club of America
March Event Named 2009 RRCA Southern Region Marathon Championship
(Oct. 13, 2008, ATLANTA) –The ING Georgia Marathon
(www.inggeorgiamarathon.com) has been named the 2009 Road Runners Club of
America (RRCA) Southern Region Marathon Championship. This designation
casts a spotlight on outstanding road races across the country and awards
top runners in three categories: open male/female, masters male/female (40
years and older), and grandmaster male/female (50 years and older). The
region designation covers 11 southern states and the commonwealth of Puerto
Rico.
"It's been a goal to have RRCA recognize our race as the Southern Region
Marathon Championship. We're honored, that in only our third year, RRCA has
selected the ING Georgia Marathon as the region's marathon championship
race," said Victoria Seahorn, race director of the ING Georgia Marathon &
Half Marathon. "It's a tribute to the race team that builds a safe, fun and
memorable race on a certified course. It's a tribute to the sponsors and
the community that support the race. And, it's a tribute to the marathoners
themselves, who astounded us last year with a 98 percent completion rate on
this course."
The ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon, which starts and finishes at
historic Centennial Olympic Park, will run on Sunday, March 29, 2009.
Registration for the 2009 race is now open online
(www.inggeorgiamarathon.com) and the race is on track for another sell out
at 15,000 participants. Of the total field, about 40 percent will run the
full marathon course. For this race, all marathoners are automatically
eligible for the RRCA Southern Region Marathon Championship awards.
"The goal of the RRCA Championship Events is to help the races selected to
recruit top performing runners, attract sponsors, improve civic and media
support, and promote fitness through running" said Ken Bendy, RRCA's
Southern Region Director. "We encourage marathoners from across the
Southeast and the country to register now for the 2009 ING Georgia Marathon
and participate in RRCA's Southern Region Marathon Championships."
The RRCA designation is another accolade for one of America's most popular
and beautiful springtime races. In 2008 the ING Georgia Marathon was
awarded by RRCA the designation of State Marathon Championship. The 2007
inaugural marathon and half marathon earned its way to the record books:
According to Running USA, the 2007 race was the second largest inaugural
combo running event of all time. The combined inaugural event boasted a
completion rate of nearly 97 percent. It was also voted "Best New Event" by
Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine.
RRCA Regional Championship races are open to all and RRCA club membership
is not mandatory although runners are encouraged to join a local running
club. RRCA is the oldest and largest grassroots distance running
organization in the country. The organization annually designates national,
regional, and state championships in standard distances of 5K, 10K, 15K,
half marathon and marathon. Since 1958, RRCA has awarded championships for
the state, regional and national levels through a competitive bidding
process.
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