Press Release - Grandma's Marathon - 6/15/10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

              Grandma's Marathon Award Recipients Announced
			
(Duluth, Minn.) Grandma's Marathon has announced the recipients of its 2010 
Ron Daws Ambassador Award and Award of Excellence.

Martha Firling is this year's Ron Daws Ambassador Award winner. Firling is 
a longtime Grandma's Marathon volunteer and for the past 11 years has been 
the event's host family coordinator. She arranges all of the details for 
area families who host some of the event's elite athletes, many of them 
from foreign countries. Previously she spent more than 15 years as a water 
station volunteer.

In 1993, Grandma's Marathon began the Ron Daws Ambassador Award in honor of 
the Minnesota native and 1968 Olympian who was a great ambassador to 
Grandma's Marathon and the city of Duluth. Daws was extremely instrumental 
in the development of road racing in Minnesota until he passed away in 
1992. The award is presented each year to an individual who has been a 
leader in the growth of long distance running and who has a shared 
commitment to Grandma's Marathon and Duluth.

The Spirit Mountain Ski Patrol is the 2010 recipient of the Award of 
Excellence, given annually to an individual or group in recognition of 
their dedication, commitment and service to Grandma's Marathon.

Members of the Spirit Mountain Ski Patrol volunteer to aid distressed 
runners from the finish line to the runners' recovery area or by shuttling 
them via wheelchair to the medical tent should additional care be needed. 
The support that the patrol has provided for more than 20 years is a 
crucial part of the medical operations of Grandma's Marathon.

The 2010 Volunteer of the Year Award will be announced at the race's 
volunteer appreciation event Sunday, June 27.

Grandma's Marathon weekend kicks off with the SMDC Health System Health and 
Fitness Expo which begins Thursday at 5 p.m. and continues all day Friday. 
Other Friday events include the Michelina's All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti 
Dinner, the Whipper Snapper Races for Kids, the William A. Irvin 5K and 
live musical entertainment.

The Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon and Grandma's Marathon are Saturday, June 
19. Nearly 16,000 are registered to compete in the three-race weekend, 
presented by Wells Fargo Bank Duluth, Target and Toyota. For more 
information, visit www.GrandmasMarathon.com or call (218) 727-0947.
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