FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Universal Sports Presents LIVE Broadcast and Online Coverage of
the 2011 Honda Los Angeles Marathon
Nationwide Broadcast Presented by K-Swiss Begins at 10 a.m. ET
Kenyan Wesley Korir Will Race for His Third Straight Title
Los Angeles, CA--March 17, 2011--Universal Sports will provide LIVE
broadcast and online coverage of the 2011 Honda Los Angeles Marathon. The
network's nationwide coverage, excluding Los Angeles, will begin on Sunday,
March 20, beginning at 10 a.m. ET. The 26th annual race will feature over
20,000 entrants running along the 26.2 mile "Stadium to Sea" course that
starts at Dodger Stadium and ends at the Santa Monica Pier. Runners are
competing for the winner's prize of $25,000 in cash and a new Honda Insight
EX sedan with navigation, as well as trying to win the unique Marathon
Challenge, which rewards the first runner to cross the finish line – man or
woman – with a $100,000 bonus.
For the first time, Southern California-based footwear and apparel maker
K-Swiss has teamed up with Universal Sports to be the presenting sponsor of
the national telecast. The broadcast team will consist of veteran running
analyst Toni Reavis, who has provided commentary for all 25 prior Los
Angeles Marathons, and local TV sports news anchor Derrin Horton. Following
the live airing, Universal Sports will offer an encore presentation of the
marathon at 10:00 p.m. ET. Live race coverage, highlights and news of the
event will also be available at the network's website,
www.universalsports.com.
Kenyan Wesley Korir, 2009 and 2010 champion, highlights this year's field
in the men's competition. Korir will be attempting to achieve his third
consecutive victory, which would make him the first ever in L.A. Marathon
history to three-peat. He faces tough competition in countryman Benjamin
Maiyo, who enters this year's race with a time of 2:07:09, the fastest
recorded time of any man in the 2011 field. Maiyo recorded his top time in
the 2005 L.A. Marathon, where he finished second.
On the women's side, U.S. All-Americans Amy Hastings and Heather Wood will
be making their marathon debuts. They are up against Mare Diaba of
Ethiopia, with the fastest time in the 2011 women's field at 2:25:27, and
Buzenesh Deba of Ethiopia, whose personal best is 2:27:24.
The Honda Los Angeles Marathon celebrity roster is spotlighted by Chef
Gordon Ramsay and musician Flea, who is running for the Silverlake
Conservatory of Music.
Universal Sports will continue its world-class marathon coverage later in
2011 with LIVE coverage of both the Boston and New York City marathons.
ABOUT UNIVERSAL SPORTS:
Universal Sports, a partnership between NBC Sports and InterMedia Partners,
LP, is the premier multi-platform media destination for Olympic-related
sports programming in the United States. Universal Sports is available in
52 markets nationwide, including all of the nation's top 10 media markets
and 20 of the top 25. Major world championship sports events aired on
Universal Sports include track and field, skiing, swimming, gymnastics,
marathons, figure skating, cycling and rugby. The network's website,
UniversalSports.com, delivers an immersive user experience via live and
on-demand competition coverage, interaction with top athletes through
interviews and blogs and in-depth access to Olympic sports news and
information year-round. For more information, please visit
UniversalSports.com.
###
|
