FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Loken Three-Peats as Champion of More Magazine Marathon
Denisova, Painter join forces to win accompanying team half-marathon
NEW YORK - (March 25, 2007) - At age 43, Susan Loken of Phoenix, AZ, became
the three-time winner of the More Magazine Marathon, held here Sunday in
Central Park. Loken won the world's only marathon exclusively for women age
40 and over in a time of 2 hours, 47 minutes, 52 seconds.
Loken ran unchallenged on a course that has become familiar to her since
her first win here, back in 2005. Leading from the gun, she broke the
finish-line tape more than 23 minutes in front of runner-up Gordon
Bakoulis, 46, of New York City (3:11:24). Peggy Nelson-Panzer, 45, of
Aurora, CO, rounded out the top three with her 3:16:55 finish. Temperatures
were in the low 40s with partly cloudy skies and light winds.
The event also featured a half-marathon in which teams of two women, one of
whom must be over 40, competed together with their times combined for
scoring purposes. Forty-year-old Trina Painter of Flagstaff, AZ (1:19:10),
teamed up with Lyubov Denisova (1:16:49), 35, a Russian citizen who resides
in Gainesville, FL, to claim the title. Denisova, who has also spent time
living and training in New York City, was the individual half-marathon
winner, followed by runner-up Claudia Camargo (1:17:27), 35, a native of
Argentina living in Danbury, CT. Painter claimed third place.
More than 6,000 women took part in the races, which are put on by New York
Road Runners and More Magazine, a lifestyle publication for women age 40
and older. The More Magazine Marathon and Half-Marathon has become a
destination event for women of all ages and fitness levels, who make it the
centerpiece of a weekend with friends and family in New York City.
Both courses cover multiple loops of Central Park, allowing for plenty of
interaction among all participants. The race-day camaraderie wasn't lost on
Loken, who has returned to this race three years running in large part
because of the supportive nature of the event. "It was inspiring out there
with so many people cheering me along," she said, adding that she regretted
she would probably not return to defend her title in 2008 due to the timing
of the race just weeks before the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's
Marathon on April 20, 2008, in Boston.
Loken set the event record at her first outing, in 2005, when she won in
2:45:35, the fastest women's marathon time on a course entirely within
Central Park. Her 2006 winning time was 2:50:01. Loken has done all of her
best running since turning 40. She ran a personal best time of 2:41:31 last
year in Phoenix.
Loken won $2000 in prize money for her win, plus a $1000 time bonus.
Denisova and Painter will collect a combined $2000 first-place prize and
$500 time bonus. The total guaranteed event prize purse is $14,000.
"Being over 40 is now a reason for women to celebrate, and what better way
than being part of the exclusive More Magazine Marathon - the only marathon
in the world limited to women over 40," said Mary Wittenberg, president and
CEO of New York Road Runners and race director of ING New York City
Marathon. "It's a work-hard party for women who are strong and want to feel
good about life."
Complete results and race photos at: NYRR.org
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