FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Hendrick Ramaala Headlines 2010 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Field
Race to Feature New Course in 2010, Men's Elite Field
Includes 2008 and 2009 Champions
San Diego, CA - June 1, 2010 - One of the world's greatest marathon
runners, South African Hendrick Ramaala, will lead a field of 30,000
entrants on Sunday, June 6 at this year's revamped Rock 'n' Roll San Diego
Marathon & ½ Marathon to Benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. For the
first time in the San Diego's 13-year Rock 'n' Roll history, the event will
include a half marathon, along with a new finish line at SeaWorld.
A former ING New York City Marathon champion, Ramaala owns a personal best
of 2:06:55 from the London Marathon in 2006. He finished 5th at the Virgin
London Marathon last year, running a time of 2:07:44.
"I'm excited to run the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, every morning I have been
pushing my training," said Ramaala. "I've heard a lot of nice things about
the race and the city, I would love to do well in front of the people there
and put on a good show. I've never been to San Diego and I'm excited to see
the city."
Ramaala will line up against defending champion Khalid El Boumlili of
Morocco, as well as former 5,000-meter world champion Richard Limo of
Kenya. Prior to winning last year's Rock 'n' Roll event, El Boumlili
finished third at the 2008 Boston Marathon in a personal record of 2:10:35.
Limo comes to San Diego with his sights set on countryman Philip Tarus'
longstanding event record of 2:08:33. Better known for his accomplishments
on the track, Limo has a marathon best of 2:06:45 set in Amsterdam in 2007.
He finished 5th at the 2009 Chicago Marathon and was runner up at the Los
Angeles Marathon earlier this year.
Since Josh Cox's 9th-place finish at the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in 1999, no
American has finished in the top 10 at San Diego's 26.2-mile road race. The
United States' best hope to end the streak is Nick Arciniaga, who trains
with the McMillan-Elite team in Flagstaff, AZ. Arciniaga recently finished
third at the USA 25K Championships in Grand Rapids, MI on May 8. Last year
he finished 8th overall at the New York Marathon, running a personal best
of 2:13:46.
"With a new course this year we have possibly the most talented field ever
assembled for the men's marathon in San Diego," said Matt Turnbull, Elite
Athlete Recruiter. "The event record of 2:08:33 is certainly under threat
with four guys in the field who have run PR's under 2:08."
The four athletes with personal bests quicker than the course record
include Tariku Jafur of Ethiopia and Kenei Kiprotich of Kenya. Tariku was
runner up at last year's LA Marathon and set his personal best in 2008 with
a 2:08:10 clocking in Hamburg. Hamburg was also the venue where Kiprotich
posted a 2:07:42 personal record in 2007, finishing third.
The men's field is rounded out by three former champions from the Rock 'n'
Roll Marathon Series, including 2008 San Diego winner Simon Wangi of Kenya.
He'll be joined at the start line by countrymen Meshack Kirwa, who won Rock
'n' Roll San Antonio in 2008, and William Chebor, the 2009 Rock 'n' Roll
Virginia Beach Half Marathon champion.
The elite field is vying for a prize purse that will award $25,000 to the
winner. Race day begins Sunday morning at 6:15 am on 6th Avenue at Palm
adjacent to Balboa Park. The new course features a stretch inside the San
Diego Padres' PETCO Park and more than 10 miles along the San Diego
waterfront, including a five-mile loop on Fiesta Island in Mission Bay. A
full course description, including turn-by-turn directions and course maps,
are located at online at san-diego.competitor.com.
About Rock 'n' Roll San Diego
A Competitor event, the 13th annual Rock 'n' Roll San Diego Marathon &
½ Marathon to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society will run through
San Diego on Sunday, June 6th. The race has drawn a sold-out field
of 30,000 entrants, and will feature live bands and cheerleaders
interspersed along each mile of the scenic course. A free two-day Health
and Fitness Expo at the San Diego Convention Center will kick off race
weekend, featuring more than one hundred fitness retailers, exhibits and
interactive clinics. The event concludes Sunday afternoon with a finish
line celebration and headliner concert at SeaWorld featuring Big Bad Voodoo
Daddy. For more information about Rock 'n' Roll San Diego, please visit
san-diego.competitor.com or call (800) 311-1255.
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