FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Yilma, Olaru Win 5th Annual Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon
Rizzo, Leith Take Half-Marathon Titles;
Hot Chelle Rae Headlines Post Race Concert at Seattle's Summertime Kickoff
Seattle, WA – June 22, 2013 – From the stunning views of Mt. Rainier to the
peaceful Lake Washington waterfront, it was a picturesque summer day in
Seattle as the city celebrated five years of Rock 'n' Roll running. The
annual kickoff to the Seafair summer festival, the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle
Marathon & Half Marathon brought miles of music and a moving memorial to
our country's military.
In the men's half marathon, Patrick Rizzo of Boulder, Colo., finally
claimed victory after second-place finishes here in 2009 and 2010. Rizzo,
29, and Australian Shawn Forrest pushed each other for the first two miles
before Rizzo broke away, crossing the finish in 1 hour, 5 minutes and 58
seconds. Forrest would eventually finish third behind Jonathan Lafler, who
came in over a minute behind Rizzo at 1:07:10.
Women's half-marathon winner Nikki Gamble Leith, 29, of Edmonds, had a
reason to run fast as she broke the tape in 1:25:08.
"My goal was just to finish and make it home in time for my daughter's
first birthday party! I have 60 people coming over after this!" she said
with a laugh. The University of Washington grad and former soccer player
wore her school colors proudly, earning cheers from locals as she ran.
"Once a Husky, always a Husky. This is a great event and I love that we
have this in our city. The bands were great and there were some good beats
that kept my feet going."
Behind Leith, 16-year-old Larissa Kolasinski of Issaquah was charging hard,
but ended up third in 1:26:47, behind Kimberly Cloud, 37, who crossed in
1:26:31.
Running his first career marathon, Yon Yilma, who grew up in Edmonds,
Wash., beat out defending champion Teshome Kekobe, winning in 2:29:53.
Kekobe followed in 2:36:33, with Justin Englund, 23, rounding out the top
three. The top-3 finishers ran together from the start, passing the first
5K in 16:34 and the halfway point in 1:13:10. As the race wound its way
toward the final stretch along Lake Washington, Yilman made what proved to
be his winning move as the leaders ran onto the Interstate 90 express
lanes. At mile 17, his lead over Englund was 20 seconds and by mile 20 he
had extended it to a minute.
"I just knew as soon as I broke away I had to make a move and maintain my
pace," said Yilma, who coaches for the charity training group
Team-in-Training. "This is one of my favorite marathons and I've always
wanted to do it. I love the Rock 'n' Roll marathon – when you're tired the
bands really help you out. It feels amazing. It's a lot of work and I've
been waiting for this moment for a long time."
Nuta Olaru, a veteran of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series, claimed the top
spot on the podium in the women's race, winning in 2:52:40. Olaru had
previously competed in the Rock 'n' Roll half-marathon in Seattle twice and
finished second in the marathon last year.
"It was great weather and just a great day. I was so happy to run here
again and would love to come back next year. The race was amazing and I had
a lot of fun," said the Romanian Olympian, who became an American citizen
last year.
Lisa Renteria, 35, took second in 2:59:12, and Seattle local Callie
McKenzie was third in 3:14:58.
Runners started and finished at downtown Seattle Center, beneath the iconic
Space Needle, where American Music Award winners Hot Chelle Rae headlined
the post race concert. As participants ran along the peaceful waterfront of
Lake Washington, large American flags and photos of fallen U.S. service
members created a heartfelt and emotional tribute to those who have made
the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
The memorial was part of a water station from wear blue: run to remember, a
military support group from Joint Base Lewis McChord. More than 200 members
of wear blue participated in the race, inspiring runners and spectators
alike. Among them was Rachel Elizande-Powell, co-chapter president for the
Joint Base Lewis McChord chapter of wear blue, running on behalf of her
brother Adrian, who was killed in action.
"I felt such a sense of pride as I ran by the flags. Pride in the men and
women who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, so that I can walk
the streets and say what I want without fear," she said. "It was a
challenge to push through 26.2 and there were parts where I thought I was
done. But my brother wasn't a quitter, and so I can't quit. I hope that
people who saw us and heard us, they'll know that they can be part it, part
of honoring our soldiers."
Thousands of miles away near Kabul, Afghanistan, over 130 active service
members at Camp Phoenix participated in a shadow run of Rock 'n' Roll
Seattle, running a simulated race and sharing in the experience with
finishers' medals and t-shirts from the Seattle race.
The 6th annual Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Marathon & 1/2 Marathon will return on
Saturday, June 21, 2014. For complete results, photos and more, visit
RunRocknRoll.com/Seattle
.
Race Results
Name, Age, Hometown, Age, Prize Purse
Men's Marathon
Yon Yilma, 24, Edmonds, WA, 2:29:53
Teshome Kekobe, 31, Lynwood, WA, 2:36:33
Justin Englund, 23, Federal Way, WA, 2:37:24
Women's Marathon
Nuta Olaru, 42, Boulder, CO, 2:52:40
Lisa Renteria, 35, Los Gatos, CA, 2:59:12
Callie McKenzie, 24, Seattle, WA, 3:14:58
Men's Half Marathon
Pat Rizzo, 29, Boulder, CO, 1:05:58, $500
Jonathan Lafler, 23, Maple Valley, WA, 1:07:10
Shawn Forrest, 29, Australia, 1:09:03
Women's Half Marathon
Nikki Gamble Leith, 29, Edmonds, WA, 1:25:08
Kimberly Cloud, 42, Turlock, CA, 1:25:47
Larissa Kolasinski, 16, Issaquah, WA, 1:26:31
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