FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Mark Winitz
Media Coordinator
Phone: (650) 948-0618
Mobile: (650) 799-3319
ENTRANTS FOR THE SAN FRANCISCO MARATHON(tm) SUBMIT INSPIRING STORIES
Local Standout Julia Stamps in Elite Field for Sunday, July 30 Race
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - (July 24, 2006) - For the majority of participants
who choose to endure 26.2 miles of a marathon race, simply reaching the
finish line is a momentous personal victory. Some runners, however, among
the 15,000 entrants in The San Francisco Marathon(tm) this year will step
beyond individual achievements to touch and inspire others.
The marathon asked its entrants, "Why are you running the marathon?" and
invited them to submit their personal stories.
Sterling W. Simpson, MD is a Pediatric Pulmonologist at Children's Hospital
of Los Angeles. Simpson, 34, has selected San Francisco as his very first
marathon. As a charity runner, he will raise funds for the AIDS Project Los
Angeles. Simpson is inspired by the children he treats who have asthma,
cystic fibrosis, and other lung diseases. The children, said Simpson, often
push their bodies to the limit despite their challenges.
"I'm healthy, active, and don't smoke, so the least I can do is set a good
example," Simpson said. "I'm ready to tackle 26.2 miles."
Tawni Gomes, 42, of Long Beach, Calif. writes that she weighed 295 pounds
10 years ago. Today, at a lithe 135 pounds, Gomes will run her 60th
marathon at this year's race. She will also celebrate the tenth anniversary
of the Connectors, an online support group that she created for people who
want to lose weight. Recently, Gomes appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show.
Cas Camara, 43, of Windermere, Fla. is running The San Francisco
Marathon(tm) with his wife, Carla, after being told by doctors that he
would never walk on his own two legs again. While living in San Francisco
in 1989, a hit-and-run motorcycle accident put Camara in the hospital with
a crushed left leg and other serious injuries. Before doctors could
amputate the limb, Camara's father, who had served as a military nurse in
battle during World War II, pulled Camara out of the hospital and nursed
his son back to health. Camara started running in 1998, the day his father
died, to escape his grief. He hasn't stopped moving. Since then, he has
completed 31 marathons in appreciation of his dad's efforts. "He saved my
life," Camara said.
Kevan Huston, 34, of Larkspur, Calif. once carried 202 pounds on his
six-foot frame. He would drink a bottle of vodka and smoke a pack of
cigarettes while plopped in front of his TV watching a football game. Five
years ago, the investment banker started a jogging program. Today, at 150
pounds, he owns a personal best marathon of 2 hours and 34 minutes. He will
run San Francisco as an elite entrant and hopes to bring down his time.
"Running has changed my life," Huston said. "I'm now married - to a runner,
of course. I have two amazing children. We even moved to beautiful Marin
County [from New York City]. Life has just gotten better since I started
this sport."
Susanne Henson, 47, of Marion, Iowa ran her first marathon at San Francisco
10 years ago. She says this year's marathon, her eighth, will be her last.
She'll run with her daughter, Lauren, who will tackle her first 26.2 miler.
Race day is Lauren's 21st birthday.
Scott Boliver, 43, of Brea, Calif. weighed 336 pounds before he had gastric
bypass surgery and started running marathons for fitness while raising
charity donations for AIDS Project. At The San Francisco Marathon(tm), his
14th race at the distance, he will bolster the $20,000 he has already
raised. Boliver has lost 140 pounds.
Runners who can't seem to find the time or motivation to train for a
marathon might take a lesson from Dan Welsh. The 29-year-old U.S. Army
Captain, whose hometown is Meadow Vista, Calif., is stationed at Fort
Huachuca, Ariz. He joins The San Francisco Marathon's elite field for his
second-ever marathon less than a year after returning from deployment in
Iraq where he served as an intelligence officer. Welsh competed in track
and cross country at Sacramento's Jesuit High School and East Tennessee
State University where he received All-Conference honors. When he joined
the military, he kept running, beyond and above basic physical training
requirements - even in a war zone.
Welsh was stationed with the 1st Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division near
Mosul in northwestern Iraq, and was involved in counter-insurgency
operations. He regularly ran a one-mile loop around his base.
"Of course, running isn't your primary focus when you're over there, but
you do it to maintain some kind of physical fitness and to relieve stress,"
Welsh said. "You're working 16 to 18 hour days every day of the week."
Welsh tried to time his runs around mortar and rocket fire onto his base,
which was particularly frequent prior to the first Iraqi legislative
election in January, 2005. "At times there was an incredible amount of
fire," said Welsh. "Many times I was out running when mortars and rockets
came in. I had to hit the ground, find protection, and wait for it to end.
It also is stifling hot in summer and there's an incredible amount of air
pollution."
Welsh, who will try to improve upon the 2:34 he ran in his debut marathon
before being deployed overseas, says his experiences have, inevitably,
changed his life perspectives - including those related to running.
"Compared to what I've seen in Iraq, the little bit of discomfort that an
endurance race might hold is really nothing," Welsh said.
Participants in The San Francisco Marathon(tm) this year hail from all 50
states and 44 countries. The top entrants include former Santa Rosa High
School and Stanford University standout Julia Stamps, and Andrew Cook of
Denton, Texas.
Stamps, 27, who now resides in New York City, returns to California for her
San Francisco Marathon debut as one of the top high school runners in the
state's history. She gained numerous athletic and academic honors at Santa
Rosa High School including Footlocker National Cross Country Champion,
three-time California State Cross Country Champion, and numerous California
state prep crowns on the track at 1,600 and 3,000 meters. While in high
school, Stamps ran on six USA Track & Field world teams, competing in
Hungary, Portugal, England, Chile, Australia, and Cuba. At Stanford, Stamps
was an eight-time All-American before she suffered serious leg injuries in
a skateboarding accident that required one year of surgeries and
rehabilitation. In post-collegiate competition, Stamps set a personal best
of 2:46:17 at the 2003 Chicago Marathon, qualifying for the 2004 U.S.
Olympic Marathon Trials.
In the men's elite field, Cook, 25, owns the best marathon time, a 2:19:48
he recorded last February at the Austin Freescale Marathon. The time
qualifies Cook for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and puts the Texan
in a position to become the first sub-2:20 winner at this race since 1995.
Cook was a multiple All-American at Texas A&M University, from which he
graduated in 2004.
The marathon starts and finishes on the Embarcadero at Mission Street, near
Justin Herman Plaza and the Ferry Building. The official starting time is
5:30 a.m. Top runners are expected to reach the finish line at Embarcadero
and Folsom at approximately 7:50 a.m.
About The San Francisco Marathon(tm)
The San Francisco Marathon(tm) enjoys success as the premier summertime
marathon in the U.S. San Francisco's blend of natural beauty, big city
charm, and perfect mid-summer running temperatures, make marathon running
in San Francisco a truly magical experience. The San Francisco Marathon's
events include the featured 26.2-mile marathon, two half marathons (13.1
miles), and a 5-kilometer run/walk. Additionally, a Progressive Marathon
encourages participants to incrementally run or walk 26.2 miles over a
period of weeks or months and complete the final part of their cumulative
marathon by participating in the 5K on race day. The event's unique Cause
to Run program has raised $250,000 for over 50 local charity organizations
since 2003.
The 2006 San Francisco Marathon is sponsored by JetBlue Airways, Hyatt
Regency, Organs 'R' Us, Cytomax, and Zone Perfect.
REGISTRATION DETAILS for The San Francisco Marathon(tm), and all of the
marathon's events, are available online at www.runsfm.com.
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