FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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WORTHEN AND GUSTAFSON CAPTURE WINS AT THE SAN
FRANCISCO MARATHON (TM)
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - (August 3, 2008) - Running in ideal, mid 50-
degree temperatures, Chad Worthen of Sacramento, Calif. and Lauren
Gustafson of Millbrae, Calif. registered victories at The San Francisco
Marathon today. More than 19,000 runners from all 50 states and 56
countries participated in the event's signature marathon (26.2 miles),
two half marathons, and 5K run/walk. Enjoying steady growth over the
past few years, the popular city-wide race once again made history as
the largest multi-distance marathon "festival" ever to take place in San
Francisco.
Worthen, 34, won a clear-cut men's victory with a finishing time of 2
hours, 31 minutes, and 52 seconds. Gustafson, 25, finished the hilly SFM
course in 2:52:33. Both runners are first-time victors in this 31-year-
old race.
Both winners were clearly the class of their fields, running away from
the competition relatively early in the race. Worthen, who owns a
2:22:03 personal best and was a 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials
qualifier, jettisoned off the starting line near the Ferry Building on
the San Francisco Bay waterfront, and had a clear lead by the time the
front runners hit the scenic out-and-back leg over the Golden Gate Bridge.
"I was surprised that there was nobody with me." Worthen said. "I was
hoping to have some company, but I was all alone. After that, I just
focused on staying ahead and preserving as much of a lead as I could. I
really didn't know how close the runners were behind. I glanced back
going around a few turns and I couldn't see anybody."
Indeed, 44-year-old Mustapha Berri of France was the only runner within
shouting distance of Worthen. Berri finished second in 2:33:57. Mark
Pilja, 28, of San Francisco was third in 2:38:20.
"I was hoping to run 2:28 or 2:29, but I came up a little short,"
Worthen said. Late in the race I hit the wall a little bit. I'm not much
of a hill runner coming from Sacramento, and I understand that this is
as flat a marathon course as you'll find in San Francisco, so it was good."
Berri broke away from a chase pack composed of five men mid race, and
was clearly in second by 20 miles. "I tried to catch the leader, but it
was too late," said Berri who is world-ranked as a masters (over 40
years old) marathoner. "But, it was a good race for me."
Pilja, who lives in San Francisco's Marina District, quit running for
three years after a collegiate running career at Michigan. He now runs
about six miles a day around his job as a financial loan officer, which
was enough for third place in only his third competitive marathon.
Gustafson said she was determined to run well because her mother had a
heart attack several days ago, and is now recovering in a Burlingame
hospital. "I dedicated my race to her," said the women's champion. "I
was thinking of her every step of the way. I felt great. And the weather
was absolutely perfect."
In fact, Gustafson was so inspired that she set a three-minute personal
record while running away with the women's crown in her fifth marathon.
Jenny Graef (Norman, Okla.) was runner-up female. Graef's finishing time
was 3:06:56. Ashley Hansen (Sonoma, Calif.) placed third in 3:09:16.
Tracey McKergow, 41, of Austin, Tex. was the female masters winner in 3:19:54.
Leif Kohler, 23 (Redmond, Wash.) won the accompanying "elite" half
marathon, which covers the second half of the full marathon course, in
1:10:02.
"It was a good race for me. I got a lot of help from (second placer
Robert Coslick of Broomfield, Colo.) who was with me for about seven
miles," Kohler said. It's a great course, a great experience."
Coslick finished a close 8 seconds behind Kohler.
Ana Morales, 26 (San Mateo, Calif.) recorded an excellent, solo 1:14:38
elite half marathon women's victory, which was, perhaps, the most
impressive winning performance of the day.
"I was planning on going out and (initially) running 8-minutes miles,
but then I got with a good group of guys and picked up the pace,"
commented Morales, who was a prep standout at nearby Burlingame High
School and also competed for the University of Notre Dame. "I felt good
and had fun with it, definitely a personal record performance for me."
The victors in the companion first half marathon event were Michael
Brandell (23, San Francisco) in 1:17:26 and Rebecca Eckland (26, Reno,
Nev.) in 1:26:41. The winners of the accompanying 5K run/walk were
Xabier Miranda (28, Spain) in 15:49 and Alexandra Crabb (18, ) in 18:06.
In related action, on Friday, August 1, four U.S. military personnel in
Afghanistan finished a "remote" San Francisco Marathon race at Forward
Operating Base Fiaz on the Pakistan border. John Rousseau (U.S. Navy) of
Grayslake, Ill. led the foursome in a time of 3:58:01. The other
finishers were U.S. Army personnel Robert Cortez (Miami, Fla., 4:14:45),
Alex Tabayoyon (West Richland, Wash., 4:24:02), and Loren Weeks
(Sunnyvale, Calif., 5:13:10)
"I'm extremely proud of these men for their mental discipline in running
under very difficult conditions in a war zone," said Lieutenant Colonel
Weeks, who organized the Afghanistan cousin race of The San Francisco
Marathon.
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