Press Release - The Sedona Marathon - 12/24/07

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

       Wharton Performance Comes on as Sedona Marathon Sponsor

The Sedona Marathon is pleased to announce that internationally renowned 
Wharton Performance has come on as a sponsor of the event.  Father and son 
team Jim and Phil Wharton are the authors of the Wharton Health books, have 
a regular column in Runner World and USA Today, and have personally trained 
over 500 Olympic Medalists.   

This partnership highlights that growth that this boutique race has enjoyed 
over the past two seasons. Their freshman year Runner's World Magazine 
featured the Sedona Marathon in their July issue.   In their sophomore 
year, Japanese sports reporter Hajime Nishi named the event one of his top 
ten favorite world-wide marathons.  

The marathon is returns for its third year on February 9, 2008 and once 
again the Sedona Marathon is finding that their breathtaking backdrop is 
drawing seasoned runners from around the globe.   2007's events brought 
international visitors to Sedona from 9 countries and from 43 states in the 
US.   Runners included past Olympic Gold Medalists from the Canadian Team 
who saw the Marathon as an excellent training opportunity for the 2008 
Summer Olympics.  Elite Runners from the Mile High Clinic are participating 
again this year.  

"We are extremely excited and honored to be in partnership with Wharton 
Performance," states Race Director Karen Livesay "Their participation 
speaks to the direction that we want to have the marathon grow. Our goal is 
to be a race that attracts runners who see this as an opportunity for a 
breathtaking run that is unique among races."

Phil Wharton has agreed to give a free talk and training clinic open to 
marathon participants the public on Thursday February 7th at the 
Goldenstein Gallery in Sedona.  Alicia Shay, wife of Ryan Shay the runner 
who passed away during the Olympic trials in New York will also be there.  
Phil Wharton Officiated at their wedding in July of 2007.   Wharton is 
planning on participating in the marathon as well.  He is also bringing 
runners from his personal running club that just took fifth in national 
competition.  

The marathon course covers pavement and forest dirt roads while the half 
marathon and 5K are strictly on pavement in the city and forest.  The local 
schools and the nationally based Lymphoma Research Foundation are named 
again as beneficiaries of the event.

The third annual Sedona Marathon takes place on February 09, 2008.  For 
more information call 800-775-7671 or go to www.sedonamarathon.com.  The 
Sedona Marathon is a production of Four Winds Adventures. Since 1997, Four 
Winds has produced multi-sport endurance events across the western U.S.
 

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