FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Freescale Austin Marathon
(512) 478-4265
Ryan Hubele
(512) 536-6970
Freescale Austin Marathon Announces New Bonuses for Records in 2005
AUSTIN - (September 27, 2004) - The Freescale Austin Marathon [formerly
known as the Motorola Austin Marathon] announced a new bonus structure
for 2005 today. A total of $40,000 in cumulative bonuses will be offered
to encourage faster times at the February 13, 2005 event, setting the stage
to make a serious bid to capture the state of Texas men and women's open-
division marathon records within three years.
In addition to $60,000 in prize money, a bonus of $5,000 for new event
open-division records will be offered. Additionally, the first male or
female runner to set a new state record would also earn another $5000 and
the first runners to break 2:10 for men or to go under 2:27:00 for women,
would earn an additional $5000. And finally, the Freescale Austin Marathon
will award another $5000 to the first man under 2:09 or the first woman
under 2:26.
If the bonuses go unclaimed in 2005, the money will carry forward to the
following year and be added to the bonus pool for each successive year
until a bonus is finally paid.
The current State of Texas marathon records of 2:10:04 [Richard Kaitany,
1984] and 2:27:51 [Ingrid Kristiansen, 1986] were both run in Houston. The
Freescale Austin Marathon event records are 2:11:14 by Mohamed Nazipov
[2001] and 2:30:39 by Tatiana Borisova [2004].
"The Association of Road Race Statisticians has rated the Freescale Austin
Marathon as having the fastest course in the world for the past two years"
said race director John Conley. "But as we all know, fast times are not
always a function of how fast a course is but are often linked to such
things as prize money or the caliber of the elite field that is assembled".
"With the cash incentives rolling over into each successive year, $70,000
or more in first-place and bonus money will be up for grabs within three
years. Like a lottery, eventually the prize purse and bonuses become big
enough to attract the kind of runner who can run under 2:09 or under 2:26
without too much trouble on a course like ours" said Conley. "Even though
many PR's are set on our course and the Freescale Austin Marathon generated
more qualifiers to the 2004 Boston Marathon than any other marathon in
Texas (BAA, 2004), we are ready to set the bar higher and make a serious
bid for new records".
Entry into the open elite field at the 2005 Freescale Austin Marathon is by
invitation-only and runners must have run a 2:14 or better for men and a 2:
34 or better for women, within the past two-years on a USATF or AIMS
certified course. Travel assistance is available to qualified athletes.
In 2004, over 10,500 runners form 47 states and 28 countries participated
in the event making it one of the largest running festivals in the United
States and generated over $6 million in total economic impact. Close to
12,000 runners are expected to participate in the 2005 marathon and
half-marathon.
The Freescale Austin Marathon awards money in five different categories for
men and women:
Place Open Masters
40-49 Seniors
50-59 Veterans
60-above Wheelchair
(no handcycles)
1st Overall $10,000 $2,000 $300 $300 $300
2nd Overall $7,000 $1,500 $200 $200 $200
3rd Overall $5,000 $1,000 $100 $100 $100
4th Overall $4,000 $750 $0 $0 $0
5th Overall $3,000 $500 $0 $0 $0
1st American $1,000 $500 $0 $0 $0
1st Austin Resident $1,000 $500 $0 $0 $0
For more information about the Freescale Austin Marathon, or inquiry about
entry into the elite field for 2005, contact John Conley at
, visit www.freescaleaustinmarathon.com
or call (512) 478-4265 or toll-free at 1-877-601-6686.
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