FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dallas Marathon Assembles Most Decorated Elite Field of American Distance
Runners Seen at Any Major City Marathon This Year
Five male-female pairs to run in Duo to Rio Relay sponsored by AT&T as tune
up to 2016 trials
Participating American elites own combined 15 Olympic appearances and
countless records
Abdi Abdirahman, Annie Bersagel, Luke Puskedra, Becky Wade and Jared Ward
join Deena Kastor, Molly Huddle, Desiree Linden, Meb Keflezighi and Dathan
Ritzenhein in stacked 2015 Dallas Marathon elite program
DALLAS (Dec. 1, 2015) – Ten top Team USA hopefuls for the 2016 Summer
Olympics will participate head-to-head in the Duo to Rio Relay sponsored by
AT&T on Dallas Marathon race day this December, organizers for the event
announced today. The decorated elite field features the top American male
and female finishers from the most recent Boston Marathon and Chicago
Marathon, three of the qualifying Americans from the 2012 Olympic marathon
team, a collective 15 Olympic appearances for Team USA in distance running,
and multiple World and American record holders.
Americans including Abdi Abdirahman, Annie Bersagel, Luke Puskedra,
Dallas-local Becky Wade, and Jared Ward will join previously announced
Dallas Marathon elite ambassadors Meb Keflezighi, Dathan Ritzenhein, Deena
Kastor, Desiree Linden and Molly Huddle on Sunday, December 13, as
competitors in the Duo to Rio Relay sponsored by AT&T.
The ten Olympic hopefuls will be paired in male-female teams, running to
determine which pair can complete the 26.2-mile Dallas Marathon course the
fastest. The male elites will run the first 13.1 miles of the marathon
course and handoff to the female competitors who will compete the second
half marathon leg of the course. Pairings will be announced at a race
weekend press conference, held Friday, December 11. The 45th running of the
Dallas Marathon will start and finish in downtown Dallas, with a course
highlighting the most entertaining neighborhoods and iconic landmarks in
the city of Dallas.
"We're excited to team up with AT&T – such a nationally recognized leader
in service and innovation – to deliver spectators and participants a
one-of-a-kind experience at this December's Dallas Marathon," said Patrick
Byerly, president of the Dallas Marathon. "No major marathon outside of the
trials and now the Dallas Marathon has experienced the energy delivered by
such a strong field of top American runners. We're honored by these
athletes' choice to compete in the Duo to Rio Relay and wish each runner
good luck in their training."
The participating American elites are approaching the Duo to Rio Relay
sponsored by AT&T as a tune-up to the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in
Los Angeles. For the majority, including Abdirahman, Bersagel, Huddle,
Linden, Puskedra, Ritzenhein, Wade and Ward, this will be their first
appearance at the Dallas Marathon.
"AT&T is proud to work with the Dallas Marathon to showcase the speed and
performance of America's top distance runners this December," said Hardmon
Williams, Vice President and General Manager of AT&T North Texas. "This is
a memorable opportunity for Dallas, with ten elite competitors who are very
likely to be among those who will represent Team USA next summer, all
competing on one stage. Creating the Duo to Rio Relay with the Dallas
Marathon exemplifies AT&T's commitment to building innovative and engaging
programs and services for the greater Dallas and North Texas communities."
The 2015 Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon and Behringer Relay is Sunday,
December 13. For more information or to register, visit dallasmarathon.com.
DALLAS MARATHON DUO TO RIO RELAY SPONSORED BY AT&T COMPETITORS
Abdihakem "Abdi" Abdirahman
Abdirahman, 38, is a four-time Olympian and owns a marathon PR of 2:08:56,
set in 2006 at Chicago. He was a member of the 2012 Team USA marathon team,
and competed in the 10,000 meters at the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Summer
Olympics. Abdirahman lives and trains in Tuscon, Arizona.
Annie Bersagel
Bersagel, 32, is the fifth fastest American woman to run a marathon this
year, with a two-minute PR and time of 2:28:59 in a race win at the 2015
Düsseldorf Marathon. Bersagel represented the United States during the 2011
Pan American Games, finishing as the top American in the 10,000m and
placing fourth overall. Bersagel works as a lawyer, and lives and trains in
Oslo, Norway.
Molly Huddle
Huddle, 31, was the first American runner to win the NYC Half Marathon in
2015 where she set a PR of 1:08:31, earning her a spot in Marie Claire's
"The 8 Greatest Moments for Women in Sports." She competed in the
5000-meters for Team USA at the 2012 London Summer Olympics, owns the
American record at that distance, and is a top contender for Rio in 2016.
Huddle trains in Providence, Rhode Island.
Deena Kastor
Kastor, 42, broke the U.S. Masters marathon record earlier this fall at
Chicago with a time of 2:27:42, besting the previous record time by nearly
a minute. In addition to her bronze medal in the marathon at the 2004
Olympic Games, Kastor is the world Masters record holder in the half
marathon, set last year in Philadelphia with a time of 1:09:36. The
three-time Olympian also owns the women's American record in the marathon
(2:19:36) and half marathon (1:07:34).
Meb Keflezighi
Meb, 40, is the only athlete in history to win the New York City Marathon,
the Boston Marathon and an Olympic medal in the marathon. In 2014, the
three-time Olympian became the first American in 31 years to win the Boston
Marathon, with a PR of 2:08:37.
Desiree "Desi" Linden
Linden, 32, was the first female American finisher at the 2015 Boston
Marathon in a time of 2:25:39, placing fourth overall. She owns a lifetime
marathon PR of 2:22:38, set at the 2011 Boston Marathon where she placed
second. A member of Team USA in the marathon at the 2012 London Summer
Olympics in London and a Rio 2016 frontrunner, Linden trains with the
Hanson-Brooks Distance Project team based in Michigan.
Luke Puskedra
Puskedra, 25, owns the fastest marathon finish by an American in 2015, with
a time of 2:10:24 at the 2015 Chicago Marathon, where he placed fifth
overall. The 6'4'' Utah native and former University of Oregon recently
returned to competitive distance running after taking time off while living
in South Africa. Puskedra's personal best in the half marathon is 1:01:36,
run at the Houston Half Marathon.
Dathan Ritzenhein
Ritzenhein, 32, is a three-time Olympian and owns the third-fastest
American marathon time in history, with a PR of 2:07:47 set at the 2012
Chicago Marathon. He was the first American marathon finisher at the 2008
Olympic Games the top American finisher at the 2015 Boston Marathon.
Becky Wade
Wade, 26, is a Dallas native living and training in Houston. She won her
debut marathon in 2013, with a time of 2:30:41 at the California
International Marathon and set a half marathon PR of 1:12:58 at Houston
earlier this year. Wade was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American
distance runner at Rice.
Jared Ward
Ward, 27, won the 2015 U.S. marathon championship in Los Angeles this March
with a PR of 2:12:56. The former track runner from Brigham Young University
set a half marathon PR of 1:01:42 at Houston earlier this year, where he
placed second.
About the Dallas Marathon
The Dallas Marathon is a nonprofit organization with a focus on promoting
health and physical fitness through running events and related activities.
Dating back to 1971, the organization hosts year-round events culminating
with Dallas' largest and Texas' oldest running marathon: the Dallas
Marathon. Now in its 45th running, the marquee property attracts runners
from across the globe and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Dallas'
largest single-day sporting event. The Dallas Marathon racecourse
highlights iconic Dallas landmarks and is recognized as the official
marathon of the city of Dallas. Since naming a primary beneficiary in 1997,
the Dallas Marathon has donated more than $3.75 million to Texas Scottish
Rite Hospital for Children. For more information, visit dallasmarathon.com.
About AT&T
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