FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Olympians Meb Keflezighi and Desi Linden and Record Holders Ryan Hall and
Deena Kastor to Appear at 2016 BMW Dallas Marathon
DALLAS (Nov. 17, 2016) - Two of America's top competitors from the Rio 2016
Olympics - Desi Linden and Meb Keflezighi - and American record holders
Deena Kastor and Ryan Hall headline the elite ambassador field appearing at
the 2016 BMW Dallas Marathon on Sunday, December 11. Race organizers
announced that Linden, Keflezighi, Kastor and Hall will have leading roles
in the race's starting ceremonies, hand out medals to participants crossing
the finish line, and be available for photos and autograph signings with
fans during the BMW Dallas Marathon Health & Fitness Expo.
For each of the four elite ambassadors, returning to the BMW Dallas
Marathon in 2016 carries a personal significance. Keflezighi, Linden and
Kastor ran in the Dallas Marathon's Duo to Rio Relay in 2015 alongside
seven other Team USA hopefuls, with Kastor's team taking the top finisher
spot. Two months later, Linden and Keflezighi (along with Dallas Marathon
Duo to Rio participant Jared Ward), punched their tickets to the Rio 2016
Olympics with commanding performances at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
Linden went on to place 7th in the marathon during the Olympics. For
Keflezighi, Kastor and Hall, 2016 marks the third year in a row they have
each taken part in Dallas Marathon race weekend festivities. Ryan Hall ran
in his last event before announcing a retirement from professional running
at the 2015 Dallas Marathon, competing in the inaugural Pro Relay
Challenge.
"We are honored to have a group of true icons and role models in American
running join us for BMW Dallas Marathon race weekend this December," said
Paul Lambert, president of the Dallas Marathon. "Meb, Desi, Deena and Ryan
will each help make Sunday, December 11, a day BMW Dallas Marathon
participants, volunteers and spectators remember for many years to come."
Linden, Keflezighi, Kastor and Hall will each serve as an honorary starter
for a specific participant corral on BMW Dallas Marathon race morning,
offering words of encouragement and hype, and counting down the official
race start for runners participating in the 46th running of the BMW Dallas
Marathon, Half Marathon and Behringer Relay. The race starts in downtown
Dallas, with runners assigned to one of four starting corrals (A, B, C or
D).
For a detailed schedule of public appearances by BMW Dallas elite
ambassadors, follow the BMW Dallas Marathon on Facebook or download the BMW
Dallas Marathon app for iOS or Android devices. Additional elite athletes
participating in BMW Dallas Marathon include Olympic Trials qualifier and
Dallas-native Becky Wade, who will speak at the Health & Fitness Expo on
Friday and Saturday, and a to-be-announced group of professional runners
sponsored by HOKA ONE ONE that will run on race day.
For more information or to register as a participant or volunteer, visit
bmwdallasmarathon.com.
2016 BMW Dallas Marathon Elite Ambassadors
Desi Linden, 33, 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 and 2016 Olympics,
Linden trains with the Hanson-Brooks Distance Project team based in
Michigan. Linden placed 7th in the marathon at the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Meb Keflezighi, 41, 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, he became the first American in 31 years to win the Boston Marathon,
with a personal-best time of 2:08:37. Meb qualified for his fourth Olympic
team in 2016, running for Team USA in the marathon at the 2016 Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro.
Deena Kastor is the overall U.S. record holder in the marathon and half
marathon, posting times of 2:19:36 and 1:07:34, respectively, in 2006. In
2014, she continued her decorated competitive career, breaking U.S. Masters
records in both the 10-mile and 20K distances. The 25-time U.S. champion
earned a bronze medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
with a time of 2:27:20. Today, she trains with and serves as president of
the board of directors for Mammoth Track Club, which counts many of the
nation's top distance runners among its members.
Ryan Hall posted the best-ever American time in the marathon and
represented the U.S. in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games, before retiring
from professional running in 2016. Hall is married to Sara Hall, also a
professional distance runner, and together they operate the nonprofit Hall
Steps Foundation, which funds mentoring and running programs for at-risk
youth. The couple recently adopted four young girls from Ethiopia, who have
developed a love for the same sport that first brought their parents
together at Stanford.
Wade, 27, 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 1:12:18 at Houston in
2015. Wade was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American distance runner at
Rice and competed in the 2016 Olympic Trials. She recently published the
book Run the World: My 3,500-Mile Journey Through Running Cultures.
About the BMW 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 BMW Dallas
Marathon. Now in its 46th running, the marquee race attracts runners from
across the globe and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Dallas' largest
single-day sporting event. The BMW 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 $3.8 million to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital
for Children. For more information, visit dallasmarathon.com.
For a selection of the best BMW Dallas Marathon images, click HERE
###
|
