MAUI MARATHON
P.O. Box 330099,
Kahului, Maui, Hawaii
Phone (808) 871-6441 * Fax (808) 244-7735
bark@maui.net / www.mauimarathon.com
CONTACT: Linda Mather,
Public Relations Coordinator
(808) 575-2527
FOR RELEASE: July 10, 2000
THE 31ST ANNUAL MAUI MARATHON TO BE HELD SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2001
DATE WILL CHANGE TO SEPTEMBER BEGINNING IN 2002
Valley Isle Road Runners will hold the 31st annual Maui Marathon on
Sunday, March 18, 2001. Entry fees are $60 through October 1, 2000 and $75
thereafter (if available). Applications may be found on the event's
website: www.mauimarathon.com and should be mailed to P.O. Box 3300099,
Kahului, Maui, Hawaii 96733.
The oldest continuously held running event in Hawaii and one of the
oldest marathons in the United States, the Maui Marathon is ranked number 9
in North America by the "Ultimate Guide to Marathons". Recognized as one of
the ten most scenic marathons in North America, this 26.2-mile course from
Kahului to Kaanapali on the island of Maui often runs within 50 feet of the
Pacific Ocean. Now attracting entries from around the globe, the Maui
Marathon's recent growth has been rapid, from 920 entrants in 1996 to last
year's record-breaking field of 2601 from 46 states and 19 countries.
Beginning in 2002, the Maui Marathon will become a "fall marathon"
and will annually be held in September. The confirmed date for the 2002
event is Sunday, September 22nd. "With a continued emphasis on controlled
growth, the impact on the visitor industry and to ensure a safe event
event, we felt it necessary to move the race date to another time of year,"
said Race Director Bob Craver. "We selected September for a number of
reasons, but a primary consideration was due to the lower visitor count in
Maui during the fall. Our island economy and many local sponsors rely
heavily on tourism. It becomes a difficult business decision for them to
support an event, however worthy its cause, in times when additional
business is not really needed ... particularly a growing event in peak
visitors season. We feel this change will have a positive affect on
participants: more airlines seats with better fares, more readily available
accommodations at better rates, and less traffic on the roads, making the
race experience a safer one."
The 2000 Maui Marathon sold out with a record number of
participants from around the globe. Greg Wenneborg of Tucson, Arizona won
with a time of 2:26:38, followed by Scott Lowe of Canton, Georgia in
2:36:00 and Gary Puhek, the first Mauian to cross the line, finishing third
in 2:38:22. The first female finisher was Erika Csomor, the Hungarian
national marathon champion from Budapest, with a time of 2:53:36. Kelly
Smith of Vancouver, Canada finished first in the wheelchair division with a
record setting time of 1:32:57.
More than 1,000 Mauians are involved as volunteers and hundreds
more participate in the Marathon's fund raising activities. Since 1995, the
Maui Marathon has raised more than $120,000 for youth-oriented Maui
charities.
The Maui Marathon and its annual charity efforts are made possible
by strong community support. For more information about the Maui Marathon,
Maui Tacos 5K or the charities they benefit, visit our website at
www.mauimarathon.com or contact the Valley Isle Road Runners Association at
(808) 871-6441.
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