FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tony Drew
Race Director, Olathe Location
913-269-7191
Or
Cpt. Andrew Wilson/US Army
Race Director, Iraq
RUNNERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION SELECT
9/11 PATRIOTS RUN FOR MILESTONES
Runners from across the nation, literally, selected the 5th annual 9/11
Patriots Run to complete extraordinary feats. Members of the 50 States
Marathon Club look for events across the nation and travel thousands of
miles to complete a marathon in every state of the nation. This year
runners from California and Georgia have selected this event as the
appropriate place for 2 notable milestones.
Charles Sayles, a retired engineer from Glendale, CA, selected this year's
9/11 Patriots. Run in Olathe, KS as his 100th marathon. "I think running
the Patriots Run Marathon might be a special way to complete 100
marathons," said Sayles, who has run a marathon in every state and now is
doing it AGAIN. For this circuit he is working on running a marathon in
every state after he turned 70. The Patriots Run will be his 20th state
since turning 70. "I am 70 years old and ran my first marathon in 2001 at
the age of 64. I would like to make the completing of my 100th marathon a
noteworthy event."
"Everybody cheers you on. You feel like a hero. Somebody special. No
matter how fast or slow you are, you are special," is Kathy Velazco's
feeling about running a marathon. Velazco, of Joneboro, GA, will complete
her 50 States Circuit at the Patriots Run. Overall Kathy has run 102
marathons, but the Patriots Run will put Kansas on her card. She, her
husband and her 4 sisters run marathons together. "For every marathon I
run, my sisters give me a charm. I already have my ruby slipper, so now
I'm ready for Kansas," says Valezco. And 9/11 is her birthday; a
bittersweet mixture of commemoration and celebration.
Other runners are already signed up from Wisconsin, Colorado and Kansas.
These runners are coming to do marathons and ultra marathons. One runner
from Kansas, Ron Jansen of Lenexa, will start at 4:00 am and run until 9:11
pm. The reason for the 4:00 am start is that there is a second Patriots
Run in Ramadi, Iraq, which starts at noon Iraq time. That is 4:00 am in
Olathe, KS. Jansen will be on the course to keep the troops company until
noon and then begin the Olathe Patriots. Run and continue until 9:11 pm.
The Patriots Run is held each year on 9/11 to commemorate the tragic events
of September 11th 2001. With this event we remember, not only those victims
who were lost, but also those soldiers, police, firefighters and others who
served this country both on that day and every day since.
Although the event begins at Noon and continues for 9 hours and 11 minutes,
runners can run any portion of the event and start at any time.
Participants are welcome to run or walk, go solo or on a team. It is the
only event of this type in the world.
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