FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Meb Keflezighi is Ready to Rock 'n' Roll in San Jose
·Defending champion returns to California's Fastest Half-Marathon
·2008 U.S. Olympian Russell tops women's field at 5th edition
·Blues Traveler to headline free post-race concert at Plaza De Cesar Chavez
SAN JOSE, Calif. - (September 29, 2010) - Defending Rock 'n' Roll San Jose
Half Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi will lead a field of more than 13,000
entrants at the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon on Sunday,
October 3. Now in its fifth year, Rock 'n' Roll San Jose is recognized as
California's fastest half-marathon, and Meb will once again look to use the
lightning quick San Jose course as a launching pad to victory at the
November 7th ING New York City Marathon, the same countdown he utilized so
successfully in 2009.
"We are thrilled to have Meb defending his title in San Jose this weekend
as he prepares for the ING New York City Marathon in November," said Matt
Turnbull, Elite Athlete Coordinator. "Meb is a great competitor, and is
truly one of America's most inspirational athletes. He really set the stage
for his NYC win in San Jose last year, and we are all hoping to see a
similar preview again this weekend."
A three-time national 10,000 meter track champion (2000, 2002, 2004), the
35-year-old Keflezighi has won an impressive 20 USA road, track and cross
country titles during his illustrious career. But the highlight to-date
came at the 2004 Olympic Marathon in Athens where the UCLA grad picked up
the silver medal, becoming the first American male to earn an Olympic
Marathon medal since Frank Shorter's silver in Montreal 1976.
The Bay Area has proven to be a place of good fortune during Keflezighi's
career. He set the U.S. 10,000 meter track record in Palo Alto in May 2001
(27:13.98), a time that remained on the books for nine years. And during
last year's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Keflezighi's unofficial 20K split
(12.4 miles) of 57 minutes, 52 seconds was better than Mammoth Track Club
teammate Ryan Hall's U.S. 20K record by two seconds. Keflezighi went on to
complete his half-marathon victory in San Jose in 1:01:00, a 25-second
improvement over his previous best which came in winning the USA
Half-Marathon Championships in Houston in January '09.
Following last year's San Jose run, Keflezighi went on to make more history
by becoming the first American male to win the New York City Marathon since
1982. His winning time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 15 seconds was also a
personal best.
"I'm delighted to return to the city of San Jose to defend my title. Last
year it was a great opportunity for me to see where I was before the ING
New York Marathon, the race went well and we all know what happened in New
York," said Keflezighi, who will be inducted into the UCLA Hall of Fame on
Friday (while a Bruin he captured four NCAA titles in track and cross
country).
"Defending two titles in the space of a month is special," he continued.
"Everything worked out so well last year that I don't want to change my
preparation in 2010."
In the women's race the role of favorite falls to U.S. Olympian Blake
Russell of nearby Pacific Grove, California. She finished third at the 2008
U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Boston, and then went on to place 27th at
the Beijing Games.
Russell, 35, will be joined by a deep regional field of the top runners in
the Bay Area including Dena Evans of Redwood City, who finished fourth in
San Jose last year; Rachel Booth of Mountain View, who ran 33:22 at the
Stanford Invitational this spring in Palo Alto; Heather Gibson of Piedmont,
who recently won the Huntington Beach Half Marathon and the Jacksonville
Half Marathon; Lauren Johnson of Palo Alto, top American the last two years
at the Big Sur Half Marathon, and Heather Tanner MacFalls of Menlo Park,
who represented the U.S. team at the World Half-Marathon Championships in
2004.
"It's always exciting to welcome so many world class athletes to San Jose
on the first weekend in October," said Roger Craig, race founder and
three-time Super Bowl champion with the San Francisco 49ers. "The Rock 'n'
Roll Half Marathon has already established a great tradition in San Jose.
It does so much for the community and charity, and we are looking forward
to five more great years."
Rock 'n' Roll San Jose is also home to both of the current California state
half-marathon records: 1:00:22 Duncan Kibet (KEN), 2006, and 1:09:17 Silvia
Skortsova (RUS), 2006.
The flat, fast course starts at W Santa Clara St and Almaden Blvd and will
come to an exciting and scenic finish at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez in
downtown San Jose. Live bands will play along every mile of the 13.1-mile
course, along with local cheerleaders, to motivate and keep runners rocking
the entire way.
Participants, their friends and family will celebrate their accomplishment
at the finish line festival with a performance by the multi-platinum band
Blues Traveler, who will rock the stage at the Plaza de Cesar Chavez
immediately following the race.
Race registration is available at the Health & Fitness Expo Friday,
October 1, from 1:00pm to 6:00pm and Saturday, October 2, from 9:00am to
5:00pm. The free Expo is open to the public and will showcase the latest in
running products, services and free samples as all registered runners pick
up their race number.
The 5th Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon takes place on Sunday, October
3. The wheelchair invitational begins at 7:55am, followed by the
half-marathon at 8:00am. For more information, go to Competitor.com
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