FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Meb Rocks to Victory in San Jose
·Reigning NYC Marathon Champion defends San Jose title and sets sights on
November
·U.S. Olympian Blake Russell wins women's race
·Field of more than 13,000 entrants includes Bay Area superstars Roger
Craig & Brandi Chastain
San Jose, CA - October 3, 2010- On a perfect autumn morning in the Bay
Area, reigning New York City Marathon champion and U.S. Olympian Meb
Keflezighi successfully defended his title at the 2010 Rock 'n' Roll San
Jose Half Marathon, crossing the finish line in 1 hour, 1 minute and 45
seconds.
Keflezighi, with Mammoth Track Club teammate Patrick Smyth pacing, opened
up a lead within the first three miles, hitting the 5K mark at 14:20. He
never looked back, keeping a significant lead straight to the finish. As he
looks ahead to the ING New York City Marathon on November 7, the 2009
champion of both races says he is hoping for a double repeat performance.
"I felt strong and maintained," Keflezighi said. "My training is coming
along as planned and I hope it goes the same. This is the race I really
enjoy though. New York will be all business."
Teammates Brian Medigovich and Paul Hefferon, representing the Hansons
Brooks Distance Project of Rochester Hills, Michigan, came in second and
third, running 1:04:55 and 1:05:55, respectively.
Blake Russell, who represented the U.S. in the marathon at the Beijing
Olympics, made a successful return to racing after the birth of her first
child, winning the women's race in a swift 1:11:55.
"It's so exciting because it's hard to win a race as an elite and you
really learn to cherish it," she said. "It was a learning experience and
definitely mentally tougher than I expected but you keep pushing. The
course was great and the music and spectators definitely helped."
She took the lead early and said she achieved her goal of staying under a
5:30 pace. Coming in behind Russell were 49-year-old Linda Somers Smith
(1:13:31) and Rachel Booth (1:14:46).
The sold-out half marathon celebrated its 5th anniversary with 13,000
participants, the largest field in the race's history. Thousands of
spectators joined in the fun, cheering enthusiastically along the course.
The day was capped off with a post-race concert in Plaza de Cesar Chavez by
the platinum selling band Blues Traveler.
Race founder and three-time Superbowl champion Roger Craig took part,
running a 1:45:25. Taking in the scene, Craig expressed pride at the
event's growth over the past 5 years.
"The energy out there today was amazing," he said. "It was a smooth race
and I talked to so many runners who were impressed with how well organized
it was. It's really neat to see this city embracing the event. San Jose
knows how to party."
Next year Dodge will become title sponsor of the race's sixth edition. The
2011 Dodge Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon is set for Sunday, October
2.
2010 Rock 'n' Roll San Jose
Top Five Male Finishers
Place Name Age Hometown Time
1 Meb Keflezighi 35 Mammoth Lakes, CA 1:01:45
2 Brian Medigovich 23 Rochester Hills, MI 1:04:55
3 Paul Hefferon 24 Rochester Hills, MI 1:05:55
4 Daniel Tapia 22 Castroville, CA 1:06:46
5 Kevin Castille 38 Lafayette, LA 1:06:47
Top Five Female Finishers
Place Name Age Hometown Time
1 Blake Russell 35 Pacific Grove, CA 1:11:55
2 Linda Somers-Smith 49 Arroyo Grande, CA 1:13:31
3 Rachel Booth 29 Mountain View, CA 1:14:46
4 Annie Bersagel 27 Stanford, CA 1:16:28
5 Lauren Johnson 31 Palo Alto, CA 1:16:43
About The Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon
A Competitor Group event, the Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half Marathon will
celebrate its 5th anniversary welcoming 13,000 participants on Sunday,
October 3rd. Known as California's fastest half marathon, the event is open
to runners and walkers from novice to professional. The Health & Fitness
Expo kicks off the weekend at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center on
Friday and Saturday, October 1st & 2nd. The event features more than a
hundred retailers and the very latest in running gear, nutrition and
training. The Health & Fitness Expo is free and open to the public. More
than 20 live bands and hundreds of local high school cheerleaders will
entertain and cheer on participants along the scenic course. The event
concludes with a finish line party and a headliner concert on the sand.
For more information or to register for the Rock 'n' Roll San Jose Half
Marathon, visit www.san-jose.competitor.com or call (800) 311-1255.
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