FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Kimberlee McKee
(877) 375-2786
Tom Koch, Highland PR
(330) 996-4140
2005 Road Runner Akron Marathon Increases Prize Purse
$12,000 for Champions and $25,000 for Ohio State Records
AKRON, Ohio - (April 13, 2005) - Officials of the Road Runner Akron
Marathon & Team Relays announced on Wednesday that first place prize money
for the marathon is being tripled from the amount awarded last year. Under
the new prize structure, the male and female winners of the 26.2 mile
marathon will take home $12,000. In addition, prize money will be awarded
down to 5th place. For the past two years, only the top three runners were
awarded prize money.
The increased purse was made possible after marathon officials reluctantly
decided not to host the North American Relay Championships in October
because of scheduling difficulties with one of the three teams. A
significant portion of the prize money awarded in that international event,
which included five-person teams from Canada, Mexico and the United States,
is now being earmarked for the marathon.
"This increase in prize money makes the Road Runner Akron Marathon one of
the premier races in the Midwest, offering the most prize money than any
marathon in the state of Ohio," said Jim Barnett, Executive Race Director.
The men and women marathon winners also have the opportunity to collect an
additional $25,000 if they set the Ohio marathon record. The current Ohio
marathon record for men is 2:10:29, set in Cleveland in 2000 by Pavel Kokin
of Russia, while the women's Ohio record of 2:28:15 is held by Lyudmila
Puskina, also of Russia. She established the Ohio record in Columbus in
2003.
"By tripling the first place prize money, combined with a $25,000 bonus for
breaking the Ohio marathon record, the Road Runner Akron Marathon has now
become an attractive race for top tier world-class marathoners," said John
Tope, coordinator of elite athletes for the Akron event and other distance
races throughout the country. "Akron can certainly expect faster marathon
times being posted this year than in the previous two years."
Second place marathon finishers will be awarded $5000; $2000 for third;
$1000 fourth and $500 fifth. The new prize structure for the marathon
represents an increase of $27,000 over the amount paid to marathon
finishers in 2004.
There is no change in the prize structure for the Masters Marathon division
or in the Bank One Marathon Team Relays. Masters marathon finishers, those
over 40 years of age (men & women), will receive the following: 1st Place
($1000); 2nd Place ($500) and 3rd Place ($250)
The Bank One Team Relays which includes men, women and mixed teams, will
receive: 1st Place ($2000); 2nd Place ($1000) and 3rd Place ($500)
The top three Men's, Women's and Mixed teams in the new, two-person relay
will receive Recognition Awards, as will the top five age group finishers
in the full marathon.
Jim Barnett, Executive Race Director, also announced that the USATF Club
Championships will not be held during the 3rd Annual Road Runner Akron
Marathon & Team Relays due to limited participation. "We encourage
USATF-recognized clubs to still consider coming to Akron and entering the
Bank One Marathon Team Relays," he said.
Other new highlights for the 2005 race include:
* An earlier start of 7:30am
* More efficient relay exchange zones, relieving congestion at relay
hand-offs.
For more details or to register for the marathon or team relays, visit
www.akronmarathon.org or call (330) 375-2786 (2RUN).
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