PORTUGUESE DISTANCE RUNNING LEGEND ROSA MOTA TO BE PRESENTED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD BY AIMS

The Portuguese distance running legend Rosa Mota will be presented with the AIMS Lifetime Achievement Award at the fifth annual AIMS ‘Best Marathon Runner' (BMR) Awards Gala, to be held in the home of the Marathon in Athens, Greece on 10 November 2017.

Rosa's career will be honoured on behalf of the AIMS Members who represent more than 435 of the world's leading and most prestigious races from 114 countries and territories, including the ‘Athens Marathon. The Authentic', Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Comrades, New York, Paris & Tokyo Marathons.

The AIMS Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Rosa in recognition of her incredible career in distance running.

Born in Porto, Portugal in 1958, Rosa first came to international attention in 1982 at the European Championships where she won the first official international championship marathon for women, staged on the classic course from Marathon to Athens.

In 1988 at the Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Rosa became the first Portuguese sportswoman to win Olympic gold by winning the marathon. In addition to the gold in Seoul she won an Olympic bronze, World Championship gold and three consecutive European Championship golds throughout her career.

She was also greatly successful in marathons around the world, winning the Rotterdam, Chicago (twice), Tokyo, Boston (three times), Osaka and London marathons.

In total, Rosa competed in 21 marathons in her career, winning 14.

AIMS President Paco Borao comments: "We are very happy that Rosa will join us in Athens, the birthplace of the Marathon, to receive her lifetime achievement award. Her achievements have been an inspiration to women and girls around the world for many years."

Rosa Mota comments: "I am looking forward to travelling to Athens to see my friends in AIMS. I am honoured to be presented with this award. I would like to thank AIMS and their members for recognising me in this way."

About the AIMS Best Marathon Runner Award Gala
The purpose of the BMR Award Gala is to:
 
I.          Announce and honour the best male and female Marathon runners of the year through the AIMS BEST MARATHON RUNNER (BMR) Award.
II.         Recognise and honour exceptional Marathon figureheads and personalities for their contribution to the development of the Marathon movement.
III.        Publicise and promote the best practice and initiatives of AIMS members (435+ race organisers) through the establishment of special environmental and social awards.
IV.        Enhance the role, programs and services of AIMS.

The event will be staged in Athens, Greece on Friday 10 November 2017 and is co-organised with the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS), ‘Athens Marathon. The Authentic.' and the Region of Attica, held under the kind sponsorship of the ‘Greek National Tourism Organisation' and ‘Athens International Airport'.
 

About AIMS

AIMS is a member based organisation and since being established in 1982 has grown to a membership of more than 435 of the world's leading distance races, from over 114 countries and territories. AIMS Members come from every continent on the planet and include the ‘Athens Marathon. The Authentic' formed on the legend of Pheidippides, the Greek soldier-runner who ran from the town of Marathon to Athens in 490 BC to announce the Persians had been defeated in the ‘Battle of Marathon'. Other AIMS members include many of the world's greatest distance races in history such as the Beijing, Berlin, Boston, Chicago, Comrades, New York, Paris & Tokyo Marathons. The three key objectives of AIMS are:

1. To foster and promote distance running throughout the world
2. To work with the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) on all matters relating to international road races.
3.  To exchange information, knowledge and expertise among members of the association

To find out more about AIMS, please visit our website. 

Peter McLean
Director of Public Relations
Association of International Marathons & Distance Races
C/o PMPR Excellence Ltd,
Windsor House, 15 Kirklee Terrace,
Kelvinside, Glasgow, Scotland, G12 0TJ