U.S. Team Wins AT&T International Marathon Challenge at Austin – Record race field, green efforts, volunteers and spectators set Austin event apart – From McKinzey Crossland

AUSTIN, Texas – (Feb. 17, 2008) – The clear blue skies and near-perfect temperatures at the 2008 AT&T Austin Marathon and Half Marathon on Sunday made this year's race an enjoyable one for the race record 11,250 starters and approximately 30,000 spectators.

It was a mild 40 degrees at the start line near Cesar Chavez and Congress Avenue, providing excellent, cool temperatures for runners. Following an enthusiastic welcome from Texas Governor Rick Perry – a participant in the half-marathon – runners took off at 7:00am as the sun began to rise and a 10-minute fireworks display lit up the sky as they crossed the Congress Avenue Bridge.

The ideal weather conditions were all the more surprising after severe weather warnings, thunderstorms and a 47-degree high on Saturday. During a particularly intense downpour on Saturday afternoon, it was hard to foresee such a favorable turnaround.

Meanwhile, things like bib numbers turned out to be a bit more telling. Jacob Frey and Mike Sayenko, runners on the United States team participating in the inaugural International Marathon Challenge, were given bib numbers 1 and 2, respectively. As it happened, Frey and Sayenko finished the marathon in places 1 and 2 after breaking away in the final stretch to edge out Kenya's Joseph Mutinda, the third-place finisher.

Trusting their strategy, Frey and Sayenko paced themselves throughout the race, letting Kenyans Wesley Ochoro and then Mutinda lead the pack. Near Mile 19, the Americans began to make their move. By mile 26, Frey and Sayenko had taken the lead and sprinted to a thrilling finish down Congress Avenue just ahead of the Kenyans.

Hugging at the finish line, it was clear the Americans had won the race together on behalf of their team and their country. As Frey, 26, said in an interview to FOX's Austin affiliate, "There's really no other option than to run your best when you're wearing red, white and blue."

Frey finished in 2 hours, 20 minutes, 38 seconds with Sayenko close behind at 2:20:42, followed by Mutinda at 2:20:44.

One the women's side, Lucy Hassell, 29, from the Great Britain team won with a personal best time of 2:36:28. She was all smiles even before crossing the finish line and seemed to grin as soon as she passed the Capitol on Congress Avenue and 11th Street.

Hassell was followed by American Becki Michael, who in her marathon debut ran 2:43:43 – a time that qualified her for the Olympic Trials in Boston on April 20. Close behind Michael was Canada's top female marathoner, Nicole Stevenson who finished at 2:44:46.

In the accompanying half-marathon, 2008 U.S. Olympic marathon team member Brian Sell won the men's race in 1:04:11 and Austin resident and 2008 Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Desiree Ficker was the women's winner in 1:18:17.

Race director John Conley said, "I think this AT&T Austin Marathon will go down as one of the best marathons in the country in terms of size, competition and entertainment. The 42 bands on the course inspired people to make the distance and the incredible International Marathon Challenge finish on Congress Avenue will inspire people to take the marathon challenge themselves."

Marathon winner Jacob Frey, who had run the Austin race once before, said, "I always love to come back to this city. It's the unique vibe here that you don't get anywhere else."

Adding to the Austin feel of the race were local charities that participated in the event's new philanthropy program, 26 Miles for 26 Charities. The non-profit organizations provided volunteers for the water stops at each mile, while using the locations to raise awareness for their cause. Creative themes, costumes, music, signs and more were used to energize runners and communicate their mission at the same time.

Half-marathon finisher, Rochelle Colquitt of El Paso, Texas said, "The race went by so fast because there was so much to see. The volunteers were amazing. They made it so much fun!"

GREEN EFFORTS
Race organizers set up extensive infrastructure throughout the course and finish line to make the 2008 event more environmentally friendly. By all accounts, the efforts were successful.

Cardboard-only dumpsters were full with the thousands of boxes used to hold everything from water and PowerAde to t-shirts and race medals. Recycling bins at the finish line from Keep Austin Beautiful were teeming with the more than 13,000 plastic water bottles given to runners to keep them hydrated. Finishers in the half-marathon even took home an organic cotton t-shirt.

All told, those organic tees saved approximately 2,334 pounds of pesticide.

Champion of the Go Green initiative and associate race director, Michelle Sandquist, said "We've noticed that if you make it easy for people to recycle or do something to help the environment, they'll always pitch in."

17th AT&T Austin Marathon
Austin, TX, Sunday, February 17, 2008

MEN
1) Jacob Frey (USA), 2:20:38
2) Mike Sayenko (USA), 2:20:42
3) Joseph Mutinda (KEN), 2:20:44
4) Ruben Garcia Gomez (MEX), 2:23:57
5) Wesley Ochoro (KEN), 2:24:06

WOMEN
1) Lucy Hassell (GBR), 2:36:28
2) Becki Michael (USA), 2:43:43
3) Nicole Stevenson (CAN), 2:44:46
4) Suzanne Evans (CAN), 2:46:16
5) Patti Rogers (USA), 2:47:15

Five teams – the USA, Canada, Kenya, Malawi and Great Britain – participated in the AT&T Austin Marathon's first International Marathon Challenge. Teams of two men and two women competed in national uniforms and scored points according to their marathon finishing position (1st, 2nd, 3rd place, etc). The three best places per team were scored.

Inaugural International Marathon Challenge
Champion: USA – 8 points, $15,000
Jacob Frey, winner
Mike Sayenko, 2nd
Patti Rogers, 5th
Wendy Terris, 7th

Runner-up: Kenya – 14, $10,000
Joseph Mutinda, 3rd
Wesley Ochoro, 5th
Margaret Chirchir, 6th
Lillian Chelimo, 14th

Third: Great Britain – 17, $5000
Brad Poore, 7th
Matt Norminton, 9th
Lucy Hassell, winner
Jenny Clague, 17th

Fourth: Canada – 25, $3000
Todd Howard, 8th
Peter Vail, 14th
Nicole Stevenson, 3rd
Suzanne Evans, 25th

Fifth: Malawi – 44, $2000
Francis Khanje, 11th
Henry Moyo, 15th
Nancy Matanda, 18th
Tereza Master, 19th

The winning team also received the David Doolittle Cup, a Tiffany trophy named after David Doolittle, a founder of the Austin Marathon who passed away in the summer of 2007.

6th Austin Half-Marathon
MEN
1) Brian Sell (MI), 1:04:11
2) Todd Snyder (MI), 1:04:58
3) Mike Morgan (MI), 1:05:10
4) Luke Humphrey (MI), 1:05:22
5) Mike Reneau (MI), 1:05:26

WOMEN –
1) Desiree Ficker (TX), 1:18:17

Complete results at: ATTAustinMarathon.com

Source/Courtesy: Running USA – RunningUSA.org

Ryan Lamppa,
Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org |
www.RunningUSA.org