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NORTH SHORE ROCK CLIMBING EXPERIENCE OFFERED FOR WOMEN
Minnesota – The Minnesota Becoming an Outdoors Woman program
(BOW) invites adventurous women to join in two days of rock climbing on the North Shore of Lake Superior Aug. 11–12.
"The hard rock cliffs of the North Shore make an excellent place for
rock climbers to enjoy the sport of climbing while at the same time experience the beauty and exhilaration of being on the shore of Lake Superior," said BOW coordinator Jean Bergerson.
Participants will join the staff of Voyageur Outward Bound and the Minnesota BOW program for two days of climbing. The first day will be an introductory course. The second day will feature climbing at Shovel
Point in Tettegouche State Park near Silver Bay on the North Shore.
"This is a trip participants will never forget," Bergerson said.
Participants will meet at Tettegouche State Park, where they will camp for one night. All climbing and camping equipment will be furnished for the weekend.
Participants need not have previous climbing experience. To register, call the Department of Natural Resources Information Center at 651/296–6157 or toll free 888/646–6367.
RUSSIAN TAKES GREEN BAY MARATHON TITLE
Wisconsin – The overall winner of this year's Cellcom Green Bay Marathon was 44 year-old Andrey Kuznetson of Russia, who finished
with a time of 2:23:33. Last year's second place finisher, Jonathan Ndambuki of Kenya, was over taken by Kuznetson at the 22nd mile and took second place with a time of 2:24:46, putting him second place
overall for two years in a row. Taking third place was Lazarescu Petru, who finished the course in 2:26:49. Rounding out the top five were Glenn LeGros of New Zealand and Vincent Temu of Kenya. The first overall
American finisher was Daniel Mayer of Naperville, Illinois, who finished in sixth place with a time of 2:28:41.
For the second consecutive year, the female title went to Tatiana Titova
of Russia. Her time of 2:46:56 placed her nearly two and a half minutes ahead of Danuta Bartoszek from Poland, who finished at 2:49:25. Green Bay's very own Carol LeGate finished third with a time of 2:52:51,
making her the first female American runner.
While the elite athlete field was stronger this year, adverse conditions of heat and high humidity resulted in slower times. Executive Director Gloria
West has decided to move the date ahead next year, due to the high humidity becoming prevalent in late June in Wisconsin. Next year's date will be determined in the next two months. Another anticipated change
will be a finish inside Lambeau Field after its construction is complete.
The following link will provide a complete list of results:
www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com/results
The homepage can be found at www.cellcomgreenbaymarathon.com
Since its inception in 2000, the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon has provided an athletic venue for more than 15,000 runners. The Cellcom
Green Bay Marathon seeks to create community spirit through a world-class marathon for people of all athletic abilities. The Cellcom Green Bay Marathon donates all profits to local charities that partner in
production of the marathon.
ALBANK 5K RUN/WALK TO BENEFIT THE ALBANY PARK COMMUNITY CENTER
Illinois – Get ready, get set and go to the Albank 5K Run/Walk on
Sunday, Oct. 20, 2002. A great neighborhood race will start at St. Louis and Ainslie Streets and finish on Bernard Street next to Albank between
Lawrence and Ainslie and traverse through the heart of Albany Park. The course will highlight the north branch of the Chicago River alongside and through quiet residential neighborhoods, follow along through Ronan,
West River and Eugene Field parks continuing on to Lawrence Avenue. The course is easy, flat and USATF certified. The event is a CARA (Chicago Area Runners Association) registered race.
The prize money for first place is $1,000, for each of the male and female winners. Second–place prize is $250 plus $150 Vertel's gift certificate
and third–place prize is $100 plus $75 Vertel's gift certificate. Trophies will be presented to the top three finishers in each age group and overall
women's and men's wheelchair winners. (Overall winners will not be eligible for age group awards.) Last year's winners were Julius Mwangi, 25, of Lebanon, Ind., with a time of 14:20 in the men's category and
Turena Johnson–Lane, 26, of Edina, Minn., with a time of 16:54 in the women's category. The top 15 men all posted sub–16 minute times.
Participants are encouraged to register one of four ways: by mail until
October 13 or in person Monday–Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Albany Park Community Center located at 3403 W. Lawrence Ave., Suite 300, Chicago, IL 60625; until October 18, by phone:
773/583–5111, or register online at www.signmeups ports.com until October 17, 2002. Please do not mail registration form after October 13, 2002.
Entry fees are $20 until Saturday, October 12, and $25 after October 12, up to and including race day. CARA members will receive a $1 discount. There is a $2 discount for online registration. Packet pickup will
be at Albank, 3400 W. Lawrence Ave., in the north entrance way on Friday, October 11, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday, October 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Packets can also be picked up on race day at
the registration table located at 3401 W. Ainslie (4900 N.) between 7:30 a.m. and 8:15 a.m.
Proceeds from the run/walk will benefit the Albany Park Community
Center – a not–for–profit social service agency exclusively serving the low–moderate income community of Albany Park.
IMPRESSIVE TIMES, IMPRESSIVE ATHLETES AT THE 26th
ANNUAL GRANDMA'S MARATHON
Minnesota – The saying, "Practice makes perfect," certainly rang true for Elly Rono at the 26th annual Grandma's Marathon. After being
coached for the first time in his professional racing career, the 32–year–old Kenyan ran to victory on Saturday, June 22, 2002, in a personal record time of 2 hours, 10 minutes, 57 seconds. Rono took
home a prize purse of $7,000 plus an additional $2,500 in incentive money for running under 2:11.
Pavel Andreev, 31, of Russia, and Andrey Gordeyev, 20, of Belarus led
the men's race on record pace (course record set in 1981 by Dick Beardsley in 2:09:37) through the halfway point, but they couldn't hold off Rono, who closed a 200–yard gap to join the leaders at mile 19.
Rono led for the remainder of the race and outdistanced Andreev by 1:37 seconds to claim the third fastest time ever recorded in Grandma's Marathon history. Andreev placed second and also achieved a personal
best time of 2:11:30. Gordeyev grabbed third place in 2:12:43.
In the women's division, Zinaida Semenova, three–time Twin Cities Marathon champion, claimed another victory on Minnesota soil. The
39–year–old finished in 2:32:21, 18 seconds ahead of her closest competitor, Anna Pichrtova, 29, of the Czech Republic. Semenova was awarded $7,000 in prize money and an additional $1,500 in incentives
for her sub–2:33 winning time.
Semenova and Pichrtova ran stride for stride during the first 10 miles of the race, but by the halfway point Semenova began to pull away.
Grandma's Marathon was Pichrtova's third marathon ever and she finished the face with a personal record time of 2:32:39. Women's course record holder, Elena Makolova, 33, of Belarus was the second
runner–up, completing the race in 2:34:13.
Fedor Ryjov, 42, of Russia won the men's masters division claiming his second Grandma's Marathon masters title and finishing 13th overall with
a time of 2:17:55. Les Myers, 47, of St. Louis, Mo., was the second male master, finishing 36th overall in 2:32:59. In her first Grandma's Marathon, 40–year–old Fira Sultanova of Russia was the champion of
the women's masters division. She placed 11th overall (2:45:55) and was followed by Minnesota native and marathon debutante, Janet Robertz, 42,of Shorewood, Minn., who completed the 26.2–mile race in 2:43:13.
In all, 17 American athletes achieved qualifying times for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. One man and one woman ran the "A" standard time of 2:20 or faster for men and 2:40 or faster for women. An
additional man and 14 women met the "B" standard time of 2:22 or faster for men and 2:48 or faster for women.
While the 2002 race was Candace Cable's eighth win at Grandma's
Marathon, it was an all around different experience for the 47–year–old wheelchair racer. After undergoing extensive spinal surgery in August of
2001, to relieve chronic pain in her legs, Cable was back in full force to win the women's division in 1:58:07. Returning champion and Grandma's Marathon Hall of Famer, Tami Oothoudt, crossed the line in second with
a time of 2:16:54.
In the men's wheelchair division, Saul Mendoza, 35, of Mexico City was hard at work wheeling to his fourth straight victory in 1:34:37, which will
go down in the record books as the seventh fastest Grandma's Marathon wheelchair division time. Chad Johnson, 26, of Palmyca, Ind., was second with a personal best of 1:41:14.
A record 9,432 people registered for the 26th annual Grandma's Marathon, with 36 countries and all 50 states being represented. Out of 6,966 starters, there were 6,836 finishers (4,347 men and 2,489
women) with 29 runners under 2:30, 263 under 3:00 and 2,943 under 4:00.
Despite a delay in the race start due to thunderstorms and lightning
strikes in the Duluth area, participants had ideal running weather. The temperature at the starting line in Two Harbors, Minn., was 57 degrees with 92 percent humidity and an east–northeast tail wind of 8 mph.
The date of the 2003 Grandma's Marathon is Saturday, June 21, 2003. Entry forms will be available in late January. People who are interested in
obtaining an application should send a self–addressed, stamped, No. 10 business–sized envelope and a letter of request to: Grandma's Marathon, P.O. Box 16234, Duluth, MN 55816.
WORLD'S FASTEST MARATHONER RETURNING TO CHICAGO
Illinois – Khalid Khannouchi, the fastest man ever to run a marathon, has
committed to his fifth LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, announced Carey Pinkowski, executive race director. Khannouchi holds the world record, the american record and is a three–time champion on Chicago's
fast course. Sunday, October 13, marks the 25th anniversary of the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
"Khalid Khannouchi continues to set a standard of success in the sport of
marathoning that is almost beyond comprehension," said Pinkowski. "We are extremely pleased with his decision to compete in Chicago this fall.
The excitement and anticipation going into this year's race is already building intensely."
Khannouchi's three record–setting Chicago performances have made his
name synonymous with The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. His unmatched marathon success started with his 1997 debut victory in Chicago in 2:07:10. At the time it was the fastest marathon debut ever. In
1998 Khannouchi placed second in Chicago but came back to set a then world record of 2:05:42 at The 1999 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. After becoming an American citizen in May of 2000, Khannouchi set a
then American marathon record of 2:07:01 with his third Chicago victory in the fall of 2000.
"After a year of being absent, I am delighted to come back to The
LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and to the course that I love and enjoy very much," remarked Khannouchi. "I am very happy to go back to the city I consider my home away from home, the city where I was born a
marathon runner and back to the people who have supported me through good times and bad. I hope to provide Chicago with another great performance this fall."
This year Khannouchi overcame one of the strongest fields ever assembled to lower his own world record in a victory at the London Marathon in 2:05:38. The dramatic race included Khannouchi passing
two of the greatest distance runners ever – Paul Tergat and Haile Gebresalassie – in the final two miles. Khannouchi's London victory was also a redemption of sorts. He finished third in the 2000 London
Marathon in 2:08:36, missed the 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with injuries and dropped out of the 2001 World Championships marathon due to severe foot blisters.
"After Khalid's 2:05:38 world record performance in London this spring, there is no telling what this incredibly talented athlete is capable of," said
Pinkowski. "I was there in London and was impressed to observe Khannouchi take complete control and dominate one of the greatest marathon fields ever assembled."
The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has always lived up to its reputation as one of the world's fastest courses. Last year Catherine Ndereba set the women's world record of 2:18:47 in Chicago. In 1985
Joan Benoit Samuelson set the woman's American record of 2:21:21 in Chicago. In its 24–year history Chicago has also owned two men's world records (1984 Steve Jones, 2:08:05, 1999 Khalid Khannouchi, 2:05:42).
Elite athletes will compete this fall for an event record purse of $500,000. The male and female winners each will earn $100,000, the largest ever payout for first place in a marathon. The 2002 LaSalle Bank Chicago
Marathon begins Sunday, October 13 at 7:30 a.m., starting and finishing in Chicago's Grant Park. The race will be televised live on NBC5 and broadcast on Chicago's ESPN Radio AM1000 from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30
a.m. The 2002 race is expected to draw up to the registration cap of 37,500 participants.
The Marathon is open to all runners who can complete the course in less
than six hours. For information call toll–free 1–888/243–3344 (U.S. and Canada) or 312/904–9800. Registration is $80 ($90 for international participants) and can be completed online by visiting
www.chicagomarathon.com. Mail–in entries will be accepted until September 9, 2002. Runners registering online receive a $5 discount and have a September 16, 2002 deadline or until the registration cap is
reached, whichever comes first. There will be no race weekend registration.
TIME RUNNING OUT TO SUBMIT STORIES FOR 30th ANNIVERSARY BIRKIE BOOK
Wisconsin – Skiers have just a couple of weeks to submit a story for
publication in the American Birkebeiner's official book commemorating the 30th anniversary of the race.
The book, tentatively titled Stories from the Trail: Commemorating 30
years of the American Birkebeiner, will feature a history of the race, all past Birkebeiner and Kortelopet winners, interesting facts, and numerous
photos. The majority of the book, however, will be comprised of stories submitted by skiers themselves. The deadline to contribute a story is Aug. 15, 2002.
The first American Birkebeiner was held in 1973 when 35 participants skied 50 kilometers from Hayward, Wis. to Telemark Lodge in Cable, Wis. The event has grown exponentially over the years, and recently,
more than 6,500 skiers have participated in the Birkebeiner and Kortelopet races, making it the largest cross country ski race in North America. The 30th anniversary of the Birkie will be held on Feb. 22, 2003.
Story submissions should adhere to the following guidelines:
• Only one story will be selected from each person; no more than three submissions per person.
• Submissions should be 750 words or less.
• The author has the right to edit submissions for content and length.
• Submissions can be e–mailed to birkieat30@hotmail.com.
No attachments please. Or log on to www.SkinnySki.com for more
information.
Contributors will receive no monetary compensation for their stories. Rather, they will receive a free copy of the book and experience the
satisfaction of having their stories published in this commemorative publication.
Contributors should include with their story their full name, address,
phone number, number of Birkies/Kortes completed, and approximate year when their experience occurred.
All submissions become property of the author.
The best 50 to 75 stories will be selected based on creativity, writing, the experience, variety and reflection on the Birkie itself.
A portion of the proceeds from each book sold will benefit the American
Birkebeiner Ski Foundation. The book will be available for sale in early January 2003. To reserve a copy, e–mail your contact information to one of the addresses listed above.
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