Elite Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
FRONTRUNNERS FOR 2008 CITY OF LOS ANGELES MARATHON TO COMPETE FOR $100,000 BANCO POPULAR CHALLENGE
With a total prize purse of $215,000 at stake, a field of elite runners from Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Ethiopia, Ecuador, Kenya, Mexico and Russia will run for the money at the 23rd annual City of Los Angeles Marathon presented by Honda. Prominent in the field are five men who have run sub 2:10 marathons and two women who have run sub 2:30 races. The complete field of frontrunners is attached with details.
At stake is $120,000 for the first man or woman to cross the finish line in the Banco Popular Challenge -- an unprecedented male-versus-female race in which the women are given a ‘head-start’ based on statistics compiled from recent performances by the elite runners in the field. The first person to cross the finish line receives a $100,000 Banco Popular Challenge bonus and a $20,000 cash prize for being first in his or her divisions. The Banco Popular Challenge adds an element of excitement for athletes, spectators and television viewers on KNBC and KVEA as the elite men and women battle to be the first to cross the finish line.
The race will be run for the 2nd year in a row on a point-to-point course beginning in the valley at Universal Studios Hollywood and ending at 5th and Flower opposite the Richard J. Riordan Central Library in downtown Los Angeles.
Since 1986, the City of Los Angeles Marathon has been a unifying force in the city. As has been the tradition since the race’s inception, the course will weave its way through the multi-cultural heart of the city. Participants will pass the Hollywood Bowl, run Hollywood Blvd.,through Koreatown, Exposition Park, past the Coliseum, Convention Center, Nokia Theater, Staples Center, into East Los Angeles before crossing the 6th Street Bridge with a dramatic view of downtown skyscrapers, the Hollywood Sign and Griffith Observatory before ending in the corridor of high rises in the downtown business district.
The 23rd running of the City of Los Angeles Marathon presented by Honda under the auspices of Devine Sports will take place the weekend of February 29-March 2 with the run beginning at 8:15am on Sunday, March 2, 2008. Race day also includes the Acura L.A. Bike Tour and the L.A. Marathon 5K Run/Walk. Prior to Sunday’s race, the weekend’s activities include the two-day McDonald’s Quality of Life Expo taking place on February 29 and March 1 in West Hall at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Other sponsors include Acura, American Airlines, Banco Popular, California Hospital Medical Center, KNBC, Saucony, Springfield and Telemundo.
The Los Angeles Marathon is the largest marathon held in California, the fourth largest in the country and the seventh largest in the world. It is expected to draw more than 26,000 runners from 50 states and 100 countries in 2007.
Race info is available at www.lamarathon.com or by calling (310)444-5544.
About Devine Sports
Devine Sports is a brand name synonymous with excellence in endurance sports, education and training. The Chicago-based company has fast been building a national reputation for acquiring and managing world-class amateur athletic events. The Devine portfolio currently includes the Los Angeles Marathon, the Zappos.com Las Vegas Marathon, the Salt Lake City Marathon and the Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon. Negotiations are being finalized to expand that portfolio nationally and internationally within the next 18 months.
Established in 2003 to bring a new level of quality and professionalism to amateur road racing events in major market cities, the President/CEO is Steve Miller, former Nike Director of Global Sports Marketing and recent inductee into the NCAA Hall of Fame for Track and Field Coaching.
The focus at Devine is to create community for runners and endurance athletes. Committed to the celebration on individual accomplishment, Devine believes it has the responsibility to deliver the highest level of professional service in the industry – for participants, sponsors and the communities where races are held. Information about all Devine properties, as well as access to unparalleled industry information, can be obtained at www.devinesports.com or by calling 312/640-9700. Future years will bring similar access via network and satellite television, satellite radio and pod-casting.
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Media contact: Laurence Cohen, TLC MediaWorks (310) 474-5116, cell (310)980-7788
