Former Arkansas Governor will be running his fifth marathon
BOSTON, Mass. - Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee has
officially entered the 2008 Boston Marathon, the Boston Athletic
Association announced today. As has been reported in the media, Huckabee
has been training while on the campaign trail. He will join Team Hoyt, a
local charity which strives to integrate the physically challenged into
everyday life. Dick and Rick Hoyt are a father and son team that has
completed 25 Boston Marathons, with Dick running and Rick in his
wheelchair.
In 2003, while serving as Governor of Arkansas, Huckabee was diagnosed
with Type II Diabetes. As a result he began running and gradually lost
110 pounds. In 2005 he completed the Little Rock Marathon in 4:38:32, a
performance which earned him the honor of USATF Athlete of the Week.
Since then Huckabee has completed three additional marathons: the 2005
Marine Corps Marathon, the 2006 Little Rock Marathon, and the 2006 ING
New York City Marathon. His personal best, coming in 2006 at Little
Rock, is now 4 hours, 26 minutes, 05 seconds.
Following stints as Lieutenant Governor (1993-1996) and Governor
(1996-2007) of Arkansas, Huckabee entered the 2008 presidential race.
Huckabee's campaign scored a victory in the Iowa Caucuses and placed
third in both the New Hampshire and Michigan primaries, making the
former governor is a strong contender for the 2008 Republican
presidential nomination. He was the runner-up in the South Carolina
Republican presidential primary on Saturday, January 19.
The 112th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 21, 2008,
Patriots' Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The race follows a
26.2-mile point-to-point route from the town of Hopkinton, Mass., to
Boston's Back Bay. The race begins at 10:00 a.m.
Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit
organization with a mission of managing athletic events and promoting a
healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A.'s
Boston Marathon is the world's oldest annual marathon, and the
organization manages other local events and supports comprehensive
charity, youth, and year-round running programs. Since 1986, the
principal sponsor of the Boston Marathon has been John Hancock Financial
Services.
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