From Mike McCormick
ASHLAND, Va. - (August 23, 2008) - Brian Shelton and Amanda Luksetich each won their first career half-marathons at the Patrick Henry Half Marathon held in perfect summer running conditions on Saturday morning. Temperatures were in the low 60s for the 7:00am race start.
Shelton, 29, of Richmond, who made his decisive move four miles into the race from a three-man lead group, won by well over a minute in 1 hour, 17 minutes, 37 seconds for his first half-marathon victory.
"There was a downhill around mile four," said Shelton. "I attacked going down and I just didn't let up going up the other side. They couldn't stay with me. This is my first half-marathon win and hopefully not my last."
Masters men (40 and older) took the next two spots as Richmond's Gerrit Labuschagne, 46, was second in 1:19:09, while Daniel List, 42, of Powhatan, was third at 1:19:34.
Luksetich, 26, a winner of two marathons in 2007, the Oklahoma City Marathon and the Marshall University Marathon, also claimed her first career half-marathon by almost four minutes in 1:25:25.
"The party zone in Ashland definitely helped," said Luksetich, who responded to the cheers of the early morning fans. "I noticed it was my fastest mile."
Michelle Mudge-Riley, 31, of Glen Allen, Va., was runner-up at 1:29:02, followed by Holly Baker Wong, 29, of New Kent, Va., who took third (1:31:41).
The event, which is organized by the Richmond Road Runners Club and the Sports Backers and is now in its second year, had 1,153 runners registered. The race is named for Hanover County's famous Colonial-era patriot, Patrick Henry, who proclaimed the Revolutionary War's rallying cry, "Give me liberty or give me death." The course covers territory that Henry trod during his lifetime.
2nd Patrick Henry Half Marathon - Ashland, VA, Saturday, August 23, 2008
MEN
1) Brian Shelton (VA), 1:17:37
2) Gerrit Labuschagne, 46, VA, 1:19:09
3) Daniel List, 42, VA, 1:19:34
WOMEN
1) Amanda Luksetich (VA), 1:25:25
2) Michelle Mudge-Riley (VA), 1:29:02
3) Holly Baker Wong (VA), 1:31:41
For more results, go to: Sportsbackers.org
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.
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