Chicago marathon champion, defending San Jose champion headline California’s fastest half marathon
San Jose, Calif., (September 30, 2008) – Patrick Ivuti, who a year ago won the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, will line up as the favorite in this weekend’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in San Jose. The 3rd annual road race is scheduled to begin at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, October 5 near San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose. The route will take runners through downtown, Japantown and the Rose Garden area with the finish line at Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Leading the pack will be a field of elite men and women, competing for a total prize purse of over $50,000.
“I'm looking forward to racing in San Jose,” said Ivuti, the Kenyan Olympian who is also a double World Cross Country silver medalist. “I hear that the course is fast and flat, which should make for a very competitive race.”
Challenging Ivuti will be fellow Kenyans Charles Munyeki, with a PR of 59:44 (36 seconds faster than the course record), and defending champion MacDonald Ondara, who recently finished fourth at the tightly contested ING Philadelphia Distance Run. The Kenyan trio leads an exciting men's field that includes U.S. Olympian Adam Goucher, one of America's finest track and cross country runners in the last decade. Goucher, who ran a sub 28:00 10,000m at the Olympic trials, has recently begun to focus on the half marathon distance.
“After only two years, this half marathon’s elite field has reached a depth and quality that is sure to lead to a competitive battle on the streets of San Jose,” said Matt Turnbull, elite athlete coordinator. “The fast course and spate of personal records has made San Jose one of the hot spots on the U.S. running circuit.”
The women’s elite field will be led by Yuri Kano of Japan. Kano, who owns the fastest PR in the women’s field, won the Sapporo half marathon earlier this year with her first sub-70 minute time of 1:08:57. She joins an international field that includes British Olympian Kathy Butler, a five-time NCAA Champion at the University of Wisconsin, and Ethiopian Azalech Masresha, the winner of the 2007 Reims half marathon who will be making her U.S. soil running debut. Also expected to challenge are Kenyans Ann Kosgei, owner of a 1:10:17 PR, and Jane Gakunyi, who was a bronze medalist at the 2003 world half marathon championships.
American Michelle Gallagher will return to defend her title as the top Bay Area finisher in 2007. She set her PR in San Jose last year, where she recorded a time of 1:16:37. The prize purse includes winnings for the top two Bay Area finishers and for the top two finishers from the City of San Jose.
The entire field of professional athletes will be announced and introduced at the race weekend media briefing Friday, October 3 at 11:00 am. The briefing will take place at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, with media credentials and race day parking passes available for pick-up.
“We're delighted the race continues to be so attractive to both professional and recreational runners,” said Elizabeth O’Brien, event manager. “While online registration has closed, there is an opportunity to register for this weekend’s race in person at the two-day Health and Fitness expo.”
Race registration is available at the Health and Fitness Expo Friday, October 3, 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Saturday, October 4, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The free expo is open to the public and will showcase the latest in running products and services, with presentations from fitness experts as all registered runners pick up their race packets. For more information on the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in San Jose visit RNRSJ.com or call 800-311-1255.
About the 2008 Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon San Jose – California’s fastest half-marathon
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon will welcome more than 13,000 runners and walkers to the streets of San Jose on Sun., Oct. 5, 2008. In addition to 14 live bands along the course, the scenic tour of San Jose features hundreds of local high school cheerleaders and water stations to provide further entertainment and motivation to runners and walkers. The event concludes with a finish line party and an afternoon headliner concert featuring Credence Clearwater Revisited. In 2006, three men and four women in the professional field ran under the old California state record times of 1:02:06 for the men and 1:11:16 for the women.
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