Kenya’s Paul Tergat To Race Rock ‘N’ Roll Seattle
Source: Competitor Group
Seattle, Wash. – May 20, 2009 – Five-time World Champion Paul Tergat is set to conquer the roads of the Pacific Northwest at the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon & 1/2 Marathon on Saturday, June 27. Tergat, 39, is universally regarded as one of the most accomplished long-distance runners in history and will compete in the half marathon ten days after his 40th birthday.
Tergat, two-time Olympic silver medalist, recently won the Lake Biwa Marathon in Japan with a time of 2:10:22. He held the world record in the marathon from 2003 to 2007, as the first runner in history to break 2:05 with a time of 2:04:55.
“I’m excited to be part of the first Rock ‘n’ Roll event in Seattle. I’m very happy with my races in 2009 and I’m hoping that will continue at the end of next month,” said Tergat, who will be running his first race in the U.S. since the ING New York City Marathon last year. “I ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll in Virginia Beach back in 2002 and I’m looking forward to be being part of another great event. I’ve yet to decide on my plans for the rest of the year but I am enjoying my running at the moment and looking forward to a competitive half marathon.”
Tergat’s PR in the half marathon is 59:17, set in 1998, which at the time was the world’s best and is still one of the top-20 all time fastest times ever recorded for the distance. He is the fourth fastest marathon runner in history and his marathon PR currently ranks as the sixth fastest ever run.
“We are thrilled to have Paul Tergat race in Seattle,” said Matt Turnbull, elite athlete coordinator for the event. “Paul is one of the true icons of athletics and has been a champion whether it be on the track, roads or cross-country.”
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon & ∏ Marathon will begin in the city of Tukwila at 7:00 am on Saturday, June 27. The course proceeds along the shores of Lake Washington, offering scenic views of Puget Sound and Mt. Rainier before finishing in downtown Seattle at Qwest Field. The event continues with an evening headliner concert at King County’s Marymoor Park on race night featuring Keb’ Mo’. All registered participants and race volunteers receive a free ticket to the concert. For more information about Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle, please visit www.rnrseattle.com .
High Resolution Photos (courtesy of Photo Run)
Paul Tergat of Kenya at the 2002 Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach
Tergat recently won the 2009 Lake Biwa Marathon in Japan
About Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle
The Rock ‘n’ Roll Seattle Marathon & 1/2 Marathon will run from Tukwila to Seattle on Saturday, June 27, 2009. Official event partners include Cytomax, Garmin, MGD64, Oakley, New Balance, Nutrilite and Sugoi. The inaugural road race will feature entertainment along each mile of the marathon and half marathon courses. Qwest Field will be the location of both the finish line and two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Qwest Event Center. The free Health & Fitness Expo is open to the public, hosting over one hundred running and fitness retailers, exhibits and interactive clinics. Event weekend concludes with a post-race concert at King County’s Marymoor Park featuring Keb’ Mo’, with all participants and event volunteers receiving free entry. For more information, visit www.rnrseattle.com.
About The Competitor Group
Competitor Group, Inc., headquartered in San Diego, CA, is the leading media and event entertainment company dedicated to the endurance sports industry of running, cycling and triathlons. CGI is a portfolio company of Falconhead Capital and comprised of the following brands: Competitor Magazine, Triathlete Magazine, Inside Triathlon, VeloNews, the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, Muddy Buddy and VeloPress. CGI owns and operates 26 national events delivering more than 250,000 professional and amateur participants in 2009. CGI publishes four magazine titles with a combined monthly circulation of approximately 800,00 and plans to launch an endurance community web presence under competitor.com in Q2 2009. Further information about Competitor and its media properties can be found at www.competitor.com.