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+---- Thread: Big Sur Half Marathon Draws Top Elite Field (/Thread-Big-Sur-Half-Marathon-Draws-Top-Elite-Field)
Big Sur Half Marathon Draws Top Elite Field - TheEd - 14-11-2011
MONTEREY, Calif. - (November 13, 2011) - The 2011 Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay is welcoming the largest and strongest field of elite runners ever assembled for the 13.1 mile road race. Four Olympic marathoners and a host of the country's top distance runners will be vying for a $20,500 purse, the largest offered for a half-marathon in California. The sold-out race takes place Sunday, November 20, along the edge of California's scenic Monterey Bay.
A total of 36 runners make up the elite roster and another 8,000 are entered in the event, which begins and ends in downtown Monterey and travels through the seaside town of Pacific Grove. The Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay is now in its ninth year.
"This is by far the strongest field we've ever hosted," said race director Wally Kastner. "With the Olympic Marathon Trials coming up in January, our race is well timed for these athletes to focus on a competitive event. Plus, we increased our prize money this year which may help account for our great field. Our race is quickly becoming the premiere half-marathon event in the western U.S."
The men's match-up should prove to be an exciting race with as many as ten runners capable of winning. Leading the potential champions are two members of the Amerikenyan Running Club, Benard Langat and Fred Mogata Tumbo. Three of the last four Big Sur champions have hailed from this club, which trains Kenyan-born runners in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Tumbo currently holds the fastest time in this year's field at 1:01:14. Countryman Benson Cheruiyot (1:03:07) will also be running.
Other key contenders include the 2007 Big Sur Half Marathon champion and Olympian Michael Aish of New Zealand, and last year's third and fourth place finishers, Abdelazia Atmani (MAR), Indianapolis and Mario Macias (MEX) of Alamosa, Colorado. In addition, the past two years' Big Sur Marathon champs are entered in the 13.1 mile race. Jesus Campos, 27, of King City and Daniel Tapia, 25, of Castroville will represent the local elites.
On the women's front, last year's Big Sur victor and course record setter Belainesh Gebre is returning to defend her title. Her 2010 finish of 1:09:43 shattered the previous course record by more than two minutes, becoming the third fastest half-marathon time in California. Last year's runner-up, Kelly Calway, 27, from Manitou Springs, Colorado is also returning. Named the 2008 US Army Athlete of the Year, Calway will be competing in the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston this January. Canadian Olympian Lisa Harvey is also returning to defend her Masters title and fourth place overall finish in the Big Sur Half Marathon, though she will be challenged by U.S. Olympic marathoners (2008 Beijing Games) Magdalena Lewy Boulet of Oakland and hometown favorite Blake Russell of Pacific Grove.
The half-marathon distance has been the fastest growing road race distance in the U.S. since 2003, according to Running USA, the sport's trade organization. In 2010 there were nearly 1.4 million half-marathon finishers, including 24 U.S. half-marathons with 10,000 or more finishers. Over the past five years more than 30 debut half-marathons annually have occurred across the country. California ranks first in finishers at 225,000 which represents 16% of all half-marathon finishers nationwide.
The world record for the 13.1 mile distance is 58:23 for men and 1:05:50 for women. Recently two new U.S. All-Comers half-marathon records were set, both at the Rock 'n' Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon in September, Mathew Kisorio of Kenya clocked 58:46 and Kim Smith of New Zealand finished at 1:07:11.