FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2009 Foot Locker County Challenge Team Announced
Five Nashville area runners to compete at
10th Annual Country Music Marathon
Nashville, TN – April 21, 2009 – With the 10th Annual Country Music
Marathon set to take over the streets of Nashville in less than two weeks,
five diverse runners have been selected to run as a team in the Foot Locker
County Challenge, presented by Sugoi. The local athletes have been selected
to represent Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Sumner and Wilson counties
and compete in the special "race within the race" on Saturday, April 25.
The 2009 Foot Locker County Challenge competitors are:
- Ken Davis, 59, Wilson County
o 30 years ago, awaiting the birth of his first child, Ken decided to quit
smoking. To keep off extra weight during that time, he joined a gym and
began running on the indoor track. That first gym visit has turned into his
lifelong commitment toward fitness and running. He's since run 8
marathons, and looks forward to representing Wilson County in this year's
Challenge.
- Skip Alcorn, 43, Sumner County
o A self-proclaimed "treadmill junkie," Skip credits his wife for
converting him to outdoor running. It took three years for her to convince
Skip that he should ditch his treadmill workouts and run outside. Once he
tried it, he was hooked and ran his first marathon last fall. He looks
forward to competing in his first Triathlon this spring, and hopes to be an
inspiration to others that are new to the sport.
- Seth Oden, 48, Williamson County
o For years, Seth was a two-mile max fitness runner. Due to his career and
the birth of his children, his fitness regime took a back seat until 2003
when his son asked him for help in running a mile for a sports team he was
on. After several weeks of training, his son reached the goal of running
one mile nonstop. Once back on the running wagon, Seth hasn't stopped
since. A lifetime resident of Williamson County, Seth will be running his
6th marathon at this year's Country Music Marathon.
- Lindsey Opie, 29, Rutherford County
o Lindsey, mother of three, will complete her first full marathon at this
year's Country Music Marathon. Both she and her husband are training for
the marathon, which makes for a challenging schedule of caretaking for the
children while trying to get the long runs in. Lindsey's husband trains in
the evening, and Lindsey runs during the day-- with a double jog stroller
when necessary.
- Diana Bibeau, 48, Davidson County
o As a pacer for the Country Music Marathon the past few years, Diana is a
well-known face along the Nashville course. Running has played a
significant role in her life; it has helped her through a divorce, and
eight years later, she met her current husband while running a marathon.
Their first date was a run in the desert, and his proposal – at the finish
of a marathon – even centered around running. Diana has run close to 50
marathons, and calls running her passion.
After running the first half of the marathon together as a team, the five
runners break away and compete to capture the 2009 title. The first runner
from the group to cross the marathon finish line will become the Foot
Locker County Challenge Champion, winning a Tiffany trophy, a two-night
stay at the Nashville Hilton or Union Station hotel, as well as an
exclusive meet and greet with country music superstar Billy Currington
prior to the post-race concert.
All five participants aim to finish the marathon in less than four hours,
and train together prior to the race. In addition, all competitors will
receive exclusive gear from Sugoi, the official apparel partner of the
Country Music Marathon, along with VIP hospitality at the start and finish
line on race day. The athletes will be introduced at an official Country
Music Marathon press conference on Thursday, April 23.
This is the eighth year of the Foot Locker County Challenge. Past FLCC
champions by year include:
2002 - Miles Tate, Rutherford County
2003 - Megan Hall, Rutherford County
2004 - David Hensel, Williamson County
2005 - Kelli Arrant, Rutherford County
2006 - Suzanne Thunder, Wilson County
2007 - Jamie Robinson, Wilson County
2008 - Bethany Crain, Sumner County
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