FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ING Georgia Marathon and Half Marathon Floods
Race Course with Water
for Second Annual Spring Event
22 Hydration Stations Will Line Course
to Better Serve Participants
(Dec. 18, 2007, ATLANTA) –The 2008 ING Georgia Marathon & Half-Marathon
race course will feature nearly two dozen "Hydration Stations" from start
to finish next spring. All Hydration Stations will be thoroughly stocked
with water and with Gatorade, the official sports drink. Several of the
Hydration Stations will serve runners for both the 26.2-mile marathon and
the 13.1-mile half marathon for the March 30 event, where the two routes
are shared.
"One of the main areas of feedback we received from our first race was the
need for more fluids along the course," said Victoria Seahorn, race
director of the ING Georgia Marathon & Half Marathon. "We listened and
we acted. With the help of corporate sponsors, we created more places along
the course for runners, walkers and wheelers to replenish their fluids and
get to the finish line."
Hydration Stations will be spaced between Mile 2 and the Finish Line of the
entire 26.2-mile marathon course. Each Hydration Station will have 40-50
volunteers, provided by a community or corporate organization. The best
overall Hydration Station, as selected by Georgia Marathon LLC and
post-event voting from racers, will receive $2,500 for a charity of its
choice.
Some of the organizations which have already committed to supporting the
new Hydration Station program are: Agnes Scott College, Camp Twin Lakes,
City of Decatur-Oakhurst Community, Cystic Fibrosis – 65 Roses, Dekalb
Police Department, Delta Air Lines, Emory Healthcare, Georgia State
University, Georgia Tech, KPMG, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in
Training, Lupus Foundation of America, Mizuno USA, Price WaterhouseCoopers,
St. Jude, and Southern Company.
"Adequate water intake, at least six glasses per day, is essential not only
to avoid dehydration and heat illness, but also for muscle flexibility.
Your muscles contain a large percentage of water, and low water volume can
lead to muscle tightness and inflexibility, which in turn could lead to
injury," said Dr. Perry H. Julien, D.P.M., past president of the American
Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. "Make sure however that you don’t
over-hydrate and deplete your electrolytes. Balancing your water intake
with electrolyte replacement drinks such as Gatorade can help prevent
this." Dr. Julien, who practices podiatry at The Atlanta Foot and Center
in Sandy Springs, has run 20 marathons and is the co-medical director of
the ING Atlanta Marathon and Half-Marathon.
The Hydration Stations are not the only improvements for racers in 2008.
The second-year event will feature a new start and finish at Centennial
Olympic Park. It will also provide a staggered start, where race officials
will segment racers based on expected pace times/finish times (instead of a
mass start which was used for the inaugural event). In addition, the race
has created a 'virtual support' community through realbuzz.com, so
participants can share training tips, create a blog or share stories.
"Our focus, our commitment is to build the best springtime marathon in the
country. We believe these changes will create a race experience unlike any
other," shared Seahorn.
Registrations Open, Discount Rate Available Until Dec. 31
Race officials have set the limit again at 15,000 racers. The event is
expected to sell-out for a second year. Through Dec. 31 of this year,
registration for the half marathon is $60; the registration for the
marathon is $80; $60 for the wheelchair half marathon. Registration prices
will increase by $15 on Jan. 1, 2008. Registration for the 2008 event is
now open at the official Web site, www.inggeorgiamarathon.com
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