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Press Release - Five Points Of Life Marathon - 2/17/06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                Contact: Karen Rhodenizer
                                         Director of Corporate Affairs
                                         (352)224-1633, (352)538-7270 cell
                                         

                 Five Points Marathon Scheduled for Sunday
              First Gainesville marathon since the late 70’s

(Gainesville, Fla.) The first major marathon to hit Gainesville's streets 
since the late 1970’s or early 1980’s, depending on who you ask, starts 
this Sunday, February 19 at 7:30 a.m. on Hull Road on UF’s campus. Event
organizers are pleased and surprised at results of pre-registration with 
935 people registered for the full or half marathon. Runners and walkers, 
while primarily from the Gainesville/Alachua County area, are coming from 
32 states. In addition, two people are coming from Canada and one from 
Germany for this inaugural event.

"We expect to hit 1,000 by the time the race starts, and we've been told by 
the experts that this is great for a firstyear event," Karen Rhodenizer, 
director of corporate affairs for LifeSouth, said.

The marathon is spearheaded by the Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee 
and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers and is aimed at raising awareness of 
the Five Points of Life program. The Five Points of Life are the five
ways you can share life with others through donating blood, apheresis, 
marrow, cord blood, and organ and tissue, and is a national program 
developed by LifeSouth.

Rhodenizer said that, with 500 or more of the participants coming from this 
community, this is an event that is obviously made for Gainesville, "Elite 
runners come from all over the world to train in this community and we’ve
been fortunate that some of them have registered for our event. No matter 
where you go in town, you see people on the sidewalks running. There is a 
market, so to speak, for a first class run here and we’re lucky to be a 
part of it."

To ensure the safety of all participants and volunteers on the race course, 
staff from the UF&Shands Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine Institute have 
organized professional, volunteer, thorough medical coverage for the event. 
At eight tents along the course, staff will be prepared to handle potential 
situations such as runner injuries or heat stress. In addition they have 
communications plans with emergency medical staff to ensure swift response.

The Expo at the host hotel, the Hilton University of Florida Conference 
Center Gainesville, on Saturday, February 17 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. is open 
to the public. Exhibitors include Lloyd Clarks, Run Florida, Dig Me Sports, 
CBS 4, LifeQuest, Southeast Tissue Alliance, LifeSouth, Shands Rehab, and 
the Florida Track Club.

Onsite registration is available from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the packet 
pickup and on Sunday morning from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m.

Everyone is encouraged to participate in this event, even if they're not 
running, walking or volunteering. "One of the best things our community can 
do is cheer these folks on at the starting line, on the race course or as 
they complete their full or half marathon. There are 85 people registered 
for their first marathon and 322 registered for their first half marathon. 
It’s an incredible accomplishment to finish an endurance event like this 
and it’s fun to watch people’s emotions as they cross the finish line," 
Rhodenizer said.

Participants run the full range of athletic abilities. Some plan to 
complete the entire 26.2 miles in as little as 2 hours and 18 minutes, 
while others expect it to take three hours to walk the half marathon.

A number of sponsors have donated funds, food and services for the event, 
are exhibiting at the pre-event Expo, or have sponsored mile markers and 
water stops along the course route. Sponsors include North Florida Regional
Medical Center, CBS 4, Chiron Blood Testing, SunTrust, Gator Dominoes, 
UF&Shands Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Institute, Asterisk 
Communications, the Hilton University of Florida Conference Center 
Gainesville, the City of Gainesville, the Alachua County Visitors and 
Convention Bureau, UF&Shands, Progress Energy, Scarborough Insurance, 
Verizon Wireless, Gainesville Health & Fitness, LifeQuest Organ Recovery 
Services, CH2MHill, Millenium Bank, James Moore & Company, Sun Country 
Gymnastics, and Crime Prevention Security Systems.

The marathon is coordinated by the Gainesville Sports Organizing Committee 
and LifeSouth Community Blood Centers. It is partially supported through 
funds derived from hotel/motel taxes generated by area visitors and by the
Alachua County Visitors and Convention Bureau, and is co-sponsored by the 
City of Gainesville.

For more information visit LifeSouth's web site at www.lifesouth.org


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