FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Zane Hagy
865-384-8564
Knoxville Marathon Is Boston Qualifying Race
Jan. 12 , 2005 - The inaugural Knoxville Marathon, presented by Covenant
Health, has been certified as a qualifier course for the 2006 Boston
Marathon.
"Being recognized as a Boston qualifier is significant a step for a new
marathon," Zane Hagy, president of the Knoxville Track Club and marathon
co-director, said. "This puts us on the international running map and
should definitely bring more runners to Knoxville - particularly those
pointing toward Boston, the nation's best-known marathon."
Run in April through the streets of Boston, the race attracts runners from
around the world. Because of its popularity, participants must run a
marathon in a prescribed time, based on age, to qualify.
The inaugural Knoxville Marathon is set for March 20.
Hagy said runners who wish to sign up for the Knoxville race better do so
soon.
"We have a limit of 1,000 runners for the full marathon, and we have more
than 750 signed up now," he said. "Participants have registered from 34
states, Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.
"We are very pleased by the response, but this is Knoxville's marathon, so
we want everyone from our area to have the opportunity to participant. But
we are filling up, so I urge runners to get their entries in soon."
The Knoxville Marathon is not just one race, but a full weekend of events.
There also will be a weekend-long Running EXPO in the new Knoxville
Convention Center, a half-marathon, a 5-kilometer race (3.1 miles) and the
McDonalds' Kids' "Mara-Fun" mile. Runners in all events will finish on the
50-yard line of Neyland Stadium.
Full and half-marathoners will start on Clinch Avenue and run through West
Knoxville and Fort Sanders, with the half-marathoners splitting off back at
Clinch for their finish at the stadium. Those running the full 26.2 miles
continue on to the Fourth and Gill neighborhood, Caswell Park, South
Knoxville, and downtown before heading to the stadium finish.
Registration forms and Information about the event are available at
www.knoxvillemarathon.com.
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