For every person who attends the morning show on Saturday, State Farm, which is sponsoring GameDay for the fifth consecutive year, will donate $1 to Hawk Zone, with a potential contribution of more than $16,000. This student organization helps increase student involvement in campus athletics.

Hosting the morning telecast will be the College GameDay crew of Rece Davis, Jay Bilas, Hubert Davis and Digger Phelps, who will preview the University of Kansas-Kansas State matchup and detail the day’s other college basketball action.

Gates open at Allen Fieldhouse at 7 a.m.  Fans should show their school spirit by wearing team colors. The morning show is free to the public and tickets are not required. Students are encouraged to bring homemade signage.

One lucky morning audience member will get the exciting opportunity to attempt a half-court shot.  If the shot is made, State Farm will give the person $18,000 and if they miss the shot, they will get $1,000!

Additional College GameDay pre-game telecasts with a State Farm fundraising element include:

• Duke at Virginia Tech, February 26 – Funds raised will benefit Cassell Guard.
• Texas at Baylor, March 5 – Funds raised will benefit Bear Pit.

For more information on ESPN’s College GameDay Driven by State Farm, please visit espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/gameday.

Paul Ngeny, 31, of Auburn, Calif., led a record field of more than 14,000 registered runners Sunday at the fifth annual Disneyland Half Marathon, crossing the finish line first with a time of 1:07:24, beating the fastest Disneyland Half Marathon time by 41 seconds.

“The course was very nice and comfortable,” Ngeny said. “I liked running through the parks and all the music. I could keep on going for a hundred miles.”

Finishing just behind Ngeny was Eric Marenburg, 27, of San Diego, Calif., with a time of 1:12:10. Kevin Broady, 48, of Brea, Calif., finished third with a time of 1:12:43.

Rachel Booth, 29, of Mountain View, Calif., claimed the title of 2010 women’s champion with a time of 1:15:19, beating the fastest women’s finisher time in the history of the Disneyland Half Marathon by 00:04:04. Booth, who performed better than she expected, finished just 18 seconds off of an Olympic trial qualifier time.

“It was great. Magical,” Booth said. “It’s in Disneyland and it’s just a happy day. Always enjoyable. Everyone was so loud and cheering.”

The women’s second-place finisher was Theresa Lowry, 36, of San Diego, Calif., with a time of 1:19:05. Susan Loken, 47, of Phoenix, AZ, took third place with a time of 1:19:13.

Other notable finishers of the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon are Jon Megeff, 47, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., who won the men’s Master’s Division (age 40+) with a time of 1:16:57, Merryt Jackman, 41, of San Diego, Calif., who topped the women’s Master’s Division (1:28:16) and Scott Parson, 51 of San Jose, Calif.,(00:56:45), and Sandi Rush, 49, of Oceanside, Calif., (1:17:06), winners of the men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions.

The fifth anniversary of “The Happiest Race on Earth” welcomed its largest registration field as more than 14,000 runners from every U.S. state and 16 countries made the magical 13.1 mile journey. The course traveled through the two Disneyland Resort theme parks – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure – and along Anaheim streets, passing landmarks such as the Honda Center and running on the field of Angel Stadium of Anaheim, while Disney characters and festive entertainment inspired runners along the way.

Participants who completed the half marathon received a special edition medal featuring Sleeping Beauty Castle circled by a vibrant number “5″ and running Mickey Mouse. Nearly 570 Legacy runners – those who completed all five Disneyland Half Marathons – received a special medal lanyard.

The third annual Coast to Coast Race Challenge medal was presented to approximately 2,350 runners who completed the Walt Disney World Marathon or Half Marathon or Disney’s Princess Half Marathon this year at Walt Disney World Resort and then also completed Sunday’s Disneyland Half Marathon. The Coast to Coast medal showcases the iconic “Partners Statue” of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.

The 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend is scheduled for Sept. 2-4, 2011. Registration for next year’s Disneyland Half Marathon is scheduled to open Jan. 3, 2011.

The world of running is experiencing an incredible boom, and 2009 heralds the continuing growth in popularity of this sport. As the number of runners (in particular women) strengthens by the day, so does the ever-increasing appeal of marathons around the world. ASICS’ recent ‘Reasons to Run’ research revealed that, of the 85% of Europe’s 80 million runners who have not yet run a marathon, 37% plan to do so in the near future. With the imminent New York marathon in mind (November 1st), it is also worth knowing that this is a marathon in which 15.2 million European runners aspire to run.

2009 also marks the 60th anniversary of Japanese sportswear brand ASICS. Turning 60 is an extremely symbolic event in Japan, and a milestone ASICS is extremely proud to have reached. Sixty years of continuous research and technological innovation has led ASICS to be considered the most valued running shoe amongst serious runners. The New York marathon is a perfect example to highlight this point. Since 2005, around 50% of New York’s participants have run in ASICS shoes. *

The evolution of marathons

The marathon is the most iconic individual achievement of our time, and these days simply being accepted in to a major marathon is a feat in itself. It has evolved from the elite, ‘super-athletes only’ race to a mass phenomenon where the number of marathons and the amount of runners taking part around the world increases every year. In the last decade, the New York marathon itself has seen a growth of approximately 20,000 participants, and is now considered to be the most coveted race to run amongst 19% of European runners.

ASICS’ participation in marathons

No other brand can lay claim to the fact that the majority of marathon participants worldwide wear their shoes. The shoe count at the last two New York marathons alone showed that 55% (2007) and 51%(2008)* chose to wear ASICS. For this year’s event, ASICS has organised yet another ‘shoe count team’ to see just how many hardcore runners choose to run such a demanding race in ASICS shoes.

Providing the best at every level

Since its launch in 1949, ASICS has grown from a small sports-shoe company founded in Japan to a highly regarded, award-winning international sportswear brand. ASICS’ founder, Mr. Kihachiro Onitsuka deeply believed in the fact that exercise leads to the development of a healthier body, and that a sound body is the cradle for a sound mind. When it came to naming his company, Mr. Onitsuka opted for the initials of a Latin quote that summarised his belief: Anima Sana In Corpore Sano (a sound mind in a sound body). Nothing epitomises his philosophy more than running a marathon, as this is the ultimate event where body and mind must work together in harmony in order to complete those long and arduous 42.195 kilometres.

But it is not just the body and mind that are tested to their max, as a marathon also stretches sports products to their limit in the most extreme way. And that is why, after sixty years of determination to provide athletes of all levels with the best possible products, ASICS is still so popular at marathons the world over. Whether an elite runner or a first-time finisher, those wearing ASICS can run safe in the knowledge that they’ve put their trust in the most dedicated running brand.

* ASICS employees count one specific brand of footwear each during the 2.5 hours after the winner crosses the marathon finish line. The resulting percentage indicates that ASICS is the preferred brand of footwear among serious marathon runners.

Source: ASICS Europe B.V.

“Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can happen any time and anywhere, even impacting seemingly healthy athletes, young adults, and those without any known signs of heart disease,” said Dr. Vince Mosesso, medical director for the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association (SCAA). “Our sympathies are extended to the families of the three Detroit runners, and we will defer to the local medical examiner for conclusive reports on the cause of death, but the collapse of three runners in one race only heightens the importance of greater public education and awareness about sudden cardiac arrest.”

Mosesso said that nearly 300,000 U.S. deaths are attributed to SCA each year, resulting in the collapse of an American about once every two minutes. While early bystander and immediate CPR and AED use have been shown to significantly improve survival, still many SCA victims do not receive treatment fast enough and the overall survival rate remains tragically low at eight percent.

He urged the public to remember these basic facts about sudden cardiac arrest:

– SCA is different than a heart attack, and involves an electrical disruption of the heart that results in a very rapid but extremely weak heart beat, prohibiting the heart from circulating blood and oxygen to the body (as compared to a pumping malfunction from a blocked artery that is often the cause of a heart attack)
– SCA requires immediate CPR and often the shock of a defibrillator to restore the heart’s natural rhythm
– A previous heart attack, coronary artery disease and a family history of sudden death or unexplained syncope (fainting) are among the risk factors that should always be shared with a personal physician, as well as other risk factors such as obesity, smoking and diabetes
– Implanted cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) provide round-the-clock protection for more than a million Americans identified as at risk of SCA.

www.suddencardiacarrest.org

Source: Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association

As cooler weather and shorter days begin to put an end to the last memories of summer for much of the U.S., Nathan Performance Gear(TM), a leader in hydration, reflective, and multi-sport gear and accessories, reminds runners to practice safe running when hitting the roads this fall.

“This time of year in particular serves as an opportune time to remind people, who may be getting themselves and their family back in a routine after the lazy days of summer, about several quick and easy to-dos that can help lead to safer running,” says Megan Russell, vice president of marketing and sales for Penguin Brands, Inc., of which Nathan is a subsidiary.

While several components fall under the broad umbrella of “safe running,” including routine physician appointments, running with a buddy, and others, Russell puts an emphasis on five key recommendations that are easy to do and can often get overlooked by even the most dedicated runner. These five tips include:

– Wear reflective. Wearing reflective when out on the roads helps cars, bikes, and other people detect, react, and maneuver in time to avoid a potential disastrous situation more quickly than when not wearing reflective. Nathan offers several vests and accessories that offer 360-degree visibility up to 1200 feet.
– Carry identification. Every second counts in an emergency, and carrying identification can help direct first responders to pertinent information quickly and efficiently. Nathan introduced two belts this year — the Shadow Pak and the Reflective Belt — that feature both an incorporated I.D. card and I.D. stitching.
– Bring a cell phone. A twisted ankle, an unfamiliar route, or a longer-than-expected run can all benefit from having a cell phone handy to alert the appropriate people. The Shadow Pak and the Reflective Belt make running with a cell phone easy, with both featuring limited-stretch mesh pockets that fit almost any-sized cell phone, including the iPhone.
– Stay properly hydrated — before, during, and after. Fluids help athletes perform better, recover better, and are good for overall health, even when not exercising. Nathan makes it easy to stay hydrated while running through its line of handheld water bottles, including the 10 oz. Sprint and the 22 oz. QuickDraw Elite, and its line of BPA-free Stainless Steel bottles, which come in two different sizes, 500 mL and 700 mL, with a third size, 320 mL kids-sized bottles, on the way in 2010.
– Have someone know your route. Having a spouse, family member, or friend ensures someone knows the expected route — and approximate beginning and end time — of a run, and if that expected end time passed hours ago.

To drive home these points even further this year, Nathan introduced the Run Safe Initiative, a partnership with its retailers that promotes the ideals of running safe to consumers.

“The only thing more important to us than an athlete’s performance is their safety, and it’s our hope that through the cooperation of our retailers, we can get the message out to athletes that it’s important for their health and safety to run both smart and safe,” says Russell. “We’ve already had great response from our retailers, and plan to continue rolling out the initiative throughout the year.”

Source: Nathan Performance Gear

“One of the biggest challenges athletes continually face, not just in hot, humid weather, is consuming enough fluids before, during and after sports to maintain proper hydration,” says Brooke de Lench, Youth Sports Expert and Editor-in-Chief of the popular youth sports parenting website, YouthSportsParents.com and CEO and President of MSI. “iHydrate(TM) is designed to address this important problem,” says de Lench.

To help keep athletes of any age not only stay hydrated but avoid the catastrophic risks of heat-related illness or death, iHydrate(TM) is the first iPhone application to:

– provide the heat index–the apparent temperature on the basis of the current temperature and relative humidity at the user’s current location;
– display the level of heat-illness risk under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) heat index;
– allow parents, coaches and athletic trainers to schedule hydration reminders for before, during and after sports; and
– help facilitate the replacement of fluids lost during sports based on urine color and/or amount of weight lost.

In addition to these tools, iHydrate(TM) includes a helpful reference section, including basic information on dehydration and heat-illness prevention, signs, symptoms and treatment, and the Pre-Season Heat-Acclimatization Guidelines recently issued by the American College of Sports Medicine and seven other medical groups.

Facts about children and heat-illness
– Exertional heat stroke is the leading cause of preventable non-traumatic exertional sudden death for young athletes in the U.S.
– Dehydration is common in kids playing sports: Of kids studied at summer sports camps more than 50% were dehydrated and 25 to 30% showe
signs of serious dehydration, putting them at increased risk of heat-related illness. Dehydration occurred despite the availability of water and sports drinks, frequent breaks and coaches’ encouragement to stay hydrated. Once children were dehydrated, it was nearly impossible for them to catch up.
– Dehydration can begin when an athlete loses as little as 1 percent of body weight. In a 70-pound child, that is less than 1 pound of weight lost through sweat;
– Dehydration effects performance: as little as a 2% decrease in body weight from fluid loss (e.g. 1.2 lb for a 60-lb athlete) can lead to a significant decrease in muscular strength and stamina.

“We developed iHydrate(TM) to make it much easier for parents, coaches and athletic trainers to keep kids properly hydrated and avoid dehydration and other more serious forms of heat illness,” says de Lench, “by putting new technology – an application in their hands that not only informs them about the risk of heat-related illness in real time, but gives them the tools they need to ensure proper hydration and re-hydration.”

“One of the reasons kids don’t drink enough fluids before, during and after sports, is that they forget,” notes de Lench. “Parents and coaches can use iHydrate(TM) to remind them to drink on a schedule, not just when they are thirsty.”

Source: Mobile Sports, Inc.

In its third decade of honoring the nation’s best high school athletes, The Gatorade Company, in partnership with ESPN RISE, announced senior decathlete Curtis Beach of Albuquerque Academy (Albuquerque, N.M.) as its 2008-09 Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

Beach is the first student-athlete from the state of New Mexico to win Gatorade National Player of the Year honors in any sport. He is also the first decathlete to be named a Gatorade National Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the track, distinguishes Beach as the nation’s best high school boys track & field athlete. A national advisory board comprised of sportswriters and sport-specific experts from around the country helped select Beach from more than 548,000 high school boys track & field athletes nationwide. Beach is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade Male High School Athlete of the Year award, to be presented at a special afternoon ceremony prior to The ESPY Awards in July.

The 6-foot, 166-pound senior decathlete broke the national prep decathlon record at the Arcadia Invitational this spring, scoring 7,909 points to shatter the 16-year-old former record of 7,417 points. In that competition, Beach set personal bests in the high jump (6-9.5), the shot put (44-8), the javelin (155-9) the 400-meter dash (48.16 seconds) and the 1500-meter run (4:09.48). A three-time Gatorade New Mexico Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year honoree, Beach also led the Chargers to the Class 4A state championship as a team, winning five individual state titles in the process. He took first place in the 110-meter hurdles (14.53), the 200-meter dash (21.84), the 400-meter dash (47.99), the high jump (6-9.5) and the pole vault (15-3).

A 17-time individual state champion in New Mexico’s Class 4A, Beach holds all-class state records in the 200, the 110 hurdles and the long jump. Beach took third in the 800-meter run at the Nike Outdoor Nationals with a time of 1:50.75, the nation’s 11th-fastest prep clocking in 2009. His season-best time of 20.94 in the 200 ranks No. 3 in the nation among prep competitors.

Beach scored 7,466 points and won the Great Southwest Track and Field Classic in Albuquerque for the third straight year. Using international junior implements, he eclipsed a 37-year-old record of 7,359 points set by South Eugene (Oregon) star Craig Brigham in 1972. He also won the 2009 USA Track & Field Junior Outdoor Championships decathlon title, scoring 7,599 points using junior implements.

Beach has maintained a weighted 3.75 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a youth coach with the Albuquerque Track Club, in a co-coordinating role on behalf of the Whittier Elementary School Health Fair and as part of multiple fundraising initiatives to benefit cancer research. Beach’s senior project involved an internship with the Sandia Chile Grill during which he developed a business plan that sold more than 600 sandwiches.

“It’s certainly been an amazing year for Beach,” said Albuquerque Academy Head Track and Field Coach Adam Kedge. “It has only been outdone by his loyalty to his performance and his loyalty to his team. He is truly the epitome of the ultimate multi-sport athlete. I’ve seen him put in five-, six- or seven-hour days just training with his coaches. Then he still finds the time to be a good student and give back to his community.”

Beach has signed a National Letter of Intent to compete in track and field on scholarship at Duke University beginning this fall.

“Without question, Curtis is deserving of recognition as the nation’s best high school boys track & field athlete based on his statistics on the track and the impact his accomplishments had on Albuquerque Academy’s success,” said Gatorade Senior Vice President of Sports Marketing Jeff Urban. “But he is also a shining example to peers and aspiring young players of what a leader and a student-athlete should be. He represents everything we hope for in a Gatorade Player of the Year recipient.”

The Gatorade Player of the Year program annually recognizes one winner in the District of Columbia and each of the 50 states that sanction high school football, girls volleyball, boys and girls cross country, boys and girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, softball, and boys and girls track & field, and awards one National Player of the Year in each sport. The selection process is administered by ESPN RISE, which works with top sport-specific experts and a media advisory board of accomplished, veteran prep sports journalists to determine the state winners in each sport.

Former notable Gatorade National Players of the Year include:

• Reigning 200-meter world champion Allyson Felix
• Reigning American record-holder in the mile Alan Webb
• 2006 IAAF World Athlete of the Year and 400-meter American record-holder Sanya Richards
• NFL all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith
• Softball Olympic gold medalist Cat Osterman
• Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Peyton Manning
• Kansas City Royals ace Zach Grienke
• WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder Lisa Leslie

For more on the Gatorade Player of the Year program, including nomination information and lists of past winners and future announcement dates, visit gatorade.com/playeroftheyear.

ALL-TIME GATORADE NATIONAL BOYS TRACK & FIELD ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

YEAR NAME HIGH SCHOOL STATUS

2008-09 Curtis Beach Albuquerque Academy, High School Senior Albuquerque, NM

2007-08 German Fernandez Riverbank HS, Oklahoma State Riverbank, CA University

2006-07 Bryshon Nellum Long Beach Poly, USC Long Beach, CA

2005-06 David Klech California, University of San Ramon, CA Oregon

2004-05 Ryan Whiting Central Dauphin, Arizona State Harrisburg, PA University

2003-04 Jason Richardson Cedar Hill, Univ. of South Cedar Hill, TX Carolina

2002-03 Kerron Clement La Porte, USA Track & La Porte, TX Field/Nike

2001-02 Brendan Christian Reagan, Univ. of Houston Austin, TX Grad.

2000-01 Alan Webb South Lakes, USA Track & Reston, VA Field/Nike

1999-00 Donald Sage, Jr. York, Stanford Univ. Elmhurst, IL Grad.

1998-99 Jacob Freeman Bishop Hendricken, Manhattan College Warwick, RI Grad.

1997-98 Jon Stevens Mission San Jose, Stanford Univ. Fremont, CA Grad.

1996-97 Sharif Karie West Springfield, Univ. of Arkansas Springfield, VA Grad.

1995-96 Michael Granville Bell Gardens, UCLA Grad. Bell Gardens, CA

1994-95 Michael Stember Jesuit, USA Track & Carmichael, CA Field/Nike

1993-94 Andre Scott Seminole, Auburn Univ. Grad. Sanford, FL

1992-93 Charles Mitchell Waco High, Mississippi State Waco, TX Univ. Grad.

1991-92 Sheddric Fields South Oak Cliff, Univ. of Houston Dallas, TX Grad.

1990-91 Bryan Bronson Jasper, Rice Univ. Grad. Jasper, TX

1989-90 Brent Noon Fallbrook, Univ. of Georgia Fallbrook, CA Grad.

1988-89 Dion Bentley Penn Hills, Univ. of FloridaPittsburgh, PA Grad.

1987-88 Art Skipper, Jr. Sandy, Deceased Sandy, OR

1986-87 Kamy Keshmiri Reno, Univ. of Nevada Reno, NV Grad.

1985-86 Eric Mastalir Jesuit, Stanford Univ. Carmichael, CA Grad.

Source: Gatorade

The 46-year-old ultra-marathoner who grew up in Southern California will return – on foot – to run in the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon next Monday on Memorial Day, May 25, by running approximately 100 miles from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles on Saturday and Sunday!

“I’m an L.A. native, so I feel a certain affinity for the L.A. Marathon and I so look forward to running it every year,” he said on a video posted on YouTube on May 9. “In fact, one of my fondest memories ever is my Dad running the L.A. Marathon; he ran the inaugural L.A. Marathon and I was there to watch him cross that finish line. It left an impression on me forever.

“So the weekend of the L.A. Marathon, I’m actually going to be staying in Santa Barbara. It’s about 100 miles from Santa Barbara where I’m staying to the L.A. Marathon, so I’ll take off about 24 hours in advance to run the 100 miles. I’ll run right down the Pacific Coast Highway, right along the coast. It will be extremely beautiful, so I look forward to that. I’ll run to the Expo, actually, on Sunday and I’m going to give a talk, so if anyone wants to come listen to me talk, I’ll be at the Expo on Sunday afternoon and then I’ll probably kick about and run the Marathon with everyone on Monday. It seems like a great weekend.”

Karnazes will appear at free-to-the-public Run/Ex/09 at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. to share his experience of running down the coast over the prior 24 hours.

“My earliest recollection of running was running home from kindergarten,” he noted. “I started running at six years old.” He recalled that he ran his first marathon at age 14, but then gave it up as he matured, graduating from San Clemente High School and then majoring in food science technology at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

“I found myself in a bar on my 30th birthday,” he remembered in the video. “I said to my buddies at 11 o’clock at night, ‘I’m going to go running tonight. I’m going to run 30 miles to celebrate my 30th birthday.’ And they said, ‘You’re drunk,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I am, but I’m still going to do it.’ So I walked out of a bar at 11 at night and literally ran all night long.” That marked his return to running and he’s been on the roads ever since. “You really stretch the boundaries of the human spirit and human endurance,” he said, noting that he’s run as much as 350 miles non-stop.

Asked how many marathons he’s run, he replies that, “I stopped counting at 100; I don’t think I’ve quite run 200.” But he respects the distance and the effort required, “Completing a marathon is an incredible achievement; it’s something that 99.9% of people will never do.”

Karnazes, who lives in Marin County, isn’t planning on resting much after Monday’s L.A. Marathon, though. He’ll be on the road to race again in San Diego the next weekend.

For more information on the Los Angeles Marathon, visit www.lamarathon.com

For more information on the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, visit www.acuraLAbiketour.com

“We inspire athletes and connect communities. Anchored by the iconic Los Angeles Marathon, our three sporting events draw more than 25,000 athletes, 5,000 volunteers, and one million spectators along the route to sunny Southern California for the L.A. Marathon, the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, and our 5K Run/Walk, making race day one of the world’s largest days of participatory sport.”
~ Russ Pillar, President, Los Angeles Marathon

Source: L.A. Marathon

Saturday, May 23: Run/Ex/09

One of the largest racing expositions in the world, Run/Ex/09, will open in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. More than 140 exhibitors will offer innovative demonstrations and state-of-the-art products and services on running, health, fitness and lifestyle improvement on more than four acres of floor space. Saturday hours are from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and admission is free.

Saturday, May 23: The Carbo Load

The traditional pre-race Carbo Load dinner will be held for the first time at the ESPN Zone at L.A. Live, a short walk from the Run/Ex/09 site at the Convention Center. Tickets are $25 per person and seating is extremely limited.

Sunday, May 24: Run/Ex/09

The final day of Run/Ex/09 is the last chance to register for the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon or the Acura L.A. Bike Tour (no race-day registration) or the Los Angeles Marathon 5k Run/Walk (for which there will be race-day registration). Sunday’s Run/Ex/09 hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is free.

Monday, May 25: Los Angeles Marathon XXIV

The Los Angeles Marathon will be held for the first time on Memorial Day, with more than 35,000 participants expected to run, cycle and walk in the Marathon, Acura L.A. Bike Tour or the 5k Run/Walk.

Start times:
5:00 a.m.: Acura L.A. Bike Tour start
6:55 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon wheelchair participant start
7:00 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon hand-cycle start
7:07 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon elite women’s start
7:24 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon field start
8:30 a.m.: Los Angeles Marathon 5k Run/Walk start
8:50 a.m.: Springfield Kids Marathon start
9:45 a.m.: Awards presentation at the Los Angeles Central Library

Street closures in the downtown Los Angeles area will begin about 5:20 a.m. with all streets re-opened by 5:20 p.m.

Monday, May 25: Los Angeles Marathon Finish Line Festival

Beginning with a giant screen showing the live KNBC race broadcast, the annual Finish Line Festival will begin at 7 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. at Flower and 3rd Streets in downtown Los Angeles. Live entertainment will be offered on the K-EARTH Stage beginning at 10:30 a.m., with the Michelob Ultra Beer Garden close by plus two dozen sponsor and exhibit booths, including the Family Reunion Area.

Admission to the Finish Line Festival is free.

For more information on the Los Angeles Marathon, visit www.lamarathon.com

For more information on the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, visit www.acuraLAbiketour.com

“We inspire athletes and connect communities. Anchored by the iconic Los Angeles Marathon, our three sporting events draw more than 42,000 athletes, 12,000 volunteers, and one million spectators along the route to sunny Southern California for the L.A. Marathon, the Acura L.A. Bike Tour, and our 5K Run/Walk for Charity, making race day one of the world’s largest days of participatory sport.”

~ Russ Pillar, President, Los Angeles Marathon, L.L.C.

Source: Los Angeles Marathon, L.L.C.

At 56, Linda Quirk has undergone an amazing journey – seven marathons across seven continents in just under a year. She began her trek across the globe by running the Boston Marathon in April 2008 and has since gone on to run the Great Wall of China, Easter Island, Kenya (Safaricom), Reykjavik, and Melbourne marathons. Now she’s heading to Antarctica to run along its freezing glaciers on March 10, for what will be her seventh and final continent on her mission.

“I can’t believe it’s finally here,” says Linda Quirk. “This past year has been a whirlwind with national media, sponsorships and the support of so many incredible people.”

Linda’s goal has always been to help raise one million dollars for Caron Treatment Center’s addiction scholarship program that helps families in need get access to treatment at Caron. At close to $250,000, Linda has been able to reach a quarter of her goal, but in this economic climate, she sees this as a success.

“It’s been tough,” said Linda Quirk. “This is why we’re asking people to part with whatever they can afford, because even a little goes a long way. For example, the $250,000 raised thus far will help us put more than 20 people through Caron’s innovative treatment. People just like my stepdaughter Katherine who we almost lost to a methamphetamine addiction forever.”

Caron is a nonprofit addiction treatment center that helps those affected by alcohol and drugs and their families begin a new life. Linda’s stepdaughter, Katherine, began her journey from methamphetamine addiction to recovery at Caron Renaissance in Florida, something Linda is forever grateful for. In fact, five members of Caron’s staff have run alongside her to support this momentous initiative.

“We are honored by Linda’s efforts on Caron’s behalf,” says Missy Orlando, Executive Vice President, of Communications and Marketing at Caron Treatment Centers. “Linda’s worldwide mission, and her stepdaughter’s successful recovery, has been an inspiration to all of us.”

To document her mission, Linda launched www.Run7on7.com, a captivating Web site that has been following her adventure around the globe with video footage, media highlights and more while accepting the much-needed scholarship donations.

Linda’s been sharing the experience of helping a loved one overcome their chemical dependency on www.Run7on7.com and in public forums where she hopes to inform other families that addiction doesn’t discriminate but that there is hope for a successful recovery. Linda is also beginning the groundwork for a national recovery movement and will be making a special announcement about her plans to continue her mission to raise one million dollars for Caron sometime after Antarctica.

Physically, Linda is a far cry from your typical 56-year-old grandmother of three. She’s a trained runner who has participated in multiple marathons and triathlons around the world including Big Sur, Alaska and Berlin. She has also completed numerous extreme races including many Ironman full, half and Olympic distance triathlons, including: Ironman Florida, Long Course Worlds in Sweden, Ironman Lanzarote, Ironman World Championships, Kona, Hawaii and Ironman 70.3 Worlds in Clearwater, Florida.

To help get the word out and to support her mission, Linda has partnered with BP Products North America Inc. and SkirtSports. Currently, Linda – a member of BP’s “Team Invigorate” – is speaking on behalf of BP gasoline with Invigorate, a unique formula that helps cars run “younger for longer.” For more information about BP gasoline with Invigorate and Team Invigorate, visit bpinvigorate.com.

To learn more about Linda Quirk’s incredible story or to make a donation to her cause, log onto www.Run7on7.com.