|
SAN FRANCISCO - (August 1, 2004) - San
Francisco's patented mid-summer cool and mild conditions were
made to order for the 27th Anniversary San Francisco Chronicle
Marathon on Sunday. Approximately 7,800 runners and walkers
participated in the featured 26.2-mile marathon, marathon
relay, two half-marathons and 5K run.
Leading the way in the marathon were victors John Weru of
Kenya and Susan Loken of Phoenix, Ariz. Weru won the men's
race in 2 hours, 33 minutes and 41 seconds. Loken topped the
women in 2:50:21. They led 3,278 marathon starters in an event
that starts and finishes on San Francisco's historic waterfront
and tours many of the city's scenic attractions.
Both the men's and women's winners breezed to relatively
unchallenged wins. Weru, 24, who resides and trains in nearby
Mountain View, Calif. with three other Kenyans, led from the
starting gun and never faltered over the moderately hilly
course. Now, he joins his roommate Patrick Kamau, who won
last year's race, as a San Francisco Chronicle Marathon champion.
Weru held company with several of the top men in the accompanying
half-marathon race for 13.1 miles of the 26.2-mile distance.
He hit halfway in 1 hour and 13 minutes. But, over the more
hilly second half, Weru was alone. Jonah Backstrom, 30, of
San Francisco, finished second almost two minutes behind at
2:35:39. Vitas Ezerskis, 43, also of San Francisco, was third
in 2:43:36. Ezerskis, who placed second overall last year,
also successfully defended his masters (age 40 and over) title.
"I'm pleased with my time because mostly I ran the race
alone," said Weru, who also won this year's Lake Tahoe
Marathon. "I'm happy because I was running to win. But
you really need to have some company on the course to run
a fast time."
Weru finished short of the men's course record of 2:31:46
set by Nate Bowen in 2002.
Loken, 41, however, missed Magdalena Lewy's women's course
record of 2:50:11, set in 2002 by just 10 seconds.
"My objective was to run the first half easy and then
kick it into my goal marathon pace, and I think I achieved
it," said Loken who qualified for and finished 31st in
this year's U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials race in 2:44:20.
"I would have liked to have gotten the record; I gave
it a shot."
Behind Loken, Yukiko Nishida, 42, of Rye, New York placed
second in 3:10:30. Cheryl Tronson, 46, of Bend, Ore. was third
in 3:13:45.
For their winning efforts Weru earned $1,000 as the overall
men's winner and Loken pocketed a dandy $2,000 for the women's
overall and women's masters victories. A total prize purse
of $10,000 was distributed in the marathon and half-marathons.
In addition to the marathon, the event offered two half-marathons.
Participants selected which half-marathon they wanted to run,
negotiating either the first 13.1 miles or second 13.1 miles
of the marathon course. The winners of the "first"
half-marathon were James Sheremeta (1:13:30), 40, of La Jolla,
Calif. and Eileen White (1:31:47), 41, of Piedmont, Calif.
Peter Gilmore, 27, of Menlo Park, Calif. successfully defended
his men's title in the "second" half-marathon in
1:04:13. Robin Shank, 33, of San Francisco was the second
half-marathon women's winner in 1:30:43.
In the accompanying 5K race, San Franciscan Sean Drake, 20,
took the men's crown in 16:13 and Michelle Gallagher, 18,
of Daly City, Calif. topped women in 18:01.
The marathon's unique "Cause to Run" program allows
participants to pledge support to any of the event's official
charity organizations, raise funds and earn pledge prizes
by participating in any of the running/walking events. Last
year, race participants raised over $110,000 for local charities
that provide valuable and much-needed services for the community.
The 2004 Chronicle Marathon is sponsored by the San Francisco
Chronicle, sfadobe.com, EnergyWell Natural Foods, KPIX Channel
5, KCBS All News 740 am, Organs 'R' Us, Clairol Natural Instincts,
Chiquita, GU2O Sports Drink, GU Energy Gel, UCSF Medical Center,
Hyatt Regency San Francisco, the San Francisco Municipal Railway,
the San Francisco Recreation & Parks Department and the
Port of San Francisco.
For results and more, go to the race website at: www.ChronicleMarathon.com
source Running USA wire
|
