Record-Breaking 2012 Williams Route 66 Marathon Sets The Pace
Registration for 2013 race weekend now open; early-bird discounts available for marathon and half marathon
Tulsa, Okla. (Nov. 26, 2011) – In its seventh year, more than 10,000 runners and walkers descended upon downtown Tulsa for the annual Williams Route 66 Marathon presented by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. For the first time in its history, the marathon, half marathon and marathon relay sold out before race weekend.
“Participant feedback from the event has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Chris Lieberman, executive director of Tulsa Route 66 Marathon, Inc. “While we are so pleased to be growing quickly from year to year, our primary focus is to make sure our racers have the best experience possible from registration through the finish line party.”
Highlights of the 2012 Williams Route 66 Marathon race weekend include:
· Camille Herron’s 2:48:51 marathon finish wearing a pink Spiderman costume, making her both the fastest female in the race and the Guinness Book world record holder for running a marathon in a superhero costume. Herron shattered her goal of 3:08:55.
· Rogene “Ronnie” Ashford’s “flashlight finish” of her first marathon, coming in just under her 12-hour goal and receiving a surprise finish line party with a police escort, music and a cheering line of race directors, friends and family who watched her cross the line and receive her “My First Marathon” finisher medal. Even though the official race ended hours earlier, Ronnie, a U.S. Navy veteran, said there was no way she was not going to finish what she set out to do, and that was to finish her first marathon to honor fellow veterans.
· Mason Harvey, 13, received the 2012 Kjell Tovander Award after losing 85 pounds through diet and exercise and founded Strivefor85 to inspire others to get healthy. Harvey and his two brothers ran the 5K race on Saturday and talked with many local school children on hand at the finish line about Harvey’s accomplishments. The Tovander Award is named in memory of Kjell Tovander who died at the age of 21 while trying to complete the 2008 Williams Route 66 Half Marathon.
· Eitan Hermon, an Israeli runner and amputee who runs with a prosthetic leg below the knee, finished in 3:18:05 in the seventh marathon he’s run since losing his leg in the second Lebanese War. Hermon’s long-rang goal is to qualify for the 2016 Paralympics Games in Rio.
· Scot Barco popped the question to girlfriend and fellow Marathon Maniac, Sandy Hugill, at the Center of the Universe Detour. Hugill said yes and the betrothed couple crossed the finish line together with hearty congratulations from the race announcer and onlookers.
The Williams Route 66 Marathon is known for its award-winning finisher medals. The 2012 family of medals included medals for the Half Fanatics, Marathon Maniacs, and the 50 States Marathon Club. These clubs, with members from across the country and the world, cater to runners who run multiple marathons or half marathons, either in specified time frames or across the 50 states. Members of each club who registered for the Williams Route 66 Marathon or half marathon before September 1 received a special finisher medal, designating the runner as either a member of the Half Fanatics, Marathon Maniacs or 50 States Marathon Club.
The 2012 collection of medals draws on the history of Route 66 while incorporating the modern aspect of the race. Organizers use design elements of classic cars reminiscent of the Mother Road while designing the medals. The 2012 medal design was inspired by the 1936 Dodge pickup truck hood ornament.
The Williams Route 66 Marathon continued its tradition of giving “My First Marathon” medals to anyone finishing their first marathon at the Williams Route 66 race. This feature attracts marathon rookies from across the country. More than 625 runners completed their first 26.2 mile journey at this year’s Williams Route 66 Marathon.
“Being able to say you’ve completed a marathon is a huge achievement and one that deserves special recognition,” said Lieberman. “The months, sometimes years, it takes to prepare to cross the finish line is a life-changing experience for many people and we want them to have a medal that reflects that accomplishment.”
The Williams Route 66 Marathon has become a favorite among marathon enthusiasts, and organizers went great to lengths to make sure these endurance athletes who travel in droves felt well taken care of during race weekend. Maniac Corner offered members of the Marathon Maniacs, the 50 States Marathon Club and the Half Fanatics a special hospitality area, including food, drinks, and a private gear check area. The Maniac Corner tent drew runners from across the country to the Williams Route 66 Marathon, even playing host to the 50 States Club’s national reunion this year.
Once again, the Center of the Universe Detour offered runners a unique opportunity to run an extra 0.3-mile jaunt on the marathon course to visit Tulsa’s historic Center of the Universe. The distinctive quality of the landmark is an eerie echo that is heard by someone standing in the center of a brick circle. Participants who stand at the center of the brick circle and talk will hear the echo, but others outside the circle will not be able to hear it. Music, beer and a raucous crowd greeted racers who elected to take the detour.
More than 47 percent of this year’s marathoners participated in the Center of the Universe Detour and received a 2.5-inch commemorative coin and free beer courtesy of Michelob Ultra to mark the occasion. The fastest male and female racers to complete the 26.5 course, which includes the detour, are crowned Mr. and Ms. Center of the Universe Detour. This year’s winners are Casey Lajaunie from Katy, Texas, who finished in 2:33:26 and Allyson Weimer, of Washington, Okla., who completed the course in 3:15:27.
New this year was the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma Corporate Challenge. More than 600 employees from 19 companies competed in against one another in teams in the categories of participation, fundraising and performance to win the BCBSOK Corporate Challenge Cup. The 2012 winners in each division will be announced in early December. All money raised through the BCBSOK Corporate Challenge benefits the Tulsa Area United Way.
Many race participants used their race training as a way to raise money for Tulsa-area residents in need. The Williams Route 66 Marathon partnered with the Tulsa Area United Way through the Run United program to raise money for the many agencies that help Green Country families and community members. Run United fundraising for the TAUW continues through Nov. 30, 2012.
Registration for the 2013 Route 66 Marathon, scheduled for Nov. 23-24 in Tulsa, Okla., opened Nov. 19, 2012. Early registration discounts are available to the first 200 registrants for the marathon and the first 300 people to register for the half marathon. To register, please visit www.route66marathon.com.
CONTACT:
Ashley Fuller, Saxum, (918) 740-9415
Kristin Ware, Kazoo Marketing and Communications – (918) 527-0617
About the Williams Route 66 Marathon
The Williams Route 66 Marathon weekend is presented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma, and takes place in Tulsa, Okla., each year on the Saturday and Sunday before Thanksgiving. The eighth annual Route 66 Marathon will be held Nov. 23-24, 2013. and will included a two-day health, fitness and sustainability expo, marathon, half marathon, five-person marathon relay, 5K run and walk, one-mile fun run and walk and a Mascot Dash. Post-race activities include live music and fun for the entire family. The Williams Route 66 Marathon is committed to sustainability and is the only event in Oklahoma to earn the ReSport Certification from the Council for Responsible Sport for its green practices. To learn more about the events, sponsoring, training or volunteering, please visit www.route66marathon.com or e-mail questions to info@route66marathon.com. To learn more about the events, sponsorship opportunities, training or volunteering, please e-mail info@route66marathon.com, or visit www.route66marathon.com.
