AUSTIN, Texas – August 11, 2008 – Premiering this year, the Roger Beasley Porsche Sub 2 Challenge, powered by RunTex, will award $100,000 to the team that can set a record pace at the Silicon Labs Austin Marathon Relay on September 21 and clock a final time of less than two hours on the 26.2 mile course.  If the world's best athletes come together to meet this challenge, it will be the fastest time ever recorded in this type of race format.

 

 "Like many of the athletes that will sign up for this event, we're driven by a love for speed and performance," said Bruce Ballard, general manager, Roger Beasley Porsche.  

 

The $100,000 Roger Beasley Porsche Sub 2 Challenge is the largest single cash prize ever offered for a five person marathon relay.

 

"We introduced the Roger Beasley Porsche Sub 2 $100,000 challenge to encourage participation by elite athletes and to provide spectators an opportunity to see these athletes compete in a unique event," said Dave Swincher, president of Junior Achievement of Central Texas and race organizer. "Already a fun, family oriented event ideal for runners of all levels, this Challenge makes the Silicon Labs Relay a cornerstone running event."

 

Relay teams attempting to win the $100,000 challenge will need to maintain an average four and a half minute per mile pace on a road course that traverses downtown Austin, with a central exchange at famed Auditorium Shores on Lady Bird Lake. The race is broken into five legs run in the following order:  10K, 11.1K, 11.1K, 5K, 5K. The current course record of 2:21.46 is held by Team Jack and Adams, an Austin-based team that is a two time champion of the event.

 

In its fourth year, the Silicon Labs Marathon Relay draws a crowd of 2,000 runners and their families each year. Ranked by the Austin American-Statesman as one of Austin's favorite races, the event benefits Junior Achievement, a non-profit organization committed to helping young people develop financial literacy.

 

Some additional highlights of the 2008 Silicon Labs Austin Marathon Relay include:

The Silicon Labs Austin Marathon Relay is sponsored by Silicon Laboratories and RunTex.  Additional sponsors include 1379, American Airlines, Brooks, Dos Equis, El Arroyo, Fulbright and Jaworski, L.L.P, HEB, Humana, News8, Roger Beasley Porsche, Rockford Business Interiors , Third Rail Creative,  and Waggener Edstrom Worldwide.

 

Runners looking to enter this challenge can get more information at www.RunTex.com .  

For final rules about the challenge, please visit: http://www.austinmarathonrelay.com/sub2rules.php.

For general information on this event, please visit www.austinmarathonrelay.com.   

 

Silicon Laboratories is an industry leader in the innovation of mixed-signal semiconductors that allow the analog world we live in to interact with the digital world of computing. Silicon Labs is committed to sharing the company's success with the community, specifically education programs that help develop math and science skills among young people. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Silicon Labs has design, engineering, marketing, sales and applications offices throughout North America, Europe and Asia. For more information about Silicon Laboratories, please visit www.silabs.com.

 

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement offers in-school and after-school programs for students in grades K-12. JA programs focus on seven key content areas: business, citizenship, economics, entrepreneurship, ethics/character, financial literacy and career development. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

Roger Beasley Porsche is a new, certified pre-owned, and used Porsche dealer serving Austin, Texas and offering a wide selection of luxury cars. For more information, visit www.porscheaustin.com.

 

RunTex Events develops and services hundreds of runs, triathlons, duathlons and walks in the Central Texas region. RunTex Events helps build events that provide a platform to raise awareness and money for non-profits and community connection for the business sector.  For more information, visit www.runtex.com.

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Note to editors: All products and service names are the property of their respective owners.

 

MEDIA CONTACTS: Shannon Pleasant, Shannon.pleasant@silabs, 512/825-5742

                                    Katie Ryan, kryan@waggeneredstrom.com, 512/527-7032

 

Sub2 ATHLETE CONTACT: Bob Wischnia, wish@runtex.com