Austin Marathon and Half Marathon Adds $40,000 of Elite Athlete Support
Austin Marathon and Half Marathon Adds $40,000 of Elite Athlete Support
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 2, 2013
AUSTIN MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON® PRESENTED BY FREESCALE ADDS ELITE FIELD, $40,000+ OF ELITE ATHLETE SUPPORT
AUSTIN, Texas – The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon® Presented by Freescale has reintroduced an elite field and added $40,000 in prize money, bonuses, and elite athlete supports to its 2014 event, to be held February 16 in Texas’s capital city. Distance aces from around the country will compete for separate prize purses in both the marathon and the half marathon races in the 23rd annual edition.
“The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon has had a long tradition of supporting elite
athletes in their quest for national and world class performances,” says Race Director
John Conley. “After a few years away from the elite athlete side of the sport, I’m very
happy to buck the industry trend and re-introduce a prize purse to our event, and I
look forward to seeing some fast, competitive finishes from elites both emerging and
established at the front of our field in 2014.”
In addition to their race day pavement-pounding duties, athletes in the invited elite field
will appear in schools and at the Expo in the days leading up to the race. “We believe
that elite endurance sports athletes are role models for a healthy lifestyle,” said Conley,
“and we plan for them to share their stories with the entire community. Running or
walking at any speed is a wonderful way to stay healthy and fit throughout life, and elite
athletes are great ambassadors for this message."
Men and women will compete for three-deep prize money in both the marathon and the
half marathon, including a $3,000 first-place prize for the marathon winners. Additionally, any athlete breaking the existing course records of 2:14:02 for the men and 2:36:26 for the women will receive a $5,000 course record bonus. If the records go un-broken, this bonus will roll over to 2015, making the course record bonuses $10,000 in that year.
The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon will announce its elite fields as athletes are confirmed this fall. All elite athletes are subject to drug testing. For more information on the prize purse breakdown for the 2014 races, view the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon “Elite Info” page at www.youraustinmarathon.com/elites.
About the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon® Presented by Freescale
The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon is one of the largest combined marathon annual edition of the event and half marathons in the United States. It has hosted runners from all 50 states and more than 30 countries around the world. The race began as the Motorola Marathon in1992 with 605 marathon runners and in 2013 hosted more than 15,000 runners in the marathon and half marathon categories. The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon has a Silver Certification for sustainability efforts from the Council for Responsible Sport and continues to be among the most environmentally friendly public event in the country. In its 22-year history, the race has helped nonprofits raise more than $5 million to support their causes. The 2014 race will take place on Sunday, February 16. For more information, visit www.youraustinmarathon.com.
Media Contact:
John Conley
512.476.7223
elite@youraustinmarathon.com
October 2, 2013
AUSTIN MARATHON AND HALF MARATHON® PRESENTED BY FREESCALE ADDS ELITE FIELD, $40,000+ OF ELITE ATHLETE SUPPORT
AUSTIN, Texas – The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon® Presented by Freescale has reintroduced an elite field and added $40,000 in prize money, bonuses, and elite athlete supports to its 2014 event, to be held February 16 in Texas’s capital city. Distance aces from around the country will compete for separate prize purses in both the marathon and the half marathon races in the 23rd annual edition.
“The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon has had a long tradition of supporting elite
athletes in their quest for national and world class performances,” says Race Director
John Conley. “After a few years away from the elite athlete side of the sport, I’m very
happy to buck the industry trend and re-introduce a prize purse to our event, and I
look forward to seeing some fast, competitive finishes from elites both emerging and
established at the front of our field in 2014.”
In addition to their race day pavement-pounding duties, athletes in the invited elite field
will appear in schools and at the Expo in the days leading up to the race. “We believe
that elite endurance sports athletes are role models for a healthy lifestyle,” said Conley,
“and we plan for them to share their stories with the entire community. Running or
walking at any speed is a wonderful way to stay healthy and fit throughout life, and elite
athletes are great ambassadors for this message."
Men and women will compete for three-deep prize money in both the marathon and the
half marathon, including a $3,000 first-place prize for the marathon winners. Additionally, any athlete breaking the existing course records of 2:14:02 for the men and 2:36:26 for the women will receive a $5,000 course record bonus. If the records go un-broken, this bonus will roll over to 2015, making the course record bonuses $10,000 in that year.
The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon will announce its elite fields as athletes are confirmed this fall. All elite athletes are subject to drug testing. For more information on the prize purse breakdown for the 2014 races, view the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon “Elite Info” page at www.youraustinmarathon.com/elites.
About the Austin Marathon and Half Marathon® Presented by Freescale
The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon is one of the largest combined marathon annual edition of the event and half marathons in the United States. It has hosted runners from all 50 states and more than 30 countries around the world. The race began as the Motorola Marathon in1992 with 605 marathon runners and in 2013 hosted more than 15,000 runners in the marathon and half marathon categories. The Austin Marathon and Half Marathon has a Silver Certification for sustainability efforts from the Council for Responsible Sport and continues to be among the most environmentally friendly public event in the country. In its 22-year history, the race has helped nonprofits raise more than $5 million to support their causes. The 2014 race will take place on Sunday, February 16. For more information, visit www.youraustinmarathon.com.
Media Contact:
John Conley
512.476.7223
elite@youraustinmarathon.com