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|  Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Brings Music to Virginia Beach Story from Running USA August 9, 2002 (Updated 8/23/2) Virginia Beach, VA Washington Running Report
As reigning American distance queen, Drossin has up held a
record-breaking
season following last year's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon win.
Her 7th place
finish, 2:26:58 and American debut-record at the 2001 New York
City Marathon
catapulted her to the top of the road racing community as an
international
elite. The Team USA California athlete and U.S. Olympian
continued her
sovereignty by setting a world record (14:54) at the 2002
Carlsbad 5000 and
winning a silver medal at the 2002 World Cross Country
Championships in
Dublin. In addition to Drossin, Team USA California teammate Jen Rhines
makes her
debut at this year's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. Rhines, also a
2000
Olympian, won the 2002 USA 10,000m national title and took 4th
at the 2002
U.S. 8K Cross Country Championships. She is joined by Kim
Fitchen, who took
4th in the 2002 USA 10,000m Championship. Fitchen debuted at the 2002 San Diego Half Marathon (72:32),
ranking her 2nd
in the U.S. She finished 2001-ranked 2nd in the 10,000m and
competed for the
U.S. at the Goodwill Games. Rounding out this strong American field is Sylvia Mosqueda.
Mosqueda, who
has
been running for over 20 years, recently won the 2002 America's
Finest City
Half Marathon with a time of 72:34. "Having four of the top American women amongst the competing
elites is truly
exciting," said Mike Long, Elite Athlete Coordinator for the
Rock 'n' Roll
Half Marathon. "All women are preparing for fall marathons and
should give
great performances right to the finish." Drossin, Rhines and Fitchen are all running the Chicago Marathon
on October
13, with both Rhines and Fitchen debuting, while Mosqueda runs
the New York
City Marathon a few weeks later. "With all the women right in
the thick of
things, competition should be intense," stated Mike Long.
At last year's Inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, Hoff
averaged 4:45 per mile to win in 61:11. Shadrack's core
competition for the 2002 run will come from Kenya's John Gwako,
who took 2nd at last year's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon only a
second behind Hoff, and Gharib Jaouad of Morocco, who placed 2nd
this year at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in
Brussels. On the women's side, Deena Drossin's win at the 2001 Rock 'n'
Roll Half Marathon began a record breaking season for the 29-
year-old. Her 7th place, 2:26:58, American debut-record at the
2001 New York City Marathon sustained her status as a top
international elite of the road racing community. The Team USA
California athlete continued her sovereignty by setting a world
record (14:54) at the 2002 Carlsbad 5000 and winning a silver
medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Dublin. "It's always gratifying to have last year's champions return,"
said Mike Long, Elite Athlete Coordinator for the Rock 'n' Roll
Half Marathon. "Deena and Shadrack are not only great athletes,
but also charismatic spokespeople for our sport. We're proud to
have them back." Drossin will face tough competition from Kenya's Margaret Okayo
(68:51), the 2001 New York City and 2002 Boston Marathon
champion and course record holder; who knows a thing or two
about rock 'n' roll having won two straight Suzuki Rock 'n' Roll
Marathon titles in San Diego (2000-'01). Okayo finished a
disappointing 3rd at last year's inaugural Rock 'n' Roll Half
Marathon and is looking to strike back this year. "Within the next few weeks we expect to have some dramatic
announcements regarding the elite athlete fields," said Mike
Long. "It is our goal to assemble the finest field of
international and American athletes ever on American soil." Both Hoff and Drossin have experienced tribulations leading
up
to this year's race. Hoff has had visa problems trying to get
back into the country, and is not expected to arrive in the
States until late this month. Drossin put a halt to her summer racing schedule after the USA
Outdoor Championships in Palo Alto late this June. Drossin's
coach, Joe Vigil, felt Drossin had become a little stale after a
year of peak performances beginning with her victory in last
year's Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon. The lack of racing before
Virginia Beach makes them both susceptible to sharp competition. The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon starts on 19th Street at the
Virginia Beach Pavilion Convention Center and finishes on the
oceanfront boardwalk at 4th. For optimal television coverage and
spectator viewing, the women's invitational field will start at
6:45 a.m., 15 minutes before the men's invitational field and
the official start. The course will be lined with 20 live bands and 14 local high
school cheer squads. Following the race, participants will be
treated to an evening concert at 5th Street Stage featuring LIVE
with special guest Cracker.For more information on the
Rock 'n'
Roll Half Marathon, contact Elite Racing, Inc. at 5452 Oberlin
Dr. Suite B, San Diego, CA 92121, call 800/311-1255, or visit
the website Rock 'n' Roll Half
Elite Athletes Scheduled to Compete in Virginia Beach:
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