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 2000 Olympic Gold Medalist Challenges Women's Returning Champion Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon presented by SunTrust from Elite Racing August 23, 2005 (updated 8/29/5) Virginia Beach, VA Read about the 2004 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon.
Fueling the competition will be an elevated prize purse for
winners, with increased emphasis on time bonuses. The race,
which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, already boasts the
largest half marathon prize purse outside of the IAAF World
Championships. Both the male and female winners each earn
$12,000 for their victories and prize money is awarded to
the top 10 finishers. Along with a $10,000 world record bonus
(m: 59:17, w: 66:44), there is $5,000 on the line for an
American record (m: 60:55, w: 68:34) and $5,000 for an American
soil record (m: 60:27, w: 68:30). The course record bonus has been increased, awarding $3,000 to
the male who can lower Martin Lel's mark of 61:27 set in
2003 and Margaret Okayo's 69:17 also set in '03. Additional
bonuses will be awarded to the first male who runs sub 60:30
($2,000) and first under 61:00 ($1,000), and the first female
who runs sub 68:35 ($2,000) and sub 69:00 ($1,000). Following Takahashi's Olympic gold performance, she earned
instant celebrity in her homeland. She then magnified her
elite status when she broke the world record in 2001 at the
Berlin Marathon, simultaneously becoming the first woman to
break the 2:20:00 time barrier. New addition to field (8/29/5): Werknesh Kidane will
make her half marathon debut in
Virginia Beach on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2005. The 23-year-old
Ethiopian is stepping up in distance after proving
herself as a cross-country powerhouse with eight IAAF World
Cross Country Championship medals to her
name. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Kidane proved her prowess on the
track finishing fourth in the 10,000 meters in
a time of 30:28.30. It is the combination of talents on the
track and in cross-country that makes Elite Racing's
athlete coordinator, Mike Long, believe Kidane will be the next
great Ethiopian marathoner. "She has the credentials on and off the track, and she could
very likely leave Virginia Beach having run the
fastest time ever on American soil," Long said. Kenyan Margaret Atodonyang, 32, returns to Virginia Beach to
better her second place finish in 2003. And, the 23-year-
old Russian newcomer Tatyana Chulakh is sure to make a splash
along the beach. Recently, Chulakh made her half
marathon debut at the America's Finest City Half Marathon
(8/14; San Diego, Calif.) winning in 1:13:36 and beating
Kenyan Anastasia Ndereba by almost three minutes. On the men's side, Kenyans rule the field in Virginia Beach.
Haron Toroitich returns in 2005 after inching out fellow
countryman Joshua Chelanga at the finish in 2004. Both were
timed in 1:01:55. With last year's win, the 26 year-old
Toroitich earned the $12,000 first place check along with a
$25,000 musical marathon bonus awarded to the athlete who
won both the 2004 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
(1/11/04) and any of the other three musical races
staged by Elite Racing that year. Joining the Kenyan arsenal are tough-as-nails Christoper
Cheboiboch, 27, who won the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon (2:09:17)
in San Diego in June while battling flu-like symptoms, and
youngster James Kwambai who holds the fastest half
marathon time in the men's field at 60:22. Among the 11 Kenyans in the men's field stands Ethiopian
Tekeste Kebede, and the American Celedonio Rodriquez.
Kebede, who has all the running skills to win in Virginia
Beach, will be seeking to improve on his 11th place finish from
2003. For Rodriquez, the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon will be an
opportunity to compete against the toughest field this
young runner has experienced thus far in his career. This year the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon welcomes more than
20,000 runners and walkers on Sept. 4. To learn more
about the half marathon and the prize purse, see the event Web
site: www.rnrhalf.com or call 800-311-1255
Elite Athlete Rosters as of August 23, 2005
2005 Men's Elite Open Field
NAME AGE COUNTRY BEST FACT/COMMENT
Haron Toroitich 27 KEN 60:53 1st '04 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon,
1st '04 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll AZ Marathon
Paul Kirui 25 KEN 60:52 2004 World Half Marathon Champion
Christopher Cheboiboch 27 KEN 60:33 1st '05 Coca-Cola Zero Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
James Mwangi 22 KEN 61:28 1st '04 Sapporo Half Marathon
James Kwambai 22 KEN 60:22 1st '05 San Blas Half, 1st '05 Bogota Half(CR)
Tekeste Kebede 26 ETH 62:59 3rd '05 RNR Marathon, 4th '05 San BlasHalf
Araya Haregot 24 ETH 63:02 1st '05 Salt Lake City Marathon
Yusuf Songoka 25 KEN 60:53 1st '04 South Africa Half, 6th '03 World Half
John Korir 29 KEN 61:00 2005 World's Best 10K & Lilac Bloomsday
Nephat Kinyanjui 28 KEN 63:33 1st 2005 Country Music Marathon
Ronald Mogaka 27 KEN 51:25 3rd '05 Litchfield 7 Mile, 2nd '04 Indy Half Mar
Celedonio Rodriguez 24 USA 65:59 6th '05 Mount Sac 10,000m (hometown Colorado)
Julius Kibet 23 KEN 61:18 1st '04 Jefferson Hosp. Philadelphia Distance Run
James Koskei 36 KEN 62:07 5th '05 Beach to Beacon, 7th '05 Cape Cod Marathon
Hironori Arai 25 JPN 61:58
Yoichiro Akiyama 25 JPN 61:58
Shinichi Watanabe 28 JPN 62:38
Michinori Takano 23 JPN 62:50
William Chebor 22 KEN 64:02 6th '05 Falmouth, 6th '05 Beach to Beacon
Photo above by Victah, www.photorun.net: Haron Toroitich of Kenya was the men's winner in 2004 in the closest finish for the event, with Joshua Chelanga also timed in 1:01:55.
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