Goo Goo Dolls to Play Post-Race Concert
Registration for the third annual Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach is officially closed, announced Elite Racing, Inc., producer of the event. The 15,000 spaces for the August 31, 2003 race have been filled; there will be no lottery or waiting list this year, all entries were taken on a first-come, first-served basis.

Race promoters also announced that the Goo Goo Dolls will be the headliner band for the post-race concert. All race participants receive free admission to the concert, which takes place on a massive stage on the beach adjacent to the Boardwalk at 5th Street. The Goo Goo Dolls' fourth major record label release, Gutterflower, has been burning up the radio waves since its release last spring, adding to the band's impressive six million in world-wide sales from previous albums.

A limited number of entries for the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon are still available through Team In Training, the event's official fundraising and training program. Team In Training participants receive a fitness program, expert coaching, a support team of runners and walkers, entry into the half marathon, and travel and accommodations in Virginia Beach. In exchange, participants raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to fund research and patient aid programs. For information, call (800) 482-TEAM or visit www.teamintraining.org.

"We've had a tremendous response for the event again this year," said Race Director Tim Murphy. "The first two Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathons received fantastic reviews from participants and spectators, and last year we raised $1.9 million for cancer research. We're hoping to recruit even more Team In Training participants this year so that we can continue to help The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in finding a cure for these devastating diseases."

The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon is patterned after the popular Suzuki Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in San Diego and the Country Music Marathon & Half Marathon in Nashville, featuring an assortment of live bands staged approximately every mile of the 13.1-mile course to provide runners and spectators with continuous entertainment.

The race offers a fast and flat seaside course, stretching through one of America's most scenic beach resort communities. Runners and walkers will start the race at the Pavilion Convention Center and finish with a spectacular post-race party on the boardwalk. That evening, race participants receive free entry to a concert by the Goo Goo Dolls. This concert is part of the Verizon Wireless American Music Festival, a Labor Day Weekend festival of concerts to which all race participants receive free admission. Additional tickets for the Goo Goo Dolls can be purchased by visiting the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon Web site or calling Elite Racing at (800) 311-1255.

In the past two years, the half marathon has attracted some of the fastest runners in the world. This year's elite athletes will vie for more than $80,000 in cash and prizes--making this the largest half marathon purse in the U.S. The event will be televised locally on WAVY TV and nationally on FOX Sports Net.

For more information on the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon, visit www.RnRHalf.com or call (858) 450-6510.