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Lead Stories: Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Philly Distance Run Joins
ING Family of Races

Posted February 7th, 2008 at 11:10 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Road Racing

The Philadelphia Distance Run has become the latest event to join the ING family of road races, organizers announced today. This classic September half-marathon, which goes up and down the Schuylkill River, will now be known as the ING Philadelphia Distance Run.

“Elite Racing assumed management of the Philadelphia Distance Run in 2005 and has since worked hard to uphold its high standards and increase its visibility on the world’s stage, said Adam Zocks who manages the race for San Diego-based Elite Racing, Inc., a division of Competitor Group, Inc. “Our partnership with ING only adds to the prestige of the event.”

The race is consistently one of the fastest half-marathons in the United States. According to the independent Association of Road Racing Statisticians, the ING Philadelphia Distance Run has played host to three men’s world records (1982, 1985 and 1990) and two women’s world records (1983 and 1984).
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Kibet, Chepchumba Claim Victory at Philadelphia Distance Run

Posted September 19th, 2007 at 4:30 AM by Allyson Rosen

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Kenyan Julius Kibet earned top honors for the second time at Sunday’s 30th Philadelphia Distance Run, winning the men’s race in 1 hour, 2 minutes, 2 seconds. Pamela Chepchumba, also from Kenya, won the women’s race in 1:08:45, one of the world’s fastest half-marathon times for women (and the best in the U.S.) this year.

It took a few miles for the men’s professional field to warm up to the clear and cool morning, recording their first sub-five minute mile at mile three (4:52). The pack of 27 men weaved through Center City, before doubling back onto Benjamin Franklin Parkway, to the cheers of thousands of runners who were taking their initial steps on the course.
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Philadelphia Distance Run Celebrates 30th Edition on Sunday

Posted September 13th, 2007 at 1:30 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

phladelphia distance run logo Hugging the banks of the Schuykill River for most of its 21.1 kilometers, the Philadelphia Distance Run has for 30 years been consistently the fastest half-marathon in the United States.

According to the Association of Road Racing Statisticians, the Distance Run has three times been the scene of the men’s half-marathon world record, and twice the venue for the women’s. The first occasion was in 1982 when Kenyan Michael Musyoki ran 1:01:36. Three years later, American Marc Curp ran 1:00:55 which was until just last January the North American half-marathon record (broke by Ryan Hall). In 1990 Mexican Dionicio Ceron lowered the mark to 1:00:46. On the women’s side, Joan Benoit Samuelson, the 1984 Olympic Marathon gold medalist, set third half-marathon world record in Philadelphia with a 1:09:10 clocking in 1983. She followed up the next year with an even better mark of 1:08:34.

But it’s the sheer volume of fast times in Philadelphia which has given this race its well-earned reputation for speed. In the 29 previous editions men have broken 61 minutes five times and 61:30 20 times. On the women’s side, 69 minutes has been broken three times and 70 minutes ten times. The list of previous winners include some of the sport’s best-ever athletes: Deena Kastor (2005), Catherine Ndereba (1996, ‘98, ‘99, 2000, ‘01 and ‘02), Benoit Samuelson (1983, ‘84, and ‘85), Khalid Khannouchi (1997, ‘99, and 2000), Steve Jones (1988), and Rod Dixon (1980, ‘81) to name a few.
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