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Lead Stories: Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Browne Headlines Twin Cities Marathon

Posted September 20th, 2008 at 9:45 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Returning to the race where he began his marathon career, Dan Browne will try to win his second USA marathon title at the 27th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 5. It was at this race in 2002 where Browne ran his first –and still fastest– marathon in 2:11:35, winning both the U.S. and overall race titles.

His key challengers in Minneapolis this year include Justin Young (2:13:54), Fernando Cabada (2:12:27), Matt Downin (2:14:35) and Fasil Bizuneh (2:16:47). Organizers reported that six of the top-25 finishers at last November’s Olympic Trials marathon in New York are in the field.
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3-Time Champ Loken to Lead Trio of Elite Masters Women at More Marathon on Apr 6

Posted March 28th, 2008 at 10:00 AM by Martin Kennedy

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Masters

more magazine marathon logo A trio of leading women over the age of 40 will headline a field of more than 7,000 runners expected to compete in the More® Magazine Marathon + Half-Marathon on Sunday, April 6, in New York’s Central Park, it was announced today by Mary Wittenberg, president and CEO of New York Road Runners. The fifth-annual event is the world’s first marathon exclusively for women over 40.

susan loken masters marathon runner Two-time Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier Kelly Keeler Ramacier of St. Paul, MN, will take on the hills of Central Park for the first time in the marathon. Three-time defending More Marathon champion Susan Loken of Phoenix, AZ, will put in her final miles before competing in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Marathon on Sunday, April 20. Loken will team with reigning USA masters cross country champion Jody Hawkins of Frisco, TX, in the half-marathon. Runners will be vying for a $12,000 total prize purse, with the marathon winner and the top half-marathon team each earning $2,000.
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Ukrainian Mykola Antonenko Dominates 26th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon

Posted October 8th, 2007 at 8:10 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Marathons

After leading the pack from the start, Mykola Antonenko increased the overall pack pace by mile two. Ed Eyestone called the race for the elite men in the lead vehicle ahead of the pack. According to Eyestone, Augustus Kavutu Mbusya put on the heat between miles 5 and 6, but Antonenko broke away at mile 7. By the half-marathon mark, race officials say he maintained at least a minute lead ahead of the rest of the pack, finishing with a time of 2:13:54.

Antonenko said he was happy with his race, but didn’t achieve his goal today. “Psychologically it’s hard to do your goal time by yourself. If I had a group of people pulling me, I could have reached my 2:11 goal,” he said.

“It was a gutsy, courageous effort on his part to go for it on day that was a bit warm,” said Eyestone. Joseph Mutinda finished second with a time of 2:20:12 and Mbusya was third with a time of 2:21:13.
2007 medtronic twin cities marathon champions mykola antonenko svetnalna Ponomarenko
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Past Champions Headline Twin Cities Marathon; Prize purse exceeds $300k

Posted September 19th, 2007 at 8:02 AM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Past Twin Cities Marathon champions Augustus Kavutu, Kim Pawelek, Irina Bogacheva, women’s course record holder Zina Semenova and two-time defending USA Masters champion Susan Loken are set to return to compete for more than $300,000 in prize money at the 26th Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, October 7, 2007.
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NYC Half-Marathon releases elite fields; NYRR once again draws world’s best

Posted August 1st, 2007 at 4:33 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

The New York Road Runners released the elite fields for Sunday’s second annual NYC Half-Marathon presented by NIKE. NOTE: TheFinalSprint.com will feature videos of every pre- and post-race press conference, one-on-one video & audio interviews with top elites, and of course, LIVE coverage of the race itself!)

Led by two-time Olympic gold medalist, Haile Gebrselassie, the men’s field has three athletes who have broken one hour for the half-marathon distance, and a total of 11 men who have run 62:23 or better.

Catherine Ndereba, the 2003 world marathon champion who won the inaugural NYC Half-Marathon last year, headlines the women’s field. She’s just one of seven women who have broken the 71 minute barrier (three have run sub-70 minutes).

Former world marathon record holder, Khalid Khannouchi, was forced to withdraw from the race citing a mechanical problem in his stride which had been causing a burning sensation in the ball of his right foot, race officials reported. He and wife Sandra have flown to Barcelona to see an orthodics specialist.
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Note on the News: “Marathon Mom” Susan Loken Profiled

Posted July 31st, 2007 at 7:30 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

WABC-TV in New York City went out to Phoenix, Ariz., and shot a feature on Susan Loken, 44, the three-time champion of the More Magazine Marathon, in advance of Sunday’s NYC Half-Marathon presented by NIKE.

Loken, a mother of three, didn’t start running until she was 36 years-old. She won the USA masters marathon title in 2005 and 2006 and has a personal best time of 2:41:31 set at age 42.

Watch the feature at this link by clicking on the TV screen on the right under the word “SIDEBAR”:

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=sports&id=5514219

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Podcast 32: Interview with Susan Loken; the reigning USA Masters Marathon Champion

Posted March 29th, 2007 at 7:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: Special Features, Interviews, Podcasts

Today’s podcast features my interview with Susan Loken; an ageless and elite masters marathoner.

Susan, a mother of three who first began running in her 30’s, is coming off of her third consecutive More Magazine Marathon title and is the reigning USA Masters Marathon Champion.

Her personal best time of 2:41:31 is only about two and half minutes above the Olympic qualifying A-standard time for women; a benchmark she is poised to reach in the coming months.

Download the podcast to hear Susan discuss the More Magazine Marathon; why/how she started running; finding time to train, work a full-time job and take care of her three sons; coaching the Foothills Sports Medicine Running Team; and her advice for others looking to get back in-shape and/or improve their lives through running.

Listen In
[PLAY] (To Download: Right click and select “save as”)

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Host: Adam Jacobs
Guest: Susan Loken
Producer: Greg Cherniet
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 7.80 MB
Length: 00:11:21

Check out every episode of TFS’s Podcast in iTunes!

Interested in featuring The Final Sprint Podcast on your site, blog or My Space page? Click here to learn how!

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Three-Peat for Susan Loken at More Magazine Marathon

Posted March 25th, 2007 at 8:47 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Susan Loken of Phoenix, Ariz., won her third consecutive title at the More Magazine Marathon here today, completing the hilly five-loop course in Central Park in two hours, 47 minutes and 52 seconds.

Loken, 43, the reigning U.S. masters marathon champion, dominated the race, which is limited to women 40 and over, leading from wire-to-wire.

“I think everybody’s here to share the same experience,” said Loken, a mother of three. “We’re all in the best shape of our lives and we’re over 40 and it’s a great event.”
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Loken looks for three-peat at More Magazine Marathon

Posted March 23rd, 2007 at 10:30 AM by Martha Jones

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Reigning U.S. masters marathon champion, Susan Loken, will be on the starting line of Sunday’s More Magazine Marathon in an attempt to win here for the third time in a row. This will be the fourth annual running of the only marathon exclusively for women over 40.

Loken, 43, set the event record of 2 hours, 45 minutes, 35 seconds in her first appearance in 2005; the time remains the fastest-ever for a marathon run by a woman entirely in Central Park. A mother of three, Loken did not start running seriously until she was 39.

“I am very excited to come back to New York and run the More Magazine Marathon,” said Loken in a prepared statement. “This event has given me some great memories, and I’m proud to serve as an example to women my age that we can still compete at such a high level.”

The event also features a half-marathon in which teams of two women, one of whom must be over 40, compete together. Leading this year’s field is the team of Lyubov Denisova, 35, a Russian who lives in Gainesville, Fla., and Trina Painter, 40, of Flagstaff, Ariz.
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