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Lead Stories: Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Ryan Shay Remembered with Bench Dedication in Central Park

Posted November 1st, 2008 at 1:00 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Earlier today, amidst the spectacular foliage of Central Park, a memorial bench was dedicated in perpetuity to Ryan Shay at a private ceremony attended by family, friends and former Notre Dame teammates. Saucony, Inc., a leading global supplier of performance athletic footwear and apparel, hosted the tribute to honor Shay, a longtime friend and sponsored athlete. Shay, one of America’s top distance runners, collapsed and died 5.5 miles into the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in New York City’s Central Park last November.

“This is the first time that I’ve been back in New York, the first time that I’ve seen where Ryan fell,” said Alicia Shay, the wife of the nine-time All-American and an elite runner herself. “It was difficult, but to be surrounded by family and friends at this special place made it a healing experience for all of us. I am so grateful and blessed to have this opportunity to say thank you to all who remember Ryan. I hope everyone will be inspired every time they pass his bench,” she added.
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Video: Ryan Shay Segment on ESPN E:60

Posted May 1st, 2008 at 9:00 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field

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Programming Note:
Ryan & Alicia Shay Story
on ESPN Tonight

Posted April 29th, 2008 at 10:00 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Track & Field

If you can, your editor recommends watching ESPN tonight at 7:00 p.m., EDT so you can see a great segment done by the producers of the sports news show “E:60″ on Ryan and Alicia Shay. The show is one hour and the piece on the Shays is about 20 minutes.

If you can’t watch at 7:00 p.m., the show will also be shown later tonight at 11:00 p.m. on ESPN2.

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Alone For Nearly Three Years, Petrova Runs for Her Daughters

Posted April 10th, 2008 at 10:51 AM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Nearly 40, Lyudmila Petrova isn’t expected to win Sunday’s Flora London Marathon. A mother of two teenagers and the former Russian record holder for the marathon, she never imagined she would still be running competitively at this age.

“I would probably have stepped out of the runner and learn English and be a sports manager,” she said today in an interview, alternating between Russian and English with the help of a translator.

But on July 7, 2005, a Thursday, just past 7:00 a.m., her life was changed forever. Her husband, Sergey Petrov, was driving a new car he had bought in the United States from the port in Helsinki to Cheboksary where he and Petrova lived. As he neared the end of the multi-day, 1000 mile drive (he was only about 150 miles from home) he lost control of the car, crashing into the car in front of him at a high rate of speed.
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Ryan Shay Tribute Video

Posted December 5th, 2007 at 6:10 PM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons

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Remembering Ryan Shay

Posted November 11th, 2007 at 9:45 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons, Columns, SPOTLIGHT

Today in East Jordan, Mich., a funeral was held for Ryan Shay, the 2003 USA marathon champion who collapsed and died at the USA Olympic Team Trials - Men’s Marathon on Nov. 3, in New York City. He was 28 years-old and had been married only for four months to the former Alicia Craig, the Stanford University star who won the NCAA 10,000m title in 2003 and 2004.

The exact cause of Ryan’s death is still unknown, but it is clear that his heart abruptly stopped at about the 9 km mark of the Trials and, despite heroic and immediate medical intervention, he died before reaching Lennox Hill Hospital on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

I knew Ryan both through my role as a journalist and a race organizer. It would be a stretch to say were close, but we were certainly friendly and shared a passion for the sport. I recruited Ryan to run the 2004 ING New York City Marathon where he set his personal best time of 2:14:08, cracking the top-10 in ninth place. It didn’t surprise me that Ryan would run his best marathon in New York, despite the difficulty of the course. He was so strong and so tough, the kind of runner who was well suited to the hills of the Five Borough Classic. Ryan really had heart.
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New Website Launched to Monitor Jenny Crain’s Condition

Posted October 9th, 2007 at 2:59 PM by Jeanie Rebb

Section: News & Results, SPOTLIGHT

A new website, http://jennycrain.net/ has been set up to allow family and friends to monitor Jenny Crain’s progress. She’s the USA athlete who was struck by a car and seriously injured while training last Aug. 21.

There’s a blog on the front page which describes her recovery progress, and a page where you can leave her your good wishes. There’s also information on how to make a donation to her recovery fund.

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Video: Distressed Marathon Runner Thanks Guardian Angel After Chicago Marathon

Posted October 9th, 2007 at 11:06 AM by Hariz Siddiqui

Section: News & Results, Marathons

Beyond the blame game that’s taken place in the aftermath of the 2007 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon, there are tales of true grit and the kindness of strangers.

Watch the following report from CBS 2’s Mike Puccinelli at the Condell Medical Center to hear this special marathoner describe how her “guardian angel” helped protect her from danger on a day where nearly every headline was about tragedy, chaos, and distress.

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Make It Happen Fund:
You can now contribute to Jenny Crain’s recovery

Posted August 28th, 2007 at 6:17 PM by David Monti

Section: News & Results, Marathons

You can contribute to USA marathoner Jenny Crain’s recovery through a special fund which has been set up to assist her. Donations are being accepted at the following address:

Jenny Crain—Make It Happen Fund
c/o M&I Bank—Mail 098-9120
Attn: Cathy Haukedahl
651 Nicollet Mall
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Or you can also visit any M&I Bank and let the teller know you would like to contribute to the Jenny Crain—Make It Happen Fund. To find an M&I Bank, visit http://www.mibank.com.

We continue to pray for Jenny’s swift and complete recovery.

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Hospital Official: Jenny Crain still in NICU, critical condition

Posted August 23rd, 2007 at 10:24 AM by Adam Jacobs

Section: News & Results, Marathons

According to a Froedtert Hospital official, U.S. marathoner Jenny Crain remains in critical condition and is being closely monitored and cared for by physicians in the Neuro Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Jenny, a young, beautiful and talented athlete, was tragically hit by a car yesterday in the midst of one of her regular training runs in the Milwaukee, WI.

As per the plethora of email request that have come in over the last 24 hours, TheFinalSprint.com will do our best to provide regular updates on her condition and pass along any new information when it becomes available.

Please keep Jenny in your thoughts and join us in praying for her full and speedy recovery.

For more information on where to send flowers, cards, and other sentiments, please click here.

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