2015 ASICS LA Marathon Attracts Deepest Elite Field In Event History
America's most notable running couple, Ryan and Sara Hall, will run the race for the first time and compete for the 2015 USATF Marathon Championships titles
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- LA MARATHON LLC announced today the largest-ever men's and women's professional field for the running of the 2015 ASICS LA Marathon on Sunday, March 15 with the addition of two premier U.S. long distance runners, Ryan and Sara Hall, who will both run the "Stadium to Sea" course for the first time.
The 30th edition of the ASICS LA Marathon includes a robust line-up of 61 American elites vying for the 2015 USA Track & Field Marathon Championships, which will take place within the annual race. Many of those Americans competing in the 2015 USATF Marathon Championships will gain experience in Los Angeles before returning to the city for the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials Marathon on February 13, 2016.
"This is shaping up to be one of the most competitive fields in the history of the marathon," said Tracey Russell, Chief Executive of LA MARATHON LLC. "On both a national and international level, the breadth of talent is at an all-time high to set the stage for a historic race."
The pursuit of the 2015 USATF Men's Marathon Championship will be an aggressive one, with 35 American men competing for the title. Two-time U.S. Olympian Ryan Hall, who holds the fastest American marathon time (2:04:58), will be taking the men's competition to new heights.
In 2008, Ryan won the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in a record 2:09:02 in New York qualifying to run the marathon at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Hall finished second in the 2012 Olympic Team Trials in Houston, Texas with a time of 2:09:30, securing a spot on his second Olympic team. With a time of 59:43, Hall is also the American record holder for the half marathon.
"We are proud to continue our long-term partnership with the ASICS LA Marathon, a premier date on the running calendar, which takes place here in our own backyard in Southern California," said Kevin Wulff, ASICS America Group President and CEO. "This is an incredibly impressive elite field and we wish all the best to ASICS athletes Ryan and Sara Hall, Shadrack Biwott and Becky Wade, and to all of the runners and spectators who will be part of this historic 30th edition race."
Some of the additional exciting runners to keep an eye on are Americans Jared Ward, runner-up of the 2014 Twin Cities Marathon and Shadrack Biwott, USA Running Circuit Overall Champion in 2013. Sergio Reyes, Patrick Rizzo and Carlos Trujillo will round out the top competitors for the U.S. men's field.
The international men's athletes are equally as talented, as 15 of the top elite runners sport a sub 2:12:30 personal best. Lani Rutto of Kenya, who has valuable course experience as runner-up of the 2014 ASICS LA Marathon, will return for a second chance at the title.
In the American women's field, 2012 U.S. Cross Country Champion Sara Hall will make her marathon debut coming off of a half marathon winning streak, clinching the Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half, the San Jose Half Marathon, the Healdsburg Wine Country Half, the Dallas Half Marathon and setting a personal best of 1:10:46 at the USATF Half Marathon Championships in Houston, Texas this month. Hall will race against the world's fastest contenders, including Janet Bawcom, a 2012 Olympic 10,000-meter runner, who achieved a marathon personal best of 2:29:45 at the 2012 Olympic Trials.
Olympian Nuta Olaru, the reigning champion of the Big Sur Marathon in 2012-2014, is also in the field, as is Becky Wade, winner of the Cal International Marathon in her 2013 marathon debut. They will be challenged by Alissa McKaig, Heather Lieberg and Melissa White for the 2015 USATF Marathon Championship title.
Headlining the international women's field are accomplished Ethiopian runners Misiker Demissie and Konjit Biruk, who hold the third and fourth fastest times in the field, respectively.
For the complete list of the professional field for the 2015 ASICS LA Marathon, please visit www.lamarathon.com.
About LA MARATHON LLC
LA MARATHON LLC, a subsidiary of McCourt Global, creates world-class experiences that ignite passion in athletes and connect communities through the transformative power of sport. The ASICS LA Marathon is among the largest marathons in the country with more than 25,000 participants, thousands of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of spectators. The "Stadium to the Sea" course, starting at Dodger Stadium and finishing near the Santa Monica Pier, is one of the most scenic in the world, taking runners on a tour of Los Angeles past every major landmark. LA MARATHON LLC will host the 2016 Olympic Team Trials for Men's and Women's Marathon, awarded by USA Track & Field and the U.S. Olympic Committee, which will take place in Los Angeles February 13, 2016. For more information, please visit www.lamarathon.com.
SOURCE LA MARATHON LLC
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