The Global Telegraph - April 2004

APRIL 2004 - VOL. 4, N. 4 (N. 33)

Publisher: Run The Planet., Seattle (Usa/Washington). Editor: Indro Neri. Associate editor: Jennifer Walker. All correspondence and suggestions are welcome. Unsolicited articles will be considered. To advertise on "The Global Telegraph", contribute to or reproduce its content please contact us via e-mail at info@runtheplanet.com. "The Global Telegraph" is published 12 times a year. The next issue will close the last day of this month. © by Run The Planet Inc., Seattle.

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This month we feature running news from: Canada, Kenya, Maine (Usa), Malta, Missouri (Usa), Nepal, Turkey, Virginia (Usa), Wisconsin (Usa).  

FEATURED WORLDWIDE RUNNING NEWS

• CANADA / A video-cd for all finishers of Vancouver Marathon
Marathon Video is pleased to announce that for the four consecutive year with the help of the Vancouver Marathon Society we will be providing a race day video-cd to all finishers in the upcoming 2004 "Adidas Vancouver International Marathon". This year's cd will contain over 20 minutes of highlights from the May 2nd event, plus a finishcam providing every competitor with video of their own marathon finish. This year's interactive cd will be mailed free to the entire 5000 plus finishing field one month after event. Over the past three years the cd has been a huge success. In 2001 the cd was recognized for its excellence by the Canadian design community when it was awarded "Best video-cd of the Year” by Toronto based Graphics Exchange Magazine. For further information about the cd or to request a complimentary copy of last year's version interested parties may contact info@marathonvideo.com.

• VIRGINIA (USA) / Arlington Marathon wins approval
Arlington's Special Events Work Group approved Arlington Co. Running Club's proposal for the "Arlington Marathon" to be held Sunday, May 2. The course shows off Arlington's unique perimeter parkway. "It is an urban village marathon", said event director Jay Jacob Wind, a longtime Arlington resident and veteran of 96 marathons. "It is possibly the most beautiful urban village marathon in America. The middle part of the course is nice and flat, but watch out for those hills near the start and finish as they will flatten you!". Because this is the marathon's first year and the park trails are narrow, the Special Events Work Group limited the marathon to 250 participants. "We will have overall and age-group prizes, plus special prizes for first-in-flight, this being the 100th anniversary week of the first manned flight". The marathon is the first new marathon approved in the DC area since the "Washington DC marathon" was cancelled in March 2003. Wind and dozens of others worked to save the March 23 event and organized "The Unofficial Washington DC Marathon", with 591 registered participants. Online registration is now open at the race website www.pvtc.org/marathon.html.

• NEPAL / A new marathon to benefit Mount Everest projects
The "Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon" is a new event that will be a benefit to work on local projects near Mount Everest and to build a monument to Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, Sir Edmund Hillary's summit partner on Mount Everest in 1953. The marathon will start at Everest Base Camp and will finish in the Sherpa village of Namche (11,300 feet of altitude). The 26.2 mile course is over rough mountain trails, with some of the finest mountain views anywhere. Since this marathon starts at 17,149 feet, a planned acclimatization schedule is needed to keep everyone healthy and ready to compete. Participants will be spending 13 days hiking to the start of the race, which will allow them to get acclimatized to the altitude. The dates are: arrival in Kathmandu on May 14 and departure back for home June 2, 2004. The actual marathon will be on May 29, the anniversary date of Tenzing and Hillary's summit date. Almost everything is included during the time in Nepal and during the trek and run. There will be support teams at checkpoints along the trail with water and medical crews to keep an eye on all the participants. A relay race is also being planned and will be the first Everest relay ever held. The relay race will use the same trail and will be open to groups of 4 runners on each team. The teams will be all men, all women and open. Cut off date for applications is May 1, 2004. Friends and family are encouraged to come join the fun! For more information contact Becky Harrison at becky@adventuroustrekker.com.

• TURKEY / Inaugural Tarsus half marathon in April
The inaugural edition of the "International Tarsus Half Marathon" will be held on April 11th, in Tarsus. Elite Turkish and foreign athletes will be participating in this top class half marathon. There are comprehensive awards for finishers in female and male categories. The winners will earn 3000 U.S. dollars. To get detailed information visit www.maratonturk.com. This very well organised international half marathon will be held in a 7000 years old city. Source: www.maratonturk.com

• WISCONSIN (USA) / Easter Bunny to appear to runners
Easter bunnies can run too! The Easter Bunny will be at the "Bunny Hop 5k Run or Walk", which will take place Saturday April 10 at Athletica Fitness in Menasha. This is at the intersection of Highway 114 and Lake Park Road. The event is at 8 in the morning and registration will starts at 6:30 am. An Easter Egg hunt will also take place for kids. All participants will receive a T-shirt with colored eggs, Easter basket of waxed cheeses, candy and other items. Easter Hams will be awarded to the top overall female and male. Chocolate Eggs will also be awarded in the top three participants in each age group. Proceeds to benefit Easter Seals. Call 1-800-429-8044 (U.S.) for an entry form.

• MALTA / Malta Marathon and half marathon results
These are the results of the "Malta Marathon" held on Sunday February 29: (men) 1. Abdel Kebir Marchanne (Morocco) 2:22.29, 2. Serbessa Mulugetta (Czech Republic) 2:22.42, 3. Jiri Wallenfels (Czech Republic) 2:36.12; (women) 1. Carmen Hili (Malta) 3:08.29, 2. Bettina Schrieber (Germany) 2:44.01, 3. Sylvia Goerich (Germany) 3:46.03. These are the results of the half marathon: (men) 1. Charles Cilia (Malta) 1:08.42, 2. Jonathan Balzan (Malta) 1:09.15, Mario Pisani (Malta) 1:12.03; (women) 1. Sylvia Renz (Germany) 1:13.50 new course record, 2. Lisa Bezzina (Malta) 1:25.51. Source: www.arrs.net

• KENYA / Athletics Kenya Weekend Meeting in Kakamega
On a hot and humid March 27th in Kakamega, the second Athletics Kenya Weekend Meeting had AK Weekend Cross Country two-time winner Nelson Kiplagat the favorite over 10,000m. But on a bumpy and dusty track Francis Koech pulled away from him by 100 meters for the 28:34.7 to 28:45.4 victory. Trailing were Julius Kiptoo in third at 29:28.3, John Kipchumba in fourth at 29:30.4, and Joshua Kimei in fifth at 29:38.4. Longtime international Jane Omoro topped the women's equivalent in 34:51.3, with Maria Busienei second in 36:02.4 and Peninah Arusei third in 36:08.2. This year's Kenyan XCC 9th-placer Edwin Koech won the men's 5000m in 13:54.0, with Willy Kirui second in 13:56.1, Richard Matelong third in 14:02.3, Peter Kamau fourth in 14:03.0 and Elisha Birgen fifth in 14:03.1. The IAAF's Peter Njenga reports that Jesica Obare won the women's 5000m in 16:15.2, with Monica Otwori second in 16:24.0, Sharon Cherot third in 16:24.6, and Jane Omoro fourth in 16:25.3. Reprinted with permission from "Running Stats" (www.runningstats.com)

• MAINE (USA) / Paul Newman donates for trail runners
Actor Paul Newman donated $10,000 to help build an 18-mile trail system for runners, bicyclists, walkers and skiers in central Maine. Peter Garrett, president of Kennebec Messalonskee Trails Inc., said he wrote a letter to Newman in November explaining that the trail system would open up land along the Kennebec River and Messalonskee Stream for people to exercise and see wildlife. Newman spent much of last summer and fall in central Maine filming "Empire Falls", an HBO movie based on the Pulitzer Prize winning book of the same name by Maine author Richard Russo. Garrett said he recently received a check and a letter from Newman expressing support for the project. "He is a very community-minded person, that is what it says about him" Garrett said. Newman has donated to other local causes, including $10,000 to United Way of Mid-Maine Inc. and $15,000 to the South End Learning Center. Source: www.splittimes.com

• MISSOURI (USA) / Running Studies Conference
Think you might have something on the written word worth presenting to the distance running community? Then why not consider the July 8-9 Running Studies Conference in conjunction with running the "Utica Boilermaker 15K", attending the Distance Running Hall of Fame induction ceremony (July 10), and examining the Syracuse Chargers National Long Distance Running Collection at Syracuse University? "Proposals are invited from all disciplines" informs the Conference press release. "Proposals may be: critical analyses of running literature, fiction and non-fiction, including novels, plays, films, and poetry. Original works of fiction will also be considered". Abstracts should be no longer than two pages, double-spaced. Abstracts should be sent to D. Christopher Risker, Ph.D. Webster University, 470 East Lockwood Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63119 by April 1, 2004. Reprinted with permission from "Running Stats" (www.runningstats.com)

• GETTING READY FOR THE OLYMPICS
Eurosport is featuring a weekly show called "Mission to Athens". Eurosport is the Europe's leading sport channel reaching over 98 million homes and 220 million viewers across 54 countries. In the programme "Mission to Athens" viewers will follow eight athletes as they prepare to achieve their goal of competing in the Athens' Olympic Games. One of them is a Spanish marathon runner Chema Martinez. On the www.eurosport.com website runners can also find the information about Chema Martinez and his competitions, as well as the videos of the programme.