Saturday May 8, 1999
| Race Report Saturday May 8, 1999 |
Natalie Davey took top honors in the 10K event with an excellent time of 38:29. With the win, Davey automatically qualifies for the Avon Running National Championship, which will be held in Cincinnati on October 31. Davey, 26, completed the course nearly a minute ahead of second-place finisher Beverly Zimmermann, who finished with a time of 39:15. Lisa Goldsmith of Boulder finished third in 39:43.
Diane Fischer of Castle Rock, Colo., was the first among all Avon Representatives to cross the finish line. Fischer, who was also the top Avon Representative in 1998, finished in 49:11. Susan McCabe of Englewood, Colo., took the Masters (40 and older) title with a time of 42:28. Like Davey, Fischer and McCabe were also awarded travel and accommodations to the Avon Running National Championship.
More than 50 mother/daughter teams celebrated the day before Mother's Day together by participating in the annual event. The top Mother/daughter team in the 10K was Carol Lyndell and her daughter Tracy Stewart, who finished with a combined time of 1:41.
The race even brought out a three-generation team. Glenda Jensen participated in the 5K with her two daughters, Susan Jensen and Kathy Stevens, and her granddaughter Brittany Stevens. "We had a great time," said Glenda. "We'll see you again next year!"
Stephanie Riggs, 4 p.m. anchor on Denver's KCNC-TV, NEWS 4, was among the celebrity participants. Riggs, who has completed several marathons, crossed the 10K finish line with Avon Running Program Director Kathrine Switzer, who was the first woman to officially run a marathon when she broke the gender barrier at the 1967 Boston Marathon. "It was a thrill to run with someone like Kathrine Switzer," said Riggs. "This was truly a great event after the past few weeks we've experienced here in Colorado."
Avon Running-Denver also hosted several members of "Rosie's Chub Club," a group formed by popular television talk show host Rosie O'Donnell to help her and her viewers lead healthier lifestyles as the millennium approaches. "Rosie's Chub Club" follows the mission statement "Eat Less and Move More." Rosie has been encouraging her 300,000+ "Chub Club" members to participate in a 5K since the club's inception on January 4, 1999.
Eighty-seven year old Susie Ryan from Aurora was the event's oldest participant. Ryan finished the 10K in a little more than an hour.
"The great thing about this event is that almost any woman at almost any level of fitness can do it," said Switzer. "And we certainly saw that here in Denver today. Avon Running is about getting women to the starting line of fitness, and also providing development for the elite woman runner."
The beneficiaries of today's race extend far beyond the hundreds of women who participated. One-third of each entry fee was donated to the Colorado Columbines, a local women's running club. Additionally, $2 of each entry fee went to the Road Runners Club of America's "Roads Scholar" program, a travel and training fund for developing women runners in the U.S. Approximately $25,000 was raised for this unique fund through Avon Running's U.S. events in 1998.
Avon Running-Denver is the third in the 10-city Avon Running U.S. series, which is part of the 12-country Avon Running Global Circuit. Events have already been held in Dallas and Atlanta. Next up is Baltimore (June 13), followed by Sacramento (June 19), Hartford (July 10), Portland (July 25), Chicago (September 26), Kansas City (October 3), and Cincinnati (October 31). This year's international events will be held in Germany, Hungary, Italy, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Venezuela, Canada, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand.
As runners compete in this year's series, last year's qualifiers are gearing up for the Avon Running Global Championship, which will be held in New York City's Central Park on May 22 as part of the famed New York Mini Marathon. The top women runners in the world are invited to compete, including the top 15 ranked 10K runners, the 1998 champions from Avon Running's events in each of 12 countries, and a field of nearly 8,000 local runners. All will be chasing the richest 10K women's purse in history of $50,000.
Avon is the world's leading direct seller of beauty and related products, with $5.2 billion in annual revenues. Avon markets to women in 135 countries through 2.7 million independent Sales Representatives. Avon product lines include such recognizable brands as Anew, Skin-So-Soft, Avon Color, Far Away, Rare Gold, Natori, Millennia, Josie, Starring, Avon Skin Care, and Women of Earth. Avon is also one of the world's largest manufacturers of fashion jewelry, and markets an extensive line of apparel, gifts and collectibles. More information on Avon and its products can be found on the company's website: http://www.avon.com.
More information about upcoming Avon Running events may be obtained by calling (212) 282-5350 or on the internet at http://www.avonrunning.com.