State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon to Host 2009 USA Masters Half Marathon Championships
Inaugural event expected to draw top 40 and older distance runners

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Posted Monday, 20 October, 2008

MELBOURNE, Fla. - (Oct. 8, 2008) - The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon's instant impact on the national running scene grew larger when USA Track & Field (USATF) announced that the USA Masters Half Marathon Championships would take place as part of the inaugural event.

"USATF is proud to award the USA Masters Half Marathon Championship for 2009 to the State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon," said Don Lein, USATF Masters Long Distance Running chairman. "Our selection process is quite rigorous and we were impressed with the event, as well as the quality and professionalism of the staff. We look forward to an outstanding championship."

The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon has already been considered a "can't miss" event by many because of its swift, scenic course, its February 8th staging on Florida's Space Coast - one of the last chances to qualify for the 2009 Boston Marathon - the presence of 20 live bands along the full marathon route and a $12,000 cash purse that favors masters competitors. Now, it will become a closely watched competition on the national and international scene, as top road racers look to the event to gain an edge on the 2009 racing season.

"The half-marathon has become increasingly prominent in races nationwide this decade, as runners who don't want to go the full marathon distance - or are training for marathons - have found that the half ideally combines endurance and speed," event founder and producer Mitch Varnes said. "Now, thanks to USA Track & Field, we're bringing two of the biggest forces of growth in competitive running together on a national stage - the half-marathon, and women and men over 40. This is going to be a great championship."

Varnes' decision to seek the national championship is borne out by statistics that show the close relationship between masters runners and the half-marathon. According to Running USA, the half-marathon is the fastest-growing race in America, with 650,000 race finishers in 2007 - up 10% from 2006. Furthermore, the median age of all male runners is 45.1 years and female runners 39.4; when surveyed, both genders listed the half-marathon as their favorite race distance.

Among those already set to compete in the USA Masters Half Marathon Championship field is four-time Boston Marathon and four-time New York City Marathon champion and international running legend Bill Rodgers. Rodgers still holds the national half-marathon mark in the 45-49 age group of 1 hour, 8 minutes and 5 seconds, which the 1976 Olympian set in 1993.

The current U.S. masters records in the half-marathon are held by Mbarak Hussein, who ran 1:03:23 in 2005, and Colleen De Reuck, who ran 1:11:50 in 2006. Both records could be in jeopardy, given the Melbourne course layout.

Early-bird discount registration continues for the State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon, State Farm USA Masters Half Marathon Championship and Florida Today 5K. Through November 30, 2008, fees are $80 for the Marathon, $65 for the Half Marathon and $25 for the 5K.

The State Farm Melbourne & Beaches Music Marathon has enjoyed significant support from city officials in Brevard County, Melbourne and Indialantic, along with the Space Coast Board of Tourism and the Melbourne-Palm Bay Area Chamber of Commerce.

Complete information and entry forms can be found at: www.TheMelbourneMarathon.com

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