Rizzo, Moody Win 2nd Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon
Local winners, sold-out field of 25,000 and celebrity runners go by Windy City landmarks

E-mail this page  Printer-friendly page Related info: Running USA

By Christine Garcia
Posted Monday, 2 August, 2010

From Ryan Lamppa, Running USA

CHICAGO - (August 1, 2010) - On Sunday morning, greetings from Access Hollywood's Maria Menounos, cow bells clamoring, rocking bands and the cheers from thousands of spectators helped bring Patrick Rizzo, 26, of Schaumburg, Illinois over the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon finish line in 1 hour, 6 minutes, 19 seconds. This was Patrick's first Rock 'n' Roll series win as he had placed second at the Rock 'n' Roll Seattle Half Marathon in 2009 and 2010.

Race morning greeted more than 20,000 runners with warm temperatures that quickly rose with the humidity, and both winners cited the weather as a major challenge in their performances.

"The humidity was the biggest shocker today," said Rizzo. "We went out a little quicker than I'd like and it cost us late in the race. About six miles in, we hit a hill and I knew that was the breakpoint or I was done for." Instead, he quickly took the lead and held it to the finish.

At the second edition, the women's winner Tera Moody, 29, of Colorado Springs had a time of 1:13:37. Moody (left), who finished 5th at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, said that she has always wanted to run a Rock 'n' Roll event.

"The timing just never worked out before. I loved the bands out there and the crowd support. The course was great and I felt really good," she said. "I just tried to run my own race and not worry about what anyone else was doing."

Both Moody and Rizzo are from the Chicagoland area and now train (separately) in Colorado.

The scenic course showcased many of Chicago's historic landmarks such as Soldier Field, Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum and the beautiful Chicago Lakefront.

A large celebrity presence graced the finish line as well. Giuliana Rancic, of E! News and "Giuliana and Bill" ran with CelebTV host Kelli Zink - the pair finished in 2:20:05. Kelly Bensimon of "The Real Housewives of New York City" also ran, along with Jake Pavelka of "The Bachelor", Jason and Molly Mesnick, also of "The Bachelor," Andrea Powell from the ABC show "The Gates" and Today show weatherman Al Roker.

The Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon benefiting the American Cancer Society is in its second year. The inaugural race was won by U.S. distance star Kara Goucher, who finished the inaugural race in 1:08:05. The third running of the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon is set for Sunday, August 21, 2011.

2nd Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon
Chicago, IL, Sunday, August 1, 2010

MEN
1) Patrick Rizzo (IL), 1:06:19
2) Daniel Jackson (MI), 1:07:12
3) Justin Grunewald (MN), 1:07:52

WOMEN
1) Tera Moody (CO), 1:13:37
2) Fiona Docherty (NZL/CO), 1:14:42
3) Jessica Graf (MI), 1:19:37

Results, photos, videos and more at: http://chicago.competitor.com