USA 1/2 MARATHON CHAMPIONSHIPS

Ethopian Star Merga Signs On For Houston Marathon

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Deriba Merga Commits to Run Houston

Fourth-place Olympic Marathon finisher looks to PR at Chevron Houston Marathon; Teyba Erkesso, 10 mile world record holder, joins women's field

HOUSTON, TX (Jan. 6, 2009) - Fresh off a fourth-place finish at the 2008 Olympic Marathon in Beijing, Deriba Merga (ETH) has committed to the January 18th running of the 2009 Chevron Houston Marathon.

Merga's performance in China (2:10:21) was part of an impressive year of running for the 28-year-old from Nekemte, Ethiopia.

Most recently, Merga clocked a personal record (PR) and a course record of 59:15 in winning the New Delhi Half Marathon on November 9, 2008. Prior to the Games, he ran a PR of 2:06:38 to finish sixth at the London Marathon in April.

Merga is the second-fastest Ethiopian marathoner of all time. Only world record holder Haile Gebrselassie has run faster. Merga is one of the most talented runners to commit to the Chevron Houston Marathon in the history of the event and with the assistance of two pacesetters, he plans to take aim at Houston's course record of 2:10:04. The course standard is one of the oldest in the sport, set in 1989 by Richard Kaitany (KEN).

"We witnessed a sensational, record-setting run from one of the best runners in the world at the 2008 Chevron Houston Marathon, and we could see a repeat performance in 2009," said Race Director Brant Kotch. "Ethiopia's Dire Tune set a women's course record by more than three minutes last January, and Merga possesses the ability to do the same to the men's mark."

Joining Merga in Houston will be three-time Chevron Houston Marathon winner and No. 1 seed David Cheruiyot (KEN). Cheruiyot won back-to-back marathons in 2005 and 2006 and added his third Houston title in 2008.

Kasime Adillo (ETH), second in Houston in 2008 in 2:12:47, Yuri Abramov (RUS), Kenneth Mungara (KEN), winner of the 2008 Toronto and Prague marathons, and Andrew Smith (CAN) also are scheduled to compete in the marathon.

Teyba Erkesso (ETH), Amane Gobena (ETH), Lioudmila Kortchaguina (CAN) and Albina Gallyamova (RUS) will lead the women's marathon field.

Erkesso, 25, who ran a world record of 51:44 at the 2007 Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, will be running her debut marathon and is expected to challenge Houston's 2:24:40 course record set by her teammate, Tune, in 2008.

Kortchaguina is a three-time Canadian marathon champion and owner of a 2:29:42 PR from the Ottawa Marathon in 2006. She placed seventh in the half marathon in her previous trip to Houston two years ago.

Gallyamova will return to Houston as one of the sport's top masters (40 and over) competitors. She took fourth overall and was the top masters finisher in 2:37:50 at the 2008 Los Angeles Marathon. Gallyamova, 44, also finished fifth at the 2008 Country Music Marathon in Nashville in 2:40:23, which was good for first among masters. She won the open title in Houston in 2003 in 2:42:37.

The prize purse for the open marathon races is $130,000, with a $35,000 first-place award in both the men's and women's events. A course record is worth a $10,000 bonus.

The Chevron Houston Marathon, a Running USA founding member, is the nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from nearly all 50 U.S. states and more than 20 foreign countries. In 2008, more than 20,000 runners participated in four marathon weekend events (marathon, half marathon, 5K run and children's run). The Houston Marathon has been ranked among the top five marathons in the nation by Ultimate Guide to Marathons for fastest course, organization and crowd support. More than 5,000 volunteers organize the race, which is Houston's largest single-day sporting event.

For more information, visit

or call 713-957-3453.

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The range of possibilities is great, but Sell has not run within a minute of Ritz at the half, so I don't see how he can be the favorite among the Americans. It will, however, be interesting to see if Ritz goes with Merga.

John Smallberries wrote:

Anything close to 62 even will win the race. Ryan Hall is the only American to break 62 in Houston. The course is fast, but not pancake flat and there is a u-turn at mi 9 where the half splits from the full (wasn't my idea). I think there will possibly be 4-5 under 63 this year. It is a very strong field for the men. I vote for AC or Fernando Cabada as a surprise winner, but would call Sell as the favorite. He seems to find a way to win every half he enters.

You think Cabada will beat Ritz?

hmmm...

Montesquieu wrote:

The range of possibilities is great, but Sell has not run within a minute of Ritz at the half, so I don't see how he can be the favorite among the Americans. It will, however, be interesting to see if Ritz goes with Merga.

John Smallberries wrote:

Anything close to 62 even will win the race. Ryan Hall is the only American to break 62 in Houston. The course is fast, but not pancake flat and there is a u-turn at mi 9 where the half splits from the full (wasn't my idea). I think there will possibly be 4-5 under 63 this year. It is a very strong field for the men. I vote for AC or Fernando Cabada as a surprise winner, but would call Sell as the favorite. He seems to find a way to win every half he enters.

Merga is running the full marathon. The elite director for the full marathon wants a course record. Merga just needs to go under 2:09 and he will get 35k for first place + 10k for the course record. The half marathon prize money is for US runners only, no international prize money in the half.

Ritz will win comfortably in 61:40 by at least 45 seconds.

1. Meb Keflezighi 61:09

2. Dathan Rtizenhein 61:21

3. Brian Sell 62:15

4. Andrew Carlson 62:25

5. Max King 63:02

6. Fasil Bizuneh 63:08

7. Jason Lehmkuhle 63:28

8. Mike Morgan 63:37

9. Fernando Cabada 63:45

10. Brett Gotcher 63:52

11. Luke Humphrey 63:57

12. Cele Rodriguez 63:59

13. Antonio Vega 64:15

14. Seth Pilkington 64:21

15. Chad Johnson 64:24

16. Peter Gilmore 64:27

17. Josh Moen 64:45

18. Ryan Sheehan 64:47

19. Thomas Morgan 64:50

20. Nick Arciniaga 64:55

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no one below this line is capable of finishing top 10 under any circumstance--but all are capable of finishing in the top 15 with a good day.

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21. Sergio Reyes 65:11

22. Pat Rizzo 65:17

23. Mike Sayenko 65:19

24. Jesse Armijo 65:21

25. Trent Briney 65:27

26. Kyle O'Brien 65:35

27. Mike Kilburg 65:41

28. Jeffrey Eggleston 65:50

29. Luke Watson 65:55

Houstink Half Thon wrote:

1. Meb Keflezighi 61:09

What has Meb done in the past 15 months that would lead you to believe he can run 61:09, let alone beat Ritz and Sell?

1. Sara Slattery 69:55

2. Magdalena Lewy Boulet 70:36

3. Kate O'Neill 71:21

4. Colleen De Reuck 71:24

5. Desiree Davila 71:57

6. Paige Higgins 72:19

7. Lindsey Anderson 72:49

8. Kristen Nicolini 72:58

9. Melissa White 73:00

10. Amy Hastings 73:12

11. Kathy Newberry 73:15

12. Stephanie Herbst-Lucke 73:19

13. Melissa Cook 73:23

14. Stephanie Rothstein 73:35

15. Alissa McKaig 73:55

16. Tara Storage 73:57

17. Kara Storage 73:59

18. Meghan Armstrong 74:19

19. Allison Grace 74:23

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No one below this line will finish in top 10

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20. Michelle Lilienthal 75:25

21. Michelle Rafferty 75:39

22. Caroline Cretti 75:48

23. Kelly Liljeblad 76:08

24. Nikole Johns 76:11

25. Kara Roy 76:32

26. Alvina Begay 76:41

27. Megan Hepp 76:43

28. Susannah Kvasnicka 76:49

29. Caroline Bierbaum 76:53

30. Becki Michael 76:54

I missed Ian Dobson who should go in at 63:30 (8th place) and slide everyone down one.

My mistake: thanks for a more careful reading.

John Smallberries wrote:

Montesquieu wrote:

The range of possibilities is great, but Sell has not run within a minute of Ritz at the half, so I don't see how he can be the favorite among the Americans. It will, however, be interesting to see if Ritz goes with Merga.

Merga is running the full marathon. The elite director for the full marathon wants a course record. Merga just needs to go under 2:09 and he will get 35k for first place + 10k for the course record. The half marathon prize money is for US runners only, no international prize money in the half.

No way Meb wins. Ritz wouldn't race unless he was ready to do damage. Last half he ran was New York City Half in 1:01:30's I believe?? that was one month before the Olympics marathon. 1:01 in central park. So marathon training or not, he will roll as always.

Top 2 under 1:02. 3-7 close together between 1:02:15-1:02:50,8-15under 1:03:30

1.Ritz

2.Meb

3.Sell

4.Lehmekule

5.Cabada

6.Carlson

7.Fasil

8.Max King

9.Brett Gotcher

10.Josh Moen

I think Carlson will finish second behind Ritz. He just ran well at Club cross and he usually is great for about a month and then sucks ass for 4 months. I believe he is still in that month window.

I don't think you've done your research.

know more than you do wrote:

I don't think you've done your research.

Feel free to rip me apart. Just tell me where I screwed up and why?

At least on the women's side, you need to look at the fall US Championship results and several fine performances at other races (fall marathons). Without naming names, you've overlooked several people who are running well at the moment.

1:01:38, half the race in the park (including the north hills), temp 70%, humidity 90%.

Houston1/2 wrote:

No way Meb wins. Ritz wouldn't race unless he was ready to do damage. Last half he ran was New York City Half in 1:01:30's I believe?? that was one month before the Olympics marathon. 1:01 in central park. So marathon training or not, he will roll as always.

Top 2 under 1:02. 3-7 close together between 1:02:15-1:02:50,8-15under 1:03:30

1.Ritz

2.Meb

3.Sell

4.Lehmekule

5.Cabada

6.Carlson

7.Fasil

8.Max King

9.Brett Gotcher

10.Josh Moen

know more than you do wrote:

At least on the women's side, you need to look at the fall US Championship results and several fine performances at other races (fall marathons). Without naming names, you've overlooked several people who are running well at the moment.

Educate me. Tell me who I missed. I looked at the World Half Marathon Results and Fall Marathons and I am excited to see Slattery moving up. I realize that Davila beat both DeReuck and O'Neill in Chicago but she came from behind and probably wouldn't have beat them for a half marathon. Did I miss the 20k winner? I might have as I don't know her married name. I certainly would bump her in the top 10.

Swope, no relation to Putney

Jill Steffens Swope

http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2008/09/02/sports/2-solomon.txt

NEW TEXAS MARATHON RECORD FOR MERGA!!!

You heard it here first... the Texas State Marathon Record will be crushed, like Dire Tune (2:24) did it last year!