Former CU Start Payton Batliner Wins 2007 Amica Insurance Breakers Marathon 2007
by: Race Press Release
October 22, 2007

LINCOLN, RHODE ISLAND – Payton Batliner of Boulder, Colorado, and Emmily Chelanga of Sleepy Hollow, New York, were the top runners among the approximately 900 individuals participating in the Amica Insurance Breakers Marathon 2007 today in Newport, Rhode Island. The event, Rhode Island’s only marathon, is a world-class destination race benefiting the Providence Ronald McDonald House. 

Batliner finished first among 407 male runners with a time of 2:27:06. Chelanga won top honors among 250 female competitors by posting 2:56:34. 

Second- and third-place men were Keven O’Neil of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, with 2:30:33, and John Piggot of Williamsburg, Virginia, with 2:32:18. Kelli Lusk of Belchertown, Massachusetts, with 2:59:40, and Tracy Stewart-Phelan of Colorado Springs, Colorado, with 3:02:40, were the second- and third-place women finishers. All runners who completed the course received finishers’ medals. 

The first-finishing relay team, “Running Heritage,” posted 2:19:45. There were 53 relay teams comprised of about 240 runners. 

The marathon’s participants represented 44 states and several nations, and the winners’ awards were presented at the Newport Yachting Center. 

The Amica Insurance Breakers Marathon 2007 garnered strong community support, featured first-class organization and a scenic rolling course – USATF-certified and a qualifier for the Boston Marathon – through Middletown and Newport. Its organizers, Don Allison and Danny Gough, also planned a “Kids’ Race” and partitioned the marathon route into five legs for the relay team competition. 

The 2007 Amica Insurance Breakers Marathon supported grassroots marathon running by offering a prize money purse for the first time – the marathon is in its fourth year – as well as expense and travel money for qualified athletes. Top marathoners were encouraged to apply for financial support for travel and lodging, as well as an entry fee waiver if they met the following standards: 

• male marathoners who have run 2:40 or better during the past two years
• female marathoners who have run 3:05 or better during the past two years

The prize money structure was as follows:
Open men and women

First Place  $1,000 
Second Place  $500 
Third Place  $250 

Age-group and in-state men and women

First 40 to 49 $200 
First 50 to 59 $200 
First 60 and over $200 
First Rhode Islander $150 

Bobby Doyle, winner of the first Ocean State Marathon in 1976, served as Honorary Starter and Grand Marshal. Perhaps the most accomplished marathoner in Rhode Island history, Doyle won the Ocean State Marathon six more times and recorded three top-10 Boston Marathon finishes.  

At the race, goodie bags with Amica promotional items were given to all the runners, and employee volunteers helped at the events’ themed water stops, registration area, and finish line. 

About the Providence Ronald McDonald House and Amica 

Since 1989, the Ronald McDonald House of Providence, a non-profit organization, has provided a comfortable, caring living environment for families with children who are receiving medical care at local hospitals.  

Amica Mutual Insurance Company, the nation’s oldest mutual insurer of automobiles, was founded in 1907 and is proudly celebrating its 100th anniversary of offering superior customer service to policyholders. The company is a national writer of automobile, homeowners, marine, and personal umbrella liability insurance. Amica Life Insurance Company, a wholly owned subsidiary, offers a full range of life insurance products. Headquartered in Lincoln, Rhode Island, Amica employs more than 3,000 people in 39 offices across the country. 

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