Posted: May 27, 2004

Athletics: Chicago’s Lakeshore Marathon announces Amino Vital 2004 Official Amino Acid Supplement Drink

CHICAGO (May 25, 2004) – The Lakeshore Marathon recently named Amino Vital® its 2004 Official Amino Acid Supplement Drink. The innovative sports supplement drink will be offered to the 2,500 runners throughout the third annual, 26.2 mi (42.2 km) race on May 31, 2004.

“Amino Vital is not your ordinary sports drink. It’s unique in what it does, making it fit well within the initiatives we present to our athletes and the greater community,” says Mark Cihlar, founder and chair, Lakeshore Marathon Company. The high-tech drink helps competitive and recreational athletes reach higher levels of fitness as the “body-whole,” and race management promotes healthy lifestyle – not just running, and sound environmental practices, something unique in a world of for-profit races and others promoting worthy, yet often typical, causes.

Unlike simple electrolyte replenishment drinks, Amino Vital puts the power of amino acids to work in providing fast, steady hydration; useful energy while combating fatigue; help in maintaining mental focus; increased fat burning with exercise; and quicker muscle recovery and repair with less soreness. It’s a sponsor of the Japan Olympic Committee and an official drink of USA Triathlon.

In addition to being one of only three marathons in Illinois and the only spring race, the Lakeshore Marathon and its Healthy and Natural Living Expo help the community to connect the spirit and fitness of running with healthy lifestyle and with sustainable and responsible environmental practices. For example, marathon finishers’ medals are made with recycled metal, all printed promotional materials are of recycled paper, and the U.S. Forest Service hands out pine tree seedlings at the post-race, athletes’ village as part of Cihlar’s urban reforestation initiative. In the race’s first two years, 14,000 seedlings were distributed. On the immediate, local front, he founded and is sponsoring the Edgewater Fitness Week in Chicago's north-side Edgewater Beach neighborhood.

“What the runners’ and media feedback has told us is that not only is an early-season race unique, but our course is fun and our health- and environment-focused initiatives make sense and offer a celebration of why people run,” Cihlar says. Registration has grown over the race’s three years, this year to the tune of about 30% with a field representing more than 900 cities, 42 states and 18 nations.

The public will be able to sample Amino Vital at Lakeshore Marathon’s Healthy and Natural Living Expo, May 29 - 30, at McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. It will also be available to runners at the athletes’ village adjacent to the race start and finish lines, and at 18 aid stations along the 26.2-mile course. For more information on Amino Vital, visit www.amino-vital.com and www.amino-vital.com/newsupasp.

Lakeshore Marathon sponsors include SBC Yellow Pages, Amino Vital, Chicago magazine, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, MarathonGuide.com, The North Face, NordicTrack, Carb-BOOM, Hooked on the Outdoors, RCPA & Associates, Chicago Sports Review, Metropolis Coffee Company, and AtoZofHealth.com. For more information and to “Experience Chicago’s beautiful Lakeshore,” visit www.LakeshoreMarathon.com or call (773) 765.9028.

From SLH Communivations.