Posted: May 6, 2005

Athletics: Ethnic Groups To Showcase Their Nationalities At Cleveland's Cultural Gardens During Running Of 28th Annual Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon

CLEVELAND, (May 6, 2005) - The city of Cleveland's pride in its ethnic diversity will be evident to marathon runners on Sunday, May 22, when they run past the city's Cultural Gardens during the 28th running of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon.

The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation has announced that the various nationalities associated with the gardens, located in Rockefeller Park on the city's east side, plan to cheer on and encourage the marathon runners as they pass by the more than two dozen gardens representing the nationalities that have made Cleveland such a diverse city.

"This will be great for the marathon runners because it comes at point in the race where many of them have to reach inside themselves to keep heading toward the finish line; so to have a large gathering of people at the cultural gardens will be a big help," said Jack Staph, executive director of the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon & 10K. The gardens are located between miles 17 and 19 in the 26.2 mile course. Marathon organizers expect between 1,500 to 2,000 runners to make their way through Rockefeller Park and past the cultural gardens.

"The Cleveland Cultural Gardens have a long history in Cleveland and serve as a visual testament to the rich diversity that makes Cleveland such a great city," said Dr. George Parras, the President of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation. "The central theme of the Cultural Gardens is 'Peace Through Mutual Understanding' and the gardens stand as a powerful monument to the dream of peace and brotherhood."

They are located in the 254-acre Rockefeller Park, which was donated by John D. Rockefeller in the late 1890s. The Hebrew garden was the first built in 1926. It was followed in 1930 by the Italian, German, Lithuanian, Slovak and Ukranian gardens. The Polish, Hungarian, Czech, and Yugoslav gardens were built in 1934, and the American, Rusin, Irish, Greek and Syrian gardens in 1938. Romanian, Estonian, Afro-American, Chinese, Finnish, and Indian gardens have since been created. The Cultural Gardens Federation also plans to offer tours of the gardens on race day and at 2:30 p.m., ground will be broken for the new India Garden.

The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon & 10K is one of the 50 longest running marathons in the country. A new addition to the 2005 race day schedule is a half-marathon along with walking divisions for both the marathon and half-marathon.

The marathon and half-marathon are scheduled for a 7:00 a.m. start on Sunday, May 22, followed by the 10K race set to start at 7:20 a.m.

Additional information on the 2005 Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon can be found on the web at www.clevelandmarathon.com.

About the Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon & 10K
The Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon & 10K is now in its 28th year of providing a running experience for all individuals who want to participate regardless of their abilities. More than 250,000 runners have participated, generating more than $6.8 million annually to benefit the Cleveland community and raising more than $1 million for various charities.

Sponsors of the 28th Annual Rite Aid Cleveland Marathon & 10K include: American Greetings

Rite Aid	Apline Springs Natural Drinking Water
Penske Truck Rental
Lamisil Tablets	Eat'n Park
Hershey's PayDay Pro	Carb Boom!
Stopain	WKYC-TV3
Cura-Heat	WMMS 100.7 FM
Kashi	Mix 106.5 FM
Instead Softcup	WGAR 99.5 FM
Coca-Cola	Majic 105.7 FM
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield	Kiss 96.5 FM
Clear Choice Laser Eye Centers	News Radio WTAM 1100 AM
Gries Financial	Second Sole
Asics	Fleet Feet Sports
Sports Health/Cleveland Clinic	Start to Finish
Galleria at Erieview	Vertical Runner
Powerade	In on Time
Orlando Bakery	Dunkin' Donuts