Posted: August 20, 2007

Athletics: Denver Marathon to Host Celebrity Inspiration Run

Celebrity Relay To Benefit Charities & Inspire Runners DENVER, Colo. -- August 20, 2007 ­The Denver Marathon hopes to inspire everyone with the motivation to run with the creation of the first Celebrity Inspiration Run, a celebrity relay to be held during the Denver Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, October 14, 2007. Approximately 13 celebrities who have all accomplished inspiring achievements including former Denver Broncos player Bill Romanowski, Alex Smith, a cast member of MTVıs Real World Denver, Scott Elrod, a cast member on ABCıs ³Men in Trees,² Jake Schroeder, lead singer of Opie Gone Bad, Marni Rachich, ³Peekaboo Screech² on the Denver Roller Dolls, Vic Lombardi, CBS4 sportscaster, Maggie Ireland, Miss Colorado 2007, and Chris Anthony, an extreme skier and star of 17 Warren Miller films, will run approximately two miles each in a relay of the total 26.2 miles of the Denver Marathon. Members of the community will get a chance to bid online to run alongside the celebrity who inspired them the most as well as attend a motivational dinner with that celebrity the night before. All proceeds from the online auction will benefit each of the celebrityıs charity of choice and additional celebrity runners will be announced the week prior to the auction. "As an athlete, I run to stay healthy and in shape," said Bill "Romo" Romanowski, former Denver Bronco linebacker and current CEO of Nutrition53.com. "Iım thrilled to help motivate others to stay committed to health and fitness as a crucial step towards bettering their overall life performance. Iım honored to help benefit a worthy charity through the Denver Marathonıs Celebrity Inspiration Run." The online celebrity auction will be held at www.denvermarathon.com starting September 28 through October 7, 2007, and will be facilitated by Blacktie Colorado. Winning bidders will receive the opportunity to have dinner with their celebrity of choice on Saturday, October 13 and then run with them during their two-mile portion of the relay during the Denver Marathon on Sunday, October 14. More information about the Celebrity Inspiration Run, the participating celebrities and their charities of choice will be posted at www.denvermarathon.com prior to the online auction on September 28. "Running takes commitment and motivation ­ whether itıs two miles or 26.2," said Anton Villatoro, Executive Director of the Denver Marathon. "With the Denver Marathon Celebrity Inspiration Run, the goal is to encourage everyday people to find the inspiration to run with someone they admire while benefiting a worthy charity." With nearly triple the number of runners currently registered for the 2007 Denver Marathon as this time last year, organizers of the world-class Denver Marathon announced an athlete field cap of 10,000 runners for this yearıs events which include the marathon, a half-marathon, the ING four-person marathon relay and the McDonaldıs Mile Kids Race. The racecourse will again start in front of the State Capitol, and travel past many of Denverıs major landmarks such as the Denver Public Library and the Denver Art Museum, Larimer Square, the Pepsi Center, Union Station and Coors Field, as well as City, Cheesman and Washington Parks. About Denver Marathon The largest Marathon in the state of Colorado, the Denver Marathon is the premier distance running event in the Mile High City. Owned and operated by Run Denver, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Experience Sports, LLC, the Denver Marathon brings an unmatched urban running experience to the Colorado community. For more information or to register for the marathon, half-marathon, ING four-person relay or the McDonaldıs Mile Kids Race, please visit DenverMarathon.com. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest