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An estimated 20,000 participants to compete in GO! St. Louis Family Fitness Weekend; Missouri Governor Matt Blunt, Kristin Armstrong to run
ST. LOUIS - (April 1, 2008) - The eighth GO! St. Louis Family Fitness Weekend, which includes seven different events for the entire family is set for April 5 & 6, 2008. Participant registrations are on a record-breaking trend with only a few days before the two-day celebration. The Half Marathon, which continues to be the most popular race, has only a few hundred openings and is nearing the 10,000 race cap. The Marathon and Marathon Relay registrations will boost the participation numbers to close to 14,500, making it the largest competitive road race in Missouri's history. Participants from 46 states, the District of Columbia and eight different countries will be competing.
In addition, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt will be running for the second straight year in the Marathon Relay event and avid marathoner Kristin Armstrong will be competing in the half-marathon.
The endurance races set for Sunday features a Marathon (26.2 miles), Half Marathon (13.1 miles) and a four-person Marathon Relay (6 miles per person), including the Battle of the Badges competition. The family day, set for Saturday in Forest Park, will offer a variety of events for the entire family. It includes a 5K Run/Walk, Children's Fun Runs, Read, Right & Run Marathon®, a Diaper Dash for the toddlers and a Mature Mile for adults 60 years-of-age and older.
"St. Louis is truly a city for families, so when we created the GO! St. Louis Family Fitness Weekend, we envisioned an event that the whole family could participate in - no matter the age or fitness level," said Nancy Lieberman, GO! St. Louis president. "When we began the event in 2000 with 2,500 participants, we knew the concept was unique. As the number of participants increased over the years, we continued to strive each and every year to provide a quality event that is rewarding for participants and spectators, many of whom are visiting our community for the first time," she added.
In addition to the weekend fitness events, a two-day Health and Fitness expo will be held at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront St. Louis (Formerly Adam's Mark Hotel), where participants pick up their race packets and have the opportunity to visit with various vendors and organizations interested in fitness. The expo is free and open to the general public. And on Saturday at 5:30pm, the annual pasta party will be held at the Old Post Office in downtown St. Louis. The party is sponsored by The Pasta House Company and features special guest speaker Kristin Armstrong, who is an author, accomplished marathoner and frequent contributor to Runner's World Magazine.
Event by the Numbers
* Estimated 14,500 to participate in Sunday's endurance race
* Estimated 20,000 total to participate in seven different family events
* More than 3,000 children to participate in Saturday events
* More than 10,000 to participate in Half Marathon Race
* Estimated 18,000 Aquafina water bottles to be recycled
* Estimated 200,000 biodegradable cups to be used for re-hydration
* Thousands of pounds of cardboard, paper and aluminum products will also be recycled.
* 270 Johnny on the Spots to use green-friendly chemicals and recycled paper products.
* 15 Different forms of entertainment along the course
For additional event information, visit: GoStLouis.org or call Jeff Trammel at (314) 727-0800.
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.
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