For immediate release March 6, 2005

LITTLE ROCK, AR - John Weru, a Kenya native who lives in Mountain View, Calif., and Christy Nielsen of Council Bluffs, Iowa, won the men's and women's categories of the third annual Little Rock Marathon held today in Little Rock. The third annual event featured a new course, a $17,000 cash purse for the top winners, and two governors who ran the full marathon - Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack - among other things. The Little Rock Marathon also holds bragging rights for the world's largest finisher's medal, weighing in at one pound.

Weru, 25, posted a time of 2:24:10. This was his seventh marathon. He said he won three of the five he entered last year, and entered the Little Rock Marathon because he had been training and he felt his body was primed to race. It was his second time in Arkansas, having run the Firecracker 5K in July 2003. "It feels great and I am very happy to win," Weru said. The race also marked the seventh marathon for Nielsen, 30, with a time of 2:58:45. She said she had not been training recently for a marathon, but decided to enter at the suggestion of her friend, Machelle Cochran of San Antonio, who won the women's half marathon. "This is really hot (weather) for me," Nielsen said at the finish line, holding up her swollen hands as the temperature neared 60 degrees.

Both surpassed last year's winning times of 2:34:30 for the men's and 3:17:40 for the women's categories. Weru's and Nielsen's times were the first for this year's course, which was altered for the second year in a row because of construction in the city. This year the change eliminated several miles along the Arkansas River, resulting in a faster, more enjoyable course, said course designer and race Director Bill Torrey.

Huckabee, who began training for the marathon - his first - after last year after losing 105 pounds, crossed the finish line in 4:38:31. He was followed nearly 50 minutes later by Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. Huckabee's wife, Janet, also participated in the marathon in the walking division.

Gov. Huckabee, 49, said the race was difficult, but exhilarating. "I wouldn't trade it for the world... I think this was tougher than elections, and those are tough." He said the cheering spectators along the route "was a real key. You couldn't do it without those folks there."

The number of race entries has increased more than 25% from last year, race officials said. "We had entrants from 43 states and three foreign countries," said Greg Hatcher, Little Rock Marathon race chairman. "More than 49% of those running the full marathon were from outside the state."

About 3,830 runners took to the streets under sunny skies that eventually got into the mid-60s. About 3,540 of them ran either a full marathon, half marathon or four-person relay marathon, with the remainder participating in a 5K. Last year, the marathon event drew nearly 3,000 runners, while the inaugural race had 2,200 runners.

For the first time ever, the Little Rock Marathon awarded a purse worth more than $17,000 in cash and prizes to top finishers in male and female divisions of the marathon, half marathon, master's marathon and master's half marathon. First place in the marathon received $2,000 each, second place received $1,500 each, third place received $1,000 each, fourth place received $750 each and fifth place received $500 each.

In the half marathon, first place received $750 each, second place received $500 each and third place received $250 each. In the master's marathon (age 40 and older), first place received $500 each, second place received $250 each and third place received $100 each. In the master's half marathon, first places received $250 each, second place received $200 each and third place received $100 each.

Second place finishers this year were Titus Mutinda, 40, of Waynesville, Ohio, at 2:25:42, and Leah Thorvilson, 26, of Little Rock at 2:59:45. Placing third were Andrew Musuva, 35, of Santa Fe, N.M., at 2:26:38, and Sara Major, 24, of Pittsburg, Kansas, at 3:11:36. Placing fourth were Michael Wardian, 30, of Arlington, Va., at 2:27:13 and Betsy Meacham, 40, of Little Rock at 3:19:33. Fifth place went to Glen Mays, 34, of Little Rock at 2:30:50 and Alice Stewart, 38, of Little Rock at 3:22:08. Mays won the men's overall last year, while Meacham was second and Stewart was third in last year's women's overall.

Chris Lamps, 36, of Little Rock won first place in the wheelchair division with a time of 1:54:34. It was his first marathon and included a spill after a car got on the course. "I went wide and flipped," he said, adding that some spectators who happened to be occupational therapists helped him back on his bike. A wheelchair basketball player, Lamps said he decided to enter the race after his cousin from North Carolina decided to run it. Terry Blackwell, 58, of New Orleans was second in the wheelchair division at 2:15:44. Dick Pace, 55, of Monette was third at 2:16:27. Pace won the division last year.

Winning the men's master's division was Tom Dever, 47, of Terre Haute, Ind., at 2:36:26, followed by Garry Partridge, 50, of San Antonio, at 2:47:44 and Tom Jacobs, 41, of Kansas City, Mo. At 2:49:09.

The women's master's division winner was Marla Rhoden, 49, of Topeka, Kansas, at 3:24:23, followed by Joyce Florance, 49, of Bossier City, La., at 3:27:44, and Chris Fraser, 41, of Brentwood, Calif., at 3:32:59.

Maciek Miereczko, 25, of Searcy won the men's half marathon at 1:08:59, followed by Kevin Kendrick, 41, of Conway at 1:16:34 and Karl Lenser, 46, of Conway at 1:17:59. In 2004, Lenser won first and Dendrick was second. Machelle Cochran, 32, of San Antonio won the women's half marathon at 1:26:14, followed by Pam Sneed, 49, of Cleveland, Okla., at 1:29:42 and Heather Butler, 25, of Shreveport, La., at 1:30:28.

John Slate, 49, of Overland Park, Kansas, won the men's walking division at 4:45:12, followed by Larry Liszewski, 47, of St. Louis at 5:11:14 and Bill Richardson, 56, of Hot Springs at 5:19:49. Liszewski won first place last year.

The fourth annual Little Rock Marathon is set for March 5, 2006. For more information go to Little Rock Marathon.