US Road Sports & Entertainment Group (USRS) announced today the largest single half marathon prize in U.S. history. USRS will award $100,000 to the winner of any 13.1 Marathon® Series race whose winning time breaks the World Half Marathon Record.
Additionally, USRS will award $50,000 to any U.S. citizen who wins any 13.1 Marathon® Series race and whose winning time breaks the U.S. Half Marathon Record.
The first race for this reward will be the 13.1® New York on April 2, 2011.
The current half marathon record holders in each category are:
- Men’s World – Zersenay Tadese (58:23)
- Men’s U.S. – Ryan Hall (59:43)
- Women’s World – Lornah Kiplagat (1:06:25)
- Women’s U.S. – Deena Kastor (1:07:34)
Says US Road Sports & Entertainment Group’s CEO, Greg Laird:
“I challenge every runner in the world to break the World Half Marathon Record at one of US Road Sports’ 13.1® Marathon Series races. There is nothing I would enjoy more than handing a $100,000 check to an athlete at one of our races. Bring on the competition.”
The 2011 13.1 Marathon® Series spans the U.S., and began in Los Angeles in January along the shores of the Santa Monica Bay and the world famous Venice Beach area.
Upcoming races include – 13.1® New York - April 2, 2011: will be run within historic Flushing Meadows Corona Park, home of the 1939 and 1964 World's Fair. The race begins in front of Arthur Ashe Stadium; 13.1® Chicago - June 4, 2011: starts and finishes at the Historic South Shore Cultural Center (SSCC) on Chicago’s south side. The SSCC offers beautiful views of both Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline; 13.1® Minneapolis - August 21, 2011: features a challenging and scenic point to point course highlighting downtown, the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Parkway and Lake Nokomis; 13.1® Atlanta - October 2, 2011: the race starts and ends on the beautiful Oglethorpe University campus beside the quadrangle; 13.1® Dallas - October 23, 2011: features a dramatic downtown start amongst the “all hat and all cattle” iconic Big D skyline; and 13.1® Fort Lauderdale - November 13, 2011: offers an amazing sunrise on a scenic and friendly course. Start near Port Everglades and the Broward Convention Center.
