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$5,000 Prize Purse offered for the Ossur National Leg Amputee Half Marathon Championships!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Tabi King
(858) 523-9073
San Diego, CA, June 30, 2004 – It was announced today that a $5,000 prize purse will be offered at the Ossur National Leg Amputee Half Marathon Championships to be held Nov 14th, 2004 in conjunction with the Silver Strand Half Marathon.
Race divisions will be broken down by female and male above and below knee amputations. The prize money will be determined by how many competitors are in each class. This will be the fourth time the Open Air MRI Silver Strand ½ has served as the amputee ½ marathon championships.
This will also be the first year that they’ll offer a 5-kilometer distance in conjunction with ½ marathon. The 5km (3.1 miles) could serve as the stepping stone race for the next generation of ½ marathon runners! The beautiful scenic course from Coronado Island to Imperial Beach is beautiful and FLAT, making it the perfect venue to have a fast race. The flat course is perfect for beginners and great for veterans who want to set a personal record.
This event, presented by the Challenged Athletes Foundation and sponsored by Ossur, Scope and RGP Prosthetics, is open to any female or male leg amputee of any age – and participants of all levels, to run or walk the distance. “It’s a beautiful race, right on Silver Strand along the ocean… and the perfect course for amputees, it’s my favorite ½ marathon because it’s flat and fast, said 2001 and 2003 champion, Sarah Reinertsen. “I’m thrilled they’ll have a 5km—what a fun opportunity to meet other amputees—and it’s a good goal to work towards, whether you do the 13 miles or the 3 miles, it’s about finishing the distance, walking or running.”
Silver Strand ½ Marathon Course Records:
| Fastest man below-knee: |
Paul Martin, 1:29:52 |
| Fastest woman below-knee: |
Amy Dodson, 1:58:06 |
| Fastest man, bilateral above-knee: |
Rudy-Garcia Tolson, 2:24:00 |
| Fastest woman above-knee: |
Sarah Reinertsen, 2:12:32 |
| Fastest man above-knee: |
Tom Martin, 1:48 |
We’re proud to have Ossur as the title sponsor of this event because they are makers of advanced prosthetics that allow amputees like Paul, , Rudy, Sarah and John to excel in the sport of their choice. If you look at the world’s fastest and strongest amputee athletes, they are on Ossur product. This benefit of technology trickles down so that any amputee, regardless of age and ability can do the everyday things needed to find balance,” said Tabi King, director of development at the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
“This event also allows amputees from all over who are running in local 10K’s and 5k’s to participate and compete in an event against other amputees,” she added. It really is a great opportunity for amputees of all ages to test their endurance in the half marathon or test the waters in a 5k. The CAF now has a new program called Catch a Rising Star that will enable us to actually create a training program for both events. It’s our goal to help amputees find their true potential as a fitness enthusiast and help create a life of balance,” she added.
To register for the event, visit www.challengedathletes.org and click on Silver Strand Half Marathon. Or call 858-793-9293. In addition, if you need CAF to help you with a training program, please contact us.
About the Challenged Athletes Foundation
Established in 1997, the CAF is a unique organization that recognizes the athletic greatness of people with disabilities and supports these efforts by providing grants for training, competition and equipment needs. Grants are awarded to persons with any type of physical disability and for a wide range of sports. The hundreds of athletes that the CAF has assisted range from world class athletes competing on an international level to those who are recently disabled and desire to become more active. Grants are distributed once a year with applications being accepted year round. It is the mission of the Challenged Athletes Foundation to provide opportunities to people with physical disabilities to pursue an active lifestyle through physical fitness and competitive athletics. The Challenged Athletes Foundation believes that involvement in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life.
About Ossur
Ossur's head office is located in Reykjavik, Iceland (Icelandic Stock Exchange: OSSR). The North American headquarters are located in Aliso Viejo, California with additional manufacturing, distribution and operational facilities in Reykjavik, Iceland; Eindhoven, Netherlands; Uppsala, Sweden; Albion, Michigan; Dayton, Ohio; Seattle and Vancouver, B.C. A worldwide leader in the development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of high technology orthotic and prosthetic devices, the company’s advancements offer people a life without limitations. Its product lines maintain leading market positions in interface system technology; silicone liners, such as the ICEROSS Dermo® with active skin care; Flex-Foot® carbon graphite products which feature the patented CarbonX® Active Heel; Mauch®; Total Knee® systems; and Unloader Knee Brace® systems. Recently, Ossur acquired Generation II, a leading North American orthotic developer and manufacturer, thus expanding Ossur's product line and establishing a platform for Ossur into the orthotic industry. Website: www.ossur.com.
Ossur is an official partner of the Challenged Athletes Foundation ensuring that amputees of any age and ability can take one step further in living a life without limitations.
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