PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release

CONTACT Jon Walk, (832) 296-0785

KIYAI, TEMESGEN SHATTER HALF MARATHON COURSE RECORDS WHILE KESSIO, AKOR WIN THE WOODLANDS MARATHON
THE WOODLANDS, TX (March 3, 2013) More than 5,700 runners in all four events of Saturdays Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Marathon crossed a common finish line here from courses which rewarded runners with $24,400 in prize money, set three new race records and qualified 104 runners for next years Boston Marathon. All while producing even more precious smiles on the faces of approximately 400 youngsters completing this years Pathfinder Pediatric 2K Fun Run. The St. Lukes The Woodlands Half Marathon enjoyed the brightest spotlight as both the mens and the womens race records were broken by San Antonios Shadrack Kipkorir Kiyai, 29, and Mansfields Etaferahu Wodaj Temesgen, 23, in winning times of 1:04:03 and 1:13:15, respectively. The duo collected $2,750 each, which included a $500 course record bonus and a sub-1:05 and sub-1:15 prime for the men and women, respectively. Kiyai outlegged Boniface Biwott, 26, and Julius Kosgei, 30, who both train in Hebron, Kentucky, to the finish line by 10 and 38 seconds, respectively. Biwott and Kosgei also earned an additional $500 by being the remaining two of the top three to break 1:05. The trio all registered late Friday afternoon at the Health and Fitness Expo. Santa Fe, New Mexicos Benard Langat, 30, also met the standard while finishing fourth in 1:04:51. Temesgen, meanwhile, was never challenged as she won by nearly four minutes missing her personal best, set in Luxembourg in 2010, by just 12 seconds -- over former Western Michigan standout Samantha Draney, 24, of Spring and 2012 United States Olympic Marathon Trialist Alexandra Blake, 29, of Louisville, Colorado. Draney covered the distance in 1:17:03 beating Blake to the finish by 10 seconds. The records broke last years winning times of 1:07:52 and 1:18:34 by Sammy Kiplagat-Cheptoo and Mattie Suver, respectively. Kenyas Richard Tirop Kessio, 38, broke away from San Antonios George Kirwa Misoi, 28, in the last mile to record a 28-second victory in the Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Marathon with a winning time of 2:26:29. Dallas Baptist University head cross country and track coach Jacob Phillips, 29, was third overall in 2:33:29 to post his first career marathon finish.

Misoi, who missed the start of the second loop of the two-loop course by turning with and actually crossing the finish line with some of the half marathon men, retraced his path, caught up and passed both Phillips and Kessio near the mile 18 marker. Kessio, who earned $3,000 for his winning efforts, regained the lead on Kuykendahl past mile 20 from Misoi. The duo ran in close tandem the entire length of Lake Woodlands before Kessio made a surge that went unmatched just beyond mile 25 on Lakefront Circle. Hawthorne, Californias Mary Akor, 36, separated from defending champion Camille Herron, 30, of Warr Acres, Oklahoma around mile 17 on Research Forest en route to a one minute and 29-second win over Minneapolis, Minnesotas Jenna Boren, who also passed Herron in the same part of the course. Akors winning time of 2:41:15 - her second win of 2013 - earned her, like Kessio, $3,000, while Boren and Herron finished second and third, respectively, in 2:42:44 and 2:43:09 to capture prizes of $1,250 and $750. Both Akor and Herron had completed marathons two weeks ago in Jacksonvile, Florida (26.2 with Donna) and Birmingham, Alabama (Mercedes), respectively, in fourth and first. The trio all competed in the 2012 United States Olympic Marathon Trials, hosted last January in Houston. Nuevo Veracruz, Mexicos Gustavo Castillo Serda, 42, and Woodway, Texas Gail Illich, 41, won the masters titles in the marathon with respective times of 2:36:11 and 3:04:00. Each earned $500 while Serda grabbed an additional $100 for finishing fifth overall. Irving, Texas Agustin Hernandez, 41, and the hometowns Kimberly Mac Namee, 41, also won $500 each for winning the masters titles in the half marathon in 1:10:25 and 1:23:22, respectively. Katy, Texas Jose Cruz Gonzalez, 46, set a new race record in the Fleet Feet Sports 5K with his winning effort of 17:01 while Houstons Kelly Swanson, 31, won the womens race in 19:08. Over 1,200 volunteers supported participants throughout the two-day event which included a Health and Fitness Expo on Friday. Through the events Launch Charity Challenge, 115 race participants had raised $94,800 for 16 different charities. Race management awarded an additional $18,000 to the charities of the 43 top fundraisers to bring the total giving to $112,800. Bellaire, Texass Diane McGehee, who completed the marathon in 5:15:55, raised $14,035 on behalf of Together In Hope, which works with marginalized communities in El Salvador, the Phillipines and Ethiopia, to be the programs leading individual fundraiser which netted her charity the top prize of $3,000. Additionally, changes to this years double-loop course produced 26 more Boston qualifiers than a year ago, despite 10 percent fewer marathon finishers. For more information, including complete results, on the Fidelity Investments The Woodlands Marathon, please visit www.thewoodlandsmarathon.com. Marathon Men 1. Richard Tirop Kessio, 38, Kenya, 2:26:29, $3,000 2. George Kirwa Misoi, 28, San Antonio, TX, 2:26:57, $1,250 3. Jacob Phillips, 29, Dallas, TX, 2:33:29, $750

4. Abraham Kiprop Rutto, 30, Colorado Springs, CO, 2:35:52, $400 5. Hector Gandara, 30, Edinburg, TX, 2:38:48, $100 Marathon Men, Masters 1. Gustavo Castillo Serda, 42, Nuevo Veracruz, Mexico, 2:36:11, $500 2. Andrew Sharenson, 42, Houston, TX, 2:48:18, $200 3. David Deroussel, 44, Allen, TX, 2:48:24, $100 Marathon Women 1. Mary Akor, 36, Hawthorne, CA, 2:41:15, $3,000 2. Jenna Boren, 36, Minneapolis, MN, 2:42:44, $1,250 3. Camille Herron, 31, Warr Acres, OK, 2:43:09, $750 4. Allie Moore, 26, Salt Lake City, UT, 2:54:53, $400 5. Virginia Jones, 32, League City, TX, 2:56:11, $100 Marathon Women, Masters 1. Gail Illich, 41, Woodway, TX, 3:04:00, $500 2. Lisa Warechowski, 47, Allen, TX, 3:20:28, $200 3. Lilia Vasquez, 49, Houston, TX, 3:23:31, $100 Half Marathon Men 1. Shadrack Kipkorir Kiyai, 29, San Antonio, TX, 1:04:03, $2,750** 2. Boniface Biwott, 26, Hebron, KY, 1:04:13, $1,500*** 3. Julius Kosgei, 30, Hebron, KY, 1:04:41, $1,000 % 4. Benard Langat, 30, Santa Fe, NM, 1:04:51, $250 5. Dereje Hailegiorgis, 28, Mansfield, TX, 1:05:24, $100
** $1,750 winning prize, plus race record ($500) bonus and sub-1:05 prime ($500) bonus *** $1,000 second place prize plus sub-1:05 prime ($500) bonus % $500 third place prize plus sub-1:05 prime ($500) bonus

Half Marathon Men, Masters 1. Agustin Hernandez, 41, Irving, TX, 1:10:25, $500 2. Luis Armenteros, 40, Houston, TX, 1:12:06, $200 3. Peter Lawrence, 41, Houston, TX, 1:12:47, $100 Half Marathon Women 1. Etaferahu Wodaj Temesgen, 23, Mansfield, TX, 1:13:17, $2,750+ 2. Samantha Draney, 24, Spring, TX, 1:17:03, $1,000 3. Alexandra Blake, 29, Louisville, CO, 1:17:13, $500 4. Obsie Birru, 24, Spring, TX, 1:18:26, $250 5. Heather McNiff, 26, The Woodlands, TX, 1:19:09, $100
** $1,750 winning prize, plus race record ($500) bonus and sub-1:15 prime ($500) bonus

Half Marathon Women, Masters 1. Kimberly Mac Namee, 41, The Woodlands, TX, 1:23:22, $500

2. Tellie Cobos, 44, Mansfield, TX, 1:29:05, $200 3. Martha Long, 44, Houston, TX, 1:32:10, $100 5K Men 1. Jose Cruz Gonzalez, 46, Katy, 17:01++ 2. Juan Pablo Rodriguez, 15, The Woodlands, TX, 17:55 3. Rafael Rodriguez, 13, The Woodlands, TX, 17:56
++ Race Record

5K Women 1. Kelly Swanson, 31, Houston, TX, 19:08 2. Sarah Batton, 13, The Woodlands, TX, 20:03 3. Kristin Delgado, 13, The Woodlands, TX, 21:17 About The Woodlands Marathon Management
The Woodlands Marathon Management is an event production company that operates with a primary goal of providing individuals the opportunity to participate in a running event that promotes the advancement of running. The directors of The Woodlands Marathon Management share a passion for The Woodlands community, the Houston region and the active sport lifestyle. They have teamed up to produce this premier event that will provide The Woodlands and surrounding communities options for living a healthy lifestyle with purpose.

About The Woodlands

Located just 30 minutes north of Houston, Texas and minutes from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, The Woodlands is the destination for leisure guests, individual business travelers and groups of all sizes. Visitors to The Woodlands enjoy more than eight million square feet of worldclass shopping, dining and entertainment options, more than 194 miles of hike-and-bike trails, 124 parks, the 1,700-acre George Mitchell Nature Preserve, the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, kayaking on Lake Woodlands, and taking a cruise on The Woodlands Waterway. The Woodlands features world-class sporting events including the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas, Insperity Golf Championship and the Nike South Invitational. The Woodlands also is home to more than 1,500 guestrooms in upscale and boutique properties, select service, limited service, conference and convention centers and a resort. For more information on The Woodlands, go to www.VisitTheWoodlands.com. Also, like The Woodlands Convention & Visitors Bureau on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/VisitTheWoodlands, follow them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheWoodlandsCVB and view them on YouTube at www.YouTube.com/TheWoodlandsCVB.

-TWM-