Greg Miller
BMW Dallas Marathon, public relations
214-891-7668
[email protected]
Olympians Meb Keflezighi and Desi Linden and Record Holders Ryan Hall and
Deena Kastor to Appear at 2016 BMW Dallas Marathon
DALLAS (Nov. 17, 2016) – Two of America’s top competitors from the Rio 2016 Olympics
– Desi Linden and Meb Keflezighi – and American record holders Deena Kastor and Ryan
Hall headline the elite ambassador field appearing at the 2016 BMW Dallas Marathon on
Sunday, December 11. Race organizers announced that Linden, Keflezighi, Kastor and
Hall will have leading roles in the race’s starting ceremonies, hand out medals to
participants crossing the finish line, and be available for photos and autograph signings
with fans during the BMW Dallas Marathon Health & Fitness Expo.
For each of the four elite ambassadors, returning to the BMW Dallas Marathon in 2016
carries a personal significance. Keflezighi, Linden and Kastor ran in the Dallas Marathon’s
Duo to Rio Relay in 2015 alongside seven other Team USA hopefuls, with Kastor’s team
taking the top finisher spot. Two months later, Linden and Keflezighi (along with Dallas
Marathon Duo to Rio participant Jared Ward), punched their tickets to the Rio 2016
Olympics with commanding performances at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Linden
went on to place 7th in the marathon during the Olympics. For Keflezighi, Kastor and Hall,
2016 marks the third year in a row they have each taken part in Dallas Marathon race
weekend festivities. Ryan Hall ran in his last event before announcing a retirement from
professional running at the 2015 Dallas Marathon, competing in the inaugural Pro Relay
Challenge.
“We are honored to have a group of true icons and role models in American running join
us for BMW Dallas Marathon race weekend this December,” said Paul Lambert, president
of the Dallas Marathon. “Meb, Desi, Deena and Ryan will each help make Sunday,
December 11, a day BMW Dallas Marathon participants, volunteers and spectators
remember for many years to come.”
Linden, Keflezighi, Kastor and Hall will each serve as an honorary starter for a specific
participant corral on BMW Dallas Marathon race morning, offering words of
encouragement and hype, and counting down the official race start for runners
participating in the 46th running of the BMW Dallas Marathon, Half Marathon and
Behringer Relay. The race starts in downtown Dallas, with runners assigned to one of
four starting corrals (A, B, C or D).
For a detailed schedule of public appearances by BMW Dallas elite ambassadors, follow
the BMW Dallas Marathon on Facebook or download the BMW Dallas Marathon app for
iOS or Android devices. Additional elite athletes participating in BMW Dallas Marathon
include Olympic Trials qualifier and Dallas-native Becky Wade, who will speak at the
Health & Fitness Expo on Friday and Saturday, and a to-be-announced group of
professional runners sponsored by HOKA ONE ONE that will run on race day.
For more information or
bmwdallasmarathon.com.
to
register
as
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participant
or
volunteer,
visit
2016 BMW Dallas Marathon Elite Ambassadors
Desi Linden, 33, was the first female American finisher at the 2015 Boston Marathon in
a time of 2:25:39, placing fourth overall. She owns a lifetime marathon PR of 2:22:38,
set at the 2011 Boston Marathon where she placed second. A member of Team USA in
the marathon at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, Linden trains with the Hanson-Brooks
Distance Project team based in Michigan. Linden placed 7th in the marathon at the Rio
2016 Olympics.
Meb Keflezighi, 41, is the only athlete in history to win the New York City Marathon, the
Boston Marathon and an Olympic medal in the marathon. In 2014, he became the first
American in 31 years to win the Boston Marathon, with a personal-best time of 2:08:37.
Meb qualified for his fourth Olympic team in 2016, running for Team USA in the marathon
at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Deena Kastor is the overall U.S. record holder in the marathon and half marathon, posting
times of 2:19:36 and 1:07:34, respectively, in 2006. In 2014, she continued her decorated
competitive career, breaking U.S. Masters records in both the 10-mile and 20K distances.
The 25-time U.S. champion earned a bronze medal in the marathon at the 2004 Olympic
Games in Athens with a time of 2:27:20. Today, she trains with and serves as president
of the board of directors for Mammoth Track Club, which counts many of the nation’s top
distance runners among its members.
Ryan Hall posted the best-ever American time in the marathon and represented the U.S.
in the 2008 and 2012 Olympic games, before retiring from professional running in 2016.
Hall is married to Sara Hall, also a professional distance runner, and together they operate
the nonprofit Hall Steps Foundation, which funds mentoring and running programs for atrisk youth. The couple recently adopted four young girls from Ethiopia, who have
developed a love for the same sport that first brought their parents together at Stanford.
Wade, 27, is a Dallas native living and training in Houston. She won her debut marathon
in 2013, with a time of 2:30:41 at the California International Marathon and set a half
marathon PR of 1:12:18 at Houston in 2015. Wade was a four-time NCAA Division I AllAmerican distance runner at Rice and competed in the 2016 Olympic Trials. She
recently published the book Run the World: My 3,500-Mile Journey Through Running
Cultures.
About the BMW Dallas Marathon
The Dallas Marathon is a nonprofit organization with a focus on promoting health and
physical fitness through running events and related activities. Dating back to 1971, the
organization hosts year-round events culminating with Dallas’ largest and Texas’ oldest
running marathon: the BMW Dallas Marathon. Now in its 46th running, the marquee race
attracts runners from across the globe and hundreds of thousands of spectators to Dallas’
largest single-day sporting event. The BMW Dallas Marathon racecourse highlights iconic
Dallas landmarks and is recognized as the official marathon of the city of Dallas. Since
naming a primary beneficiary in 1997, the Dallas Marathon has donated more than $3.8
million to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. For more information, visit
dallasmarathon.com.
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