July 17, 2010
Release: Stroehmann Back on My Feet 20in24
Contact information:
Christopher Wink
(O) 215-772-1080 ext. 106
(M) 215-410-8904
chris@backonmyfeet.org
Third Annual Stroehmann Back on My Feet 20in24 Race Event Welcomes Back Two-Time Winner and Course Record Holder of the Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon to Defend Title July 17-18, 2010
SEE THE RACE RESULTS HERE
PHILADELPHIA -- Anne Mahlum, the founder and president of Back on My Feet, the nonprofit that promotes the self-sufficiency of homeless populations by engaging them in running, announced today that Serge Arbona will compete in the Third Annual Stroehmann Back on My Feet 20in24 Race Event held July 17-18 on the Schuylkill River running course.
MEDIA ALERT
WHAT?: Official start of the third annual Stroehmann Back on My Feet 20in24
WHEN?: Saturday, July 17, 2010 at 10 a.m.
WHERE?: Outside Lloyd Hall, 1 Boathouse Row, Kelly Drive, East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
WHY?: Visual of more than 1,000 runners and hundreds of volunteers on Kelly Drive near Boathouse Row; Interviews with elite ultra marathon athletes, Back on My Feet members who are working to overcome homelessness and Back on My Feet staff, including Founder Anne Mahlum
NOTES: To interview Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon distance runners, it is recommended media arrive by 9:30 a.m.; Most Back on My Feet member runners will start at 6 p.m., though some will be available at 10 a.m.
Arbona, a Baltimore resident, won the first two 20in24 Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon races, setting the course record last year by finishing 146.28 miles in a 24-hour period. He has held three distance running world records, including running in 2004 the most consecutive miles in a 24-hour period on a treadmill, 152.27.
"Having Serge come back to compete for the third time shows his competitive spirit and the growing reputation of the 20in24's Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon," Mahlum said.
The 20in24 race event officially begins outside of Lloyd Hall (1 Boathouse Row on Kelly Drive, East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia) at 10 a.m. July 17 and finishes 24 hours later.
The event features four different races:
* The Lone Ranger Ultra Marathon, in which participants see how many miles they can run in 24 hours
* The 20in24 Relay Challenge, in which teams of five complete multiple 8.4 mile loops
* The Midnight Madness Run, in which participants run a single 8.4 mile loop at midnight
* The Pajama Loop, in which participants run a single 8.4 mile loop at 5:30 a.m. Sunday
All proceeds of the event go to Back on My Feet, a nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of the homeless population by engaging them in running to build strength, confidence and self-esteem.
Arbona isn't the only respected distance runner taking part in the 20in24. More than 1,000 participants are taking to the Schuylkill River trail July 17-18, including more than 40 Back on My Feet members who are experiencing homelessness and 250 Lone Ranger Ultra Marathoners.
Among those Lone Rangers are U.S. National 24-hour running team member Bill Allen, accomplished Hungarian runner Attila Vozar and last year's top placing female Anna Piskorska, who won the women’s silver medal at the 2009 USA 24-Hour Championship by completing 132.6 miles.
"The representation at this year's 20in24 will establish the race event as among the country's best," Mahlum said. "That reputation will make sure the race helps support the mission of Back on My Feet every year for a long time."
ABOUT BACK ON MY FEET
Back on My Feet, which launched in Philadelphia in 2007, is a nonprofit organization that promotes the self-sufficiency of the homeless population by engaging them in running to build strength, confidence and self-esteem.
Members must run Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and must maintain a 90 percent attendance rating in order to move forward in the program and gain access to job training, employment and housing opportunities.
The organization has chapters in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Boston, will expand to Chicago in September 2010 and in Dallas-Fort Worth, Atlanta and Minneapolis-St. Paul in the first half of 2011.
The organization has received incredible media support, including attention from NBC Nightly News , ABC World News,CNN and The Today Show for its ingenuity in tackling this difficult social issue. In addition to Philadelphia, the organization has chapters in Baltimore, Washington DC and Boston, and will launch in Chicago in September. More information can be found at www.backonmyfeet.org
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