Olympic Gold Medalist Determined to Finish What She Set Out to Accomplish in 2015
March 18, 2016, Washington, DC: Race organizers of the 2016 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run, the third stop on the 2015-2016 PRRO Circuit, announced today that Joan Benoit Samuelson will once again take aim at Rae Baymiller's 55-59 age group record for 10 miles on Sunday, April 3. Samuelson, like many other runners in last year's Cherry Blossom Run, had to be content with a personal best for 9.39 miles after the course was re-routed to avoid the scene of a pre-race accident near the Tidal Basin. Samuelson's 2015 finish time of 58:50 projects to 1:02:40 for 10 miles; Baymiller ran 1:02:39 in August 1998 when she set the age group record at the Crim Festival of Races in Flint, Michigan.
"Anyone who has had the pleasure of running with Joanie knows she never willingly cuts a run short," said Phil Stewart, Race Director of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. "After the last-minute course change kept her from chasing an age group record last year, I fully expect her to be raring to go again this year."
This will be Samuelson's fourth Cherry Blossom Run, and she has placed first in her age group each time; she ran 1:00:52 in 2010 and 1:02:27 in 2012, in addition to her 2015 effort. Of course, she's best-known for winning the gold medal in the first-ever Olympic Women?s Marathon in Los Angeles in 1984. She also won the Boston Marathon in 1979 and 1983, and captured the Chicago Marathon women's title in 1985, setting an American record for the distance with a time of 2:21:21.
Samuelson will conduct a clinic at the Health & Fitness and the National Building Museum on Saturday, April 2 from 2 - 3 p.m., then will sign autographs at the Credit Union booth from 3 - 4 p.m. Samuelson will be joining Olympic silver medalist and four-time U.S. Olympic team member Meb Keflezighi as part of the clinic program. Keflezighi will appear on Friday, April 1 from 3 - 5 p.m. and on Saturday, April 2 from 11 - 1 p.m.
Media interested in interviewing Joanie during her visit to Washington, DC should contact Keith Peters at 307-690-6803 or kpeters@CherryBlossom.org.
Since 2002, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile and 5K Run-Walk have raised over $7.5 million for the Children?s Miracle Network Hospitals, and a significant portion of that total has been raised by Charity Race entrants.
The 2016 event will mark the 15th year of title sponsorship by Credit Union Miracle Day.
About the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile:
The Credit Union Cherry Blossom is known as "The Runner’s Rite of Spring®" in the Nation’s Capital. The staging area for the event is on the Washington Monument Grounds and the course passes in sight of all of the major Washington, DC Memorials. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, a consortium of 170 premier children’s hospitals across the United States. About one-third of the funds raised support Washington, DC’s own Children’s National Medical Center ("Children’s Hospital"). The event also funds two $5,000 Road Runners Club of America "Roads Scholar" grants designed to support up-and-coming U.S. distance running talent.
Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc., a consortium of credit unions and credit union suppliers, is the title sponsor of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run and 5K Run-Walk. PSCU is the lead financial partner of Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc. Supporting sponsors include Cabot Creamery Cooperative, E-Trade, Gatorade, Gold’s Gym, MarathonFoto, MedStar Sports Medicine, Navy Federal Credit Union, New Balance, Potomac River Running and Suburban Solutions Moving Company.
The event is a proud member of the PRRO Circuit (PRRO.org), a five-race non-marathon prize money circuit with events in Utica, NY, San Juan, PR, Washington, DC, Spokane, WA and Pittsburgh, PA. The circuit is committed to a drug-free sport and funds USADA to conduct drug testing at all circuit events. The winning male and female at Cherry Blossom are eligible for a $10,000 bonus if they win the PRRO Circuit Championship at the Boilermaker Road Race on July 10, 2016; if they place in the top 10 at the PRRO Circuit Championship, they will earn $1,500.
In addition to being sanctioned by USA Track & Field and the Road Runners Club of America, the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Run recently earned Gold certification from the Council For Responsible Sport for its many environmentally and socially responsible initiatives.
About America’s Credit Unions:
Credit unions provide consumers choices for financial services such as checking accounts, investments and loans of all kinds including mortgages. Funds are federally insured, but unlike banks, there are no stockholders at credit unions. Earnings are returned to member-owners in the form of lower loan rates, higher savings rates, low or no-fee products and services. The credit union philosophy of placing members’ needs first is why more than 104 million Americans do their banking at one of America’s 6,300 credit unions. Credit unions are for everyone– no matter where you live, there is a credit union to meet your needs.
To find a credit union near you visit: ASmarterChoice.org or CULookup.com.
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