Preview: Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & Half Marathon

November 14, 2008 from Running USA wire (SAN ANTONIO TX) Five years after she shattered her own course record by nearly two minutes at the ING New York City Marathon, Margaret Okayo will make her comeback debut alongside 30,000 runners at the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll San Antonio Marathon & ½ Marathon on Sunday, November 16.

Okayo, of Kenya, who missed most of the past two years due to injuries, has won four major marathon titles during her career - two New York City Marathons, one Boston Marathon and one Flora London Marathon - and was a runner-up in Chicago, finishing with an impressive marathon debut of 2:26:00 in 1999. She also won back-to-back Rock 'n' Roll Marathons in San Diego where she holds the course record, running a 2:25:05 in 2001.

"I am very happy to come and compete in the first Rock and Roll San Antonio Marathon. This will be my comeback race, and I'm excited about this new event organized by Elite Racing," said Okayo, winner of the 2003 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach. "I have great memories of their races and it is a series which is very close to me. I hope to continue the good relationship with Elite as I have competed in, and won, many of their races."

Okayo, 32, leads an exciting women's field which includes New Zealand Olympian Liza Hunter-Galvan, who resides locally in San Antonio, as well as Olympian Nuta Olaru of Romania, whose 2008 accomplishments include a seventh place finish at the Boston Marathon and a third place finish in San Diego.

A significant challenge could also come from Svetlana Ponomarenko of Russia, who earlier this year won the Country Music Marathon in Nashville, and has also won marathons in Frankfurt, Dallas, Twin Cities and Athens over the last 2 years.

On the men's side, U.S. Olympian Brian Sell will run the half-marathon. He competed in the marathon at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and also finished 9th at the 2005 World Championships marathon in Helsinki.

The professional field for the men's marathon is comprised primarily of Ethiopian and Kenyan runners. The USA, Ukraine and Russia are also represented among the strong international competitors. The field will be led by 1997-98 New York City Marathon winner John Kagwe of Kenya, owner of the second-fastest time ever winning the '97 race with a personal record of 2:08:12. He is also a previous Rock 'n' Roll champion, finishing first in the 2001 San Diego Marathon.

Challenging Kagwe will be 2006 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon champion Shimeles Molla of Ethiopia, who also has a top 6 finish in a major marathon from Berlin in 2005. Molla will be joined by fellow Ethiopian Gizaw Bekele, a 2008 Olympian. His only previous marathon was in Addis Ababa, finishing 2nd to Beijing bronze medalist Tsegay Kebede.

Matt Downin, a five-time qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials, brings the top American credentials to San Antonio. In 2005, Downin finished third in the 10,000 meters at a USA Outdoor Championships, with personal best time of 28:34. He set his marathon PR of 2:14:28 with an eleventh place finish at the ING New York City Marathon in 2005, finishing the season ranked #5 in the U.S. at the 26.2 mile distance by Track & Field News.

The race course begins in scenic Lions Park and proceeds though downtown San Antonio, passing the legendary Alamo before heading into the Southtown Arts District. The marathon continues past the historic missions, through the wooded Mission Trails National Park, which runs along side the picturesque San Antonio River. The final straightaway and finish line are located at the foot of the Alamodome, site of the post-race fiesta.

With a separate prize purse for Texas athletes, the inaugural Rock 'n' Roll event will host the "Texas Showdown," a statewide competition in which runners from throughout Texas will compete for prize money on the 13.1 and 26.2-mile race courses. In the Texas Showdown, the top male and female marathon finishers win $2000; second earns $1000 and third $500.

Additionally, any male Texas athlete who completes the marathon under 2:31:00 and any Texas female athlete under 2:56:00 will receive a prize money bonus. In the half-marathon, any Texas male who finishes under 1:08:30 and any Texas female under 1:17, will also receive a bonus.

Weekend festivities begin with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Alamodome on Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15. The Health & Fitness Expo is free and open to the public, with over 100 exhibitors showcasing the latest in endurance sports gear and nutrition products.

In addition to over 50 live bands along the course, the scenic tour of San Antonio features hundreds of local high school cheerleaders and themed water stations to provide further entertainment and motivation to runners and walkers. The event concludes with a finish line fiesta, followed by an evening headliner concert featuring The Cult. For more information, visit: www.RnRsa.com