MANILA, Philippines - The third annual Guam International Marathon (GIM) will be held on April 12, 2015. Event organizers announced changes to the race finish, as well as the designation of world-renowned Olympic gold medalist Naoko Takahashi as event ambassador.
Other notable changes for the 2015 Guam International Marathon include an expanded post-race Finisher’s Festival and event expo. Marathon organizers also continue to enhance racecourse aid stations and amenities to include water, Powerade and energy gel stations, live entertainment and cheering squads along the course, as well as Cool Zone locations.
A larger post-race Finisher’s Festival will begin at 6:30 a.m. at Gov. Joseph A. Flores Memorial Park at Ypao Beach in Tumon, featuring food and beverage concessions, in addition to an exciting entertainment lineup.
The 2nd Annual Guam International Marathon was participated in by 2,910 runners from around the world, which represented a 30-percent increase from the inaugural event in 2012. “We expect even more runners both locally and internationally to participate in this much-anticipated event,” said Guam sports events managing director Ben Ferguson. “In its third year, the Guam International Marathon continues to build momentum and gain regional recognition and notoriety. We are excited to announce the designation of Naoko Takahashi as our event ambassador. Takahashi is known as a running ambassador and maintains super-celebrity status in Japan.”
Naoko Takahashi is a Japanese long-distance runner competing mainly in the marathon. She is widely celebrated for her women’s marathon victory at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney. Takahashi was the first woman to break the two-hour and 20-minute barrier during her world-record performance at the 2001 Berlin Marathon.
The 3rd Guam International Marathon event includes 5K, 10K, Half Marathon (13.1 miles) and Marathon (26.2 miles) race distances. All courses have been officially certified by the IAAF (International Association of Athletic Federations) and AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races). This designation means that marathon runners may use this as a qualifying event for the Boston Marathon.
For information, visit www.guaminternationalmarathon.com.