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Press Release - Grandma's Marathon - 6/18/05

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                   Contact: Laura Wright, 
                                            Public Relations Director
                                            (218) 727-0947

         Exciting Races at the 29th annual Grandma's Marathon

Duluth, Minn: Clear, sunny skies greeted the 7,049 runners that lined up at 
the starting line to compete in the 29th annual Grandma's Marathon at 7:30 
this morning. The day produced some of the most exciting races in the 
history of Grandma's Marathon.

The most eventful race came in the wheelchair division with near ties in 
both the men and women’s races. Krige Shabort, 41, of South Africa led the 
men’s race from the gun, but Jacob Heilveil, 35, of Bothell, Wash. was 
never far behind. In fact, the 35-year old briefly took the lead between 
the 20 and 25 mile mark. The duo were neck and neck down the homestretch in 
the closest wheelchair division finish ever at Grandma’s. In the end 
Shabort had the extra edge, crossing the finish line with a new course 
record time of 1:26:01 (former record was 1:30:53, set by Eric Neitzel in 
1998). Heilveil was a mere second behind in 1:26:02. Alan Bergman, 31, of 
Canada came in third (1:27:01) and 2004 wheelchair division champion, Scot 
Hollonbeck, 35, of Atlanta, Ga., was fourth (1:30:52).

A very similar scene unfolded in the women’s wheelchair division with 
Christina Ripp, 24, Savoy, Ill. and Cheri Blauwet, 25, of Menlo Park, 
Calif. racing together from the beginning. The two athletes, who trained at 
the Courage Center in Minneapolis, pushed each other throughout the race, 
eventually coming down the homestretch in a virtual deadlock for first 
place. Ripp crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:46:46, with 
Blauwet just one second behind in 1:46:47. Miriam Nibley, 27, or Savoy, 
Ill. was third place with a time of 1:50:43 and Tricia Downing rounded out 
the women’s wheelchair field in 2:15:07.

In the marathon foot race, Russian athletes, Mikhail Khobotov, Pavel 
Andreev and Andrei Gordeev, distanced themselves from the field of 43 elite 
male racers, and ran closely together through the first half of the race 
with Khobotov in the lead. Almost immediately after the 13.1-mile mark, 
Khobotov, 32, slowed his pace allowing Andreev, 35, and eventually Gordeev, 
32, to surge ahead. At mile 15 it was still Andreev, Gordeev and Khobotov 
running one, two and three, respectively, but Kenyans, Wesley Ngetich and 
Simon Sawe were closing the gap. The race changed dramatically by the 
20-mile mark with Ngetich moving into second place, Sawe taking over third 
and Andreev still in the lead. With approximately two and half miles to go, 
Ngetich passed Andreev and cruised into the finish line in 2:13:20. Sawe 
was second in 2:13:35 followed by Andreev who ran a 2:13:47. Gordeev 
finished in 6th place (2:14:54) while Khobotov did not finish the race. 
Ngetich earned $8,000 and an additional $1,250 of bonus money for running 
under 2:14:00.

Jeffrey Jacobs, 40, of Roscoe, Ill. won the men’s masters division and 
finished 17th overall with a time of 2:24:30. He will take home $1,500 in 
prize money for his efforts.

Unlike in 2004 when she lead the entire race, two-time defending champion, 
Fira Sultanova-Zhdanova, had tough competition today. Halina Karnatsevich, 
35, of Belarus took the lead right from the start with Sultanova-Zhdanova 
on her heels and Svetlana Demidenko just seconds behind. 
Sultanova-Zhdanova, 44, of Russia moved  into first briefly between miles 5 
and 6.2, but fell back behind Karnatsevich again by the 10-mile mark. 
Karnatsevich held the lead for the remainder of the race. Meanwhile, 
Demidenko, 29, of Russia moved up to second place by the 20-mile mark, and 
Sultanova-Zhdanova continued to slow. In the end, Karnatsevich crossed the 
line in a new personal record time of 2:28:43 – six minutes, four seconds 
faster than her previous best time, and the second fastest women’s time in 
Grandma's Marathon history. Demidenko grabbed second place in 2:32:44, and 
43 year-old Ramilia Burangulova took third overall and won the women’s 
masters division with her time of 2:33:03. Sultanova-Zhdanova finished in 
6th place with a time of 2:45:00. Karnatsevich will take home $8,000 in 
prize money plus $10,000 in incentive money for running under 2:29:00. 

The temperature at the start of the marathon was 57 degrees with clear 
skies and a east wind of 5 miles per hour. A total of 9,690 people 
registered for the 29th annual Grandma's Marathon, with 48 countries and 
all 50 states represented. Out of 7,049 starters, there was an all-time 
record of 6,885 finishers.

Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon course record holder, Ryan Meissen, 27, of 
River Falls, Wis., earned his sixth victory on the 13.1-mile course with 
his time of 1:06:40 – the sixth fastest time in the history of the race. 
Michael Reneau, 27, of Houlton, Wis. was second in 1:06:43 followed by 
Duluth native, Jeremy Polson, 27 who crossed the line in 1:08:54. Meanwhile 
in the women’s division, 2004 runner up, Jen Blue, 29, of North Mankato, 
finished first with a time of 1:17:45. Former St. Scholastica runner, 
Desiree Budd, 25, crossed the line in second place in 1:18:37, and Johanna 
Olson, 26, of Ketchum, Idaho was third with a time of 1:19:32.

A record number of 5,868 registered for the 15th annual Garry Bjorklund 
Half Marathon, and of those 4,871 started and 4,827 finished.

Top ten results, overall wheelchair results and age division results are 
included in the following pages. For complete results log onto 
www.grandmasmarathon.com. 

The date of the 2006 Grandma's Marathon weekend is June 15 through June 17 
– we hope you can join us!

Presenting sponsors of Grandma's Marathon and supporting events are Wells 
Fargo Bank of Duluth and Target Stores. Major sponsors are BP Products, 
City of Duluth, Coca-Cola, Country Hearth Natural Breads, Dex Media, Duluth 
News Tribune, Grand Casino Hinckley/Mille Lacs, Jennie-O Turkey Store, Lake 
Superior College, Maurices, Michelina’s, Miller Hill Mall, Miller 
Lite/Better Brands, Inc., Minnesota Power, Nike, Qwest, St. Mary’s Duluth 
Clinic Sports Medicine, Stewart Taylor Printing, Toyota, Ultima Replenisher 
and Verizon Wireless. 



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