Press Release - Islay Single Malt Marathon - 12/13/13

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
                   Islay's Single Malt Marathon Challenges 
                 America's Mt. Desert Island for Scenery Honors

Isle of Islay, Scotland — Could Scotland's answer to America's most scenic 
marathon come on April 13, 2014, with the inaugural Islay Single Malt 
Marathon? Without doubt, it's a formidable challenge as ESPN and Runner's 
World magazines have ranked Maine's Mount Desert Island Marathon 
(www.mdimarathon.org) as most scenic in the USA. 

Dr. Bob Kroeger, race director of the Islay marathon, has run the MDI 
marathon twice and agrees with the ESPN/RW ranking. Having run 63 marathons 
from the forests of Alaska to the shores of California and Florida, 
Kroeger's experience confirms his thoughts, "I've run Loch Ness in Scotland 
and the mighty Pikes Peak in Colorado and I must agree that MDI is tops but 
Islay's route touches my heart. We'll run through whitewashed seaside 
villages, along rugged rock-strewn beaches and a shimmering sea loch, and 
finish with a ramble through the moors. It offers a good challenge to MDI."

On the other side of the pond, Gary Allen, long-time race director of the 
MDI marathon and himself a holder of an incredible marathon streak (a 
sub-three-hour marathon in each decade of his life and good currently 
through age 56), wants to check out the Islay marathon for himself someday. 
For now he can only wonder which marathon is most scenic, "We share a 
common border with the same ocean and the need to run: and so, trying to 
decide which route is more beautiful is like trying to move the sea with a 
thimble."

The marathon benefits the children of the island. Both the Islay Youth 
Pipers and the students of Islay High School will receive funds from the 
race. The students will use the money for a trip in 2015 to aid a 
developing country.

So, which is it: Islay or Mount Desert Island? The only way a runner will 
know is to come run and decide. For more information or to register: 
www.lordsoftheisles.com/marathon.html

Run with us in April in Scotland! www.lordsoftheisles.com 

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