13.1® Marathon Series to Award Prize Money

Nationwide series offers more than $53,000 in total prize money including Series championship in Miami on March 4, 2012

DALLAS - (April 19, 2011) - US Road Sports & Entertainment Group (USRS), owners and operators of the ING Miami Marathon, Publix Georgia Marathon, Chicago Half Marathon, New Jersey Marathon and the 13.1 Marathon® Series, has announced the awarding of prize money at the remaining stops of the 13.1 Marathon® Series in 2011 and the Los Angeles stop at the beginning of 2012.

Culminating with a purse of more than $29,000 at the 13.1® Miami Beach in 2012, USRS will award a total of $3500 per event to the top three runners at 13.1 events, as well as $29,200 in prize money for the Series championship to be held in Miami Beach on March 4, 2012.

At each 13.1® event, the prize money breakdown will offer a total prize money purse of $3500 distributed as $1750 per gender ($1000, $500 and $250).

The winners of each 13.1® event in 2011 and the 13.1® Los Angeles in 2012 will be invited to compete in the Series championship event - Miami Beach 2012 - and receive a complimentary registration. Other invitees will be determined by completion of a 2011 13.1® event with a qualifying time under 1:12 for the men or under 1:22 for the women. Additionally, if a runner has a qualifying time under 1:05 for the men and under 1:10 for the women in any non-13.1 Marathon® Series event, then they can qualify for the championship event and prize money in Miami Beach.

The Series championship - Miami Beach March 4, 2012 - offers total prize money of $29,200 distributed as $14,600 per gender ($13,100, $1000 and $500)

"We expect the 13.1 Marathon® Series to become the destination not only for the everyday runner, but also for the best half-marathoners in United States and the world," saids US Road Sports & Entertainment Group's CEO Greg Laird. "This money, combined with the bonus for breaking a World or U.S. record, solidifies this series as the preeminent destination for competitive half-marathon runners, and provides a true national series for them to participate."

The 2011 13.1 Marathon® Series spans the U.S., and began in Los Angeles in January along the shores of the Santa Monica Bay and the world famous Venice Beach area. 13.1 Marathon® Series has also visited Miami Beach with a now famous beach party and New York City in the shadow of the Unispere in Flushing Meadow Park.

Upcoming races include:

* 13.1® Chicago - June 4: starts and finishes at the Historic South Shore Cultural Center (SSCC) on Chicago's south side. The SSCC offers beautiful views of both Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyline.
* 13.1® Minneapolis - August 21: features a challenging and scenic point to point course highlighting downtown, the Mississippi River, Minnehaha Parkway and Lake Nokomis.
* 13.1® Atlanta - October 2: course to be determined.
* 13.1® Dallas - October 23: features a dramatic downtown start amongst the "all hat and all cattle" iconic Big D skyline.
* 13.1® Fort Lauderdale - November 13: offers an amazing sunrise on a scenic and friendly course. Start near Port Everglades and the Broward Convention Center.
* 13.1 Los Angeles - January 15, 2012: California Dreamin' on a Winters Day. Runners are treated to beautiful Southern California weather on a course that starts right along the Pacific Ocean on the Venice Boardwalk and then a very Flat and Fast course finishes up in the Winward Traffic Circle in Venice Beach.

The Dallas-based US Road Sports, conceptualized and launched the national series of half-marathons and 5Ks, which service some of the top running markets in the country. According to Running USA, the half-marathon has been the fastest growing distance in the U.S. since 2003. For more information, go to: 131marathon.com

Special thanks to
Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director.
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
http://www.runningusa.org