RUNNING EVENT AND ATHLETE NEWS ROUND-UP
By David Monti
(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved (Used by permission)

(30-Nov) -- Here is the latest news from running events and athletes which has crossed your editor's desk in New York:

HALL, KASTOR INK NEW MARKETING PARTNERSHIP DEALS:
American Olympic marathoners Ryan Hall and Deena Kastor, both of whom represent shoe and apparel company Asics, have inked new marketing partnership deals. Hall, the USA half-marathon record holder, has partnered with Vizio, a manufacturer of flat-screen television sets. Vizio will feature Hall on packaging and digital media along with a line-up of additional celebrity ambassadors. The partnership with Hall is part of the company's "Entertainment Freedom for All" advertising campaign. Kastor, the 2004 Olympic Marathon bronze medallist, has partnered with Mars Chocolate North America, LLC, to promote the company's MARATHON Bar. "As both a world-class athlete and busy mom-on-the-go, Deena is the perfect spokesperson to help illustrate how MARATHON bars can help men and who juggle busy schedules and fit workouts into their already active lives," said Melinda McLoughlin, who manages public relations for the MARATHON bar.

LOTTERY OPENS FOR CREDIT UNION CHERRY BLOSSOM TEN MILE DEC. 1:
Organizers of the Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile and 5K Run-Walk, scheduled for Sunday, April 1, 2012, in Washington, D.C., will open their entry lottery on Thursday, Dec. 1. The event will be held for the 40th time. According to race officials, entrants will be able to register for the lottery between 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 1, 2011 and 11:59 p.m. on Friday, December 9, 2011 (Eastern Standard Time). After the lottery registration period closes, entrants will be electronically selected for the Ten Mile Run and 5K Run-Walk events. The results of the selection process for both events will be posted on the event Web site, http://www.cherryblossom.org on Tuesday, December 13, 2011. "We first implemented a lottery system for the 2010 event, and found it to be a very fair and straightforward way to deal with the fact that more people want to participate in our races than the streets of Washington, D.C., can accommodate," said Race Director Phil Stewart. Last year, approximately 30,000 runners applied for spots on the starting line.

CANADA RUNNING SERIES REGISTRATION HAS OPENED:
Registration for the 2012 Canada Running Series has opened, said series director Alan Brookes. The series entry process, which includes the marquis Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, allows runners to register for multiple events, which Brookes calls "combo packs," which provide additional savings. Reduced early bird fees are also in place now. "Little did I think when I started organizing races in 1983 --with less than 100 folks at the Billy Taylor Memorial Jog-Along for the Red Cross in Guelph-- that three decades later we'd have 60,000 folks in CRS runs for the year, and raise an absolutely stunning $6.5 million for charity," the always upbeat Brookes said through a statement. All registration takes place at http://www.RunCRS.ca.

WORLD CHAMPIONS ABEL KIRUI AND EDNA KIPLAGAT TO COMPETE IN JCL MONTFERLAND RUN:
The reigning world marathon champions, Kenya's Edna Kiplagat and Abel Kirui, will compete in the JCL Montferland Run 15-K on Saturday, Dec. 4 in 's-Heerenberg, Netherlands, organizers said. Challenging Kiplagat, who had to withdraw from the ING New York City Marathon because of the lingering effects of a knee bruise she suffered in a fall during the World Championships, will be Dutchwoman Hilda Kibet and the Ethiopian Abebech Afework. Other top athletes entered on the men's side include Kenya's John Mwangangi, Philip Lagat, and Gideon Kipketer, and Ethiopia's Hailu Mekonnen. Koen Raymaekers and Michel Butter are the top Dutch entrants. The race in 's-Heerenberg, which is situated between Arnhem and the German frontier, was cancelled last year due to snow and ice.

FIRENZE MARATHON PRIZE MONEY RELEASED:
The winners of last Sunday's Firenze Marathon in Italy, Berga Birhanu Bekele and Asha Gigi of Ethiopia, each received 10,000 euros in prize money, organizers revealed. The second and third place men and women received 7000 and 5000 euros, respectively. Prize money was paid ten-deep (see details in next Monday's RRW). In addition, men's winner Bekele, who ran 2:09:52, received a 4000 euro time bonus for breaking 2:10. The second place man, Gela Hailu Seifu, also earned a time bonus of 2000 euro for breaking 2:11 (he ran 2:10:17).

KUBOTA BREAKS 14 MINUTES:
Japanese high schooler Kazuma Kubota, 18, set a meet record of 13:59.16 for 5000m at the 64th Kumamoto City Middle & Long Distance Championships held last Saturday. For Kubota, who competes for Kyushu Gakuin High School, it was his first sub-14:00 clocking.

CENTROWITZ DOESN'T BREAK 30 MINUTES:
World Championships 1500m bronze medallist Matthew Centrowitz of Eugene, Ore., jumped in to a local turkey trot while he was in Arizona last week meeting with his manager-to-be, Ricky Simms. Competing in the Mesa Turkey Trot 10 km, "Centro" clocked 30:05 to finish second to British marathoner, Andrew Lemoncello (29:44). This is the first road race for Centrowitz known to RRW.