Georgian Wins Inaugural Rock N Roll Marathon


After selling out in mid- August, the inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon debuted as the largest running block party in Georgia on Saturday, November 5, 2011.

Nathan O’Connell, a 20- year-old student at Kennesaw student, won the marathon in 2 hours, 29 minutes and 5 seconds. It was only the second marathon for O’Connell, who trains with the Atlanta Track Club, as he bettered his time by 27 minutes minutes running on a solo tour through the streets of Savannah.

Apair of African runners won the half-marathon on Saturday, with Kenyan-born Reuben Mwei, of Acworth, Georgia blowing away the field. Mwei, who ran at Division II Adams State in Colorado, ran a blistering 4:42 first mile and never looked back, finishing with a personal best of 1:04:08 to beat runnerup Kevin Castille of Lafayette, La., (1:07:02) by nearly three minutes.

In the women’s race, Mula Seboka of Ethiopia won easily with a time of 1:13:44 to outdistance Stephanie Pezzullo of Flagstaff, Ariz. Pezzullo’s time of 1:14:32 qualified her for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

The Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, which rolled into Savannah for the first time, began in California in 1998.

“The first Rock ‘n’ Roll was an opportunity for us to help people understand that road races are for everyone, not just Olympians,” said Tracy Sundlun, SVP of Competitor Group, organizer of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series. The second annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon & ? Marathon is scheduled for Saturday, November 3, 2012. Photos, results and more can be found Competitor.com. Results – 2011 Rock ‘n’ Roll Savannah Marathon Men: Nathan O’Connell, 20, Kennesaw, GA, 2:29:05; $1,000; Chris Lake, 24, Tallahassee, FL, 2:34:02, $500; Ben Brown, 30, Savannah, GA, 2:36:13, $250. Women: Jill Horst, 33, Marietta, GA, 2:45:12; $1,000; Tiffany Chartier, 33, Thorton, CO, 2:46:30, $500; Beth Woodward, 36, Orrville, OH, 2:52:56, $250; Half Marathon: Men-Ruben Mwei, 25, Acworth, GA,1:04:07; $1,000; Kevin Castille, 39, Lafayette, LA, 1:07:01. $500; John Compton, 26, Charlotte, NC, 1:08:39, $250 Women: Mula Seboka, 28, Ethiopia, 1:13:44; $1,000; Stephanie Pezzullo, 29, Flagstaff, AZ, 1:14:32, $500; Alana Hadley, 14, Charlotte, NC, 1:16:58, $250.



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