2011 Men's and Women's Champions Return to Defend their Title at HMBIM
Scott Dunlap and Jen Pfeifer to Compete with Athletes from 32 States and 4 Countries
For Immediate Release
Half Moon Bay, California, June 29, 2012 - The Half Moon Bay International Marathon today announced that both the 2011 Men's and Women's Full Marathon champions will return in 2012 to defend their title. Scott Dunlap and Jen Pfeifer both confirmed their 2012 entries where they will toe the line on September 23, 2012 with a packed field double the size of their competition the previous year. 1000 athletes from 32 states and 4 countries will travel to Half Moon Bay for the Marathon and events, with the Marathon race starting over 350 runners attempting the full 26.2 miles.
Pfeifer, last year's female marathon winner and course record holder with a time of 3:05:55, said about her return to the Race, "The inaugural HMBIM was such a great experience and I am excited to return to the beautiful course. I grew up running on the coastal trails and it is very special for me to return to my hometown to participate in the marathon."
Her male counterpart, 2011 Male Marathon champion Dunlap noted, "I am looking forward to returning to the beautiful views and oxygen-rich air of the Half Moon Bay International Marathon. I will definitely have to run faster this year to defend my title - the secret is out about this special race. It's going to be epic." Dunlap also holds the overall course record with a 2011 time of 3:00:35.
"The HMBIM staff and the entire community of volunteers are very proud to share our beautiful Coastside with the athletes making Half Moon Bay a destination," said Eric Vaughan, Executive Director. "Having an exciting field with our two returning champions and course record holders sets the bar high for the race and continues what we started in 2011."
The event features "26.2 Miles of Running Heaven" with courses which hug the Pacific coastline amid gorgeous mountain landscapes and perfect running weather. All race distances sold out in less than 3 months in 2012 in only the second year, despite doubling the overall capacity.
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Featuring "26.2 Miles of Running Heaven", the Half Moon Bay International Marathon (HMBIM) was founded in 2011 to showcase the unique beauty of the California coast along with some of the best weather a marathon athlete could ever hope for. The inaugural event in 2011 featured athletes from 25 states and 4 countries and sold out in two months despite very little promotion. An official Boston Qualifier event sanctioned by the USA Track and Field organization, the HMBIM also focused on creating an eco-friendly event to consider the precious coastal community and worked to attain official status with the Council for Responsible Sport, receiving the coveted Gold Certification from this organization in the Event's very first year. The HMBIM features a full and half marathon and 10k and 5k events all on the same day.