Olympic Runner to Share Inspiring Story at Boomtown Run Banquet
June 1, 2010
A unique opportunity to hear from three-time Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton is presented at the Boomtown Half Marathon Pre-Run Banquet. Set for 6 p.m. on Friday, June 11 at Joplin Memorial Hall, guests will enjoy a delicious meal catered by Wilder’s Steakhouse and hear from Hamilton as the guest celebrity of the Boomtown Run.
A world-class athlete, Hamilton made her mark early, winning 11 state titles in high school and named one of the top 100 high school athletes of the century. At the University of Wisconsin she became the winningest female collegiate athlete ever, claiming nine NCAA championships, the Honda Broderick Cup as the nation's top female collegiate athlete, and Big Ten Athlete of the Decade for the '90s. A three-time Olympian and holding seven U.S. National Championships, she ran the 1500m in less than 4 minutes, with a personal best of 3:57.40.
As she headed to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, experts agreed that the gold was hers to lose. Hamilton led the 1500m race as anticipated, but within 200 meters of the finish line she collapsed on the track. An unrelenting training schedule had helped mask a serious depression following the suicide of her brother Dan in 1999. While the benefits of exercise to alleviate depression are well known, for elite athletes like Hamilton, sports can be used to deflect emotional coping. Married to her high school sweetheart and the mother of a young daughter, Hamilton will share lessons learned on and off the track with local residents. Banquet tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.boomtownrun.com or at the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, 420 E. 4th Street in Joplin.
The banquet kicks off the Boomtown Run, which includes a half marathon, 5k, and kids run. Runners may pick up their race packets between noon and 9 p.m. on Friday at Joplin Memorial Hall. There is no packet pick-up on race day. The Boomtown Run was originally a 5K run created in 2003 as part of Joplin’s annual Boomtown Days Festival. In 2009 the region’s first half marathon was added to the traditional 5K. More than 500 runners crossed the finishing line, including Runner’s World Chief Running Officer Bart Yasso, 15 elite runners and hundreds of other competitive and recreational runners from 12 states. Co-chairs Audie Dennis and Dwaine Russell work with community volunteers to coordinate the event, presented by Freeman Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.
For complete details, go to www.boomtownrun.com. For general questions about the race that are not answered in the FAQ section of the website, please e-mail boomtownrun@yahoo.com.
The City of Joplin, the Joplin Convention and Visitors’ Bureau and the Event Sponsors want you to enjoy this great race and we hope you will bring your family and stay and enjoy the Boomtown Days Festival in Joplin’s historic Landreth Park. If you are new to Joplin we hope you take the time to see our community. For more information on Joplin, click, www.visitjoplinmo.com
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