Ethiopian runners to participate in the VA Beach run on Aug. 6

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Virginia Beach, VA. -- September 2, 2009 -- The professional athlete field is set for the ninth annual Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach on Sunday, September 6, 2009. For the first time, the event will include an international team challenge format with the U.S. squad going up against teams from Kenya, Ethiopia, Europe and Japan, each competing for over $30,000 in team prize money.


"The half marathon distance is the most competitive in the sport," said Matt Turnbull, elite athlete recruiter. "The International Team Challenge will pit some of the world's best runners in a team competition to find the best half marathon road racing team in the world."

It's ladies first in Virginia Beach as the professional women start 15 minutes ahead of the men. The powerful Kenyan team comes in as favorites, led by defending champion Edith Masai and two-time former champion Edna Kiplagat. Masai holds a half marathon PR of 1:07:16, and has won three individual gold medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. Kiplagat owns a half marathon best of 1:09:32, and is the only back-to-back winner in the history of the event (2006-'07).

The Ethiopian team is expected to have a strong showing led by up and coming runner Abebu Gelan Adugna, 19, who finished fourth in February's RAK Half Marathon in the United Arab Emirates where she set a new world junior best of 1:07:57. In January, she upset 2008 World junior cross country silver medalist Emebet Etea in the Ethiopian National Cross Country Championships after finishing sixth at the World Half Marathon Championships in Rio de Janeiro last year.

"The Ethiopians are sending over a young team," said TV commentator Toni Reavis, who will host coverage of the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon for FSN. "They certainly have the talent to win, but can they overcome the course knowledge and race savvy of the more experienced Kenyans? It's that new element of team competition that makes the international format so intriguing. It should make for a great battle between these two world rivals."

Running fans and race spectators also will have the chance to watch two outstanding local athletes competing against the world's best this Sunday. Representing the American team will be Virginia's own Natalie Sherbak and Susannah Kvasnicka. Sherbak hails from Virginia Beach and is a two-time ACC Champion at 10,000m and All-American in the mile at Virginia Tech. This spring she ran 34:11 for 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in Palo Alto, CA. Kvasnicka, a native of Great Falls in Northern Virginia, won the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon and was a qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon.

Headlining the men's race and leading the European team is 2008 Olympian Andrew Lemoncello of Great Britain. The fastest European in the field over 10,000m, Lemoncello owns a half marathon PR of 1:01:51, and while attending Florida State University he won 11 ACC Championships. He also set school records in the steeplechase, 5,000m and 10,000m, as well as indoor records in the 3,000m and 5,000m. Joining Lemonello on the European team will be Marten Bostrom of Finland, winner of the 2007 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon.

Kenyan Linus Maiyo will look for a strong showing in Virginia Beach after his win at the Blue Cross Broad Street 10 Mile Run in Philadelphia this May. Joining Maiyo will be Kenyan teammates William Chebor and Samuel Ndereba. Chebor ran 1:01:06 earlier this year winning the Azkoitia Half Marathon in Spain, while Ndereba placed seventh in Virginia Beach in 2007 (1:02:47).

Leading the American contingent will be Luke Humphrey, Cele Rodriguez and Carlos Handler. Humphrey runs with the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Last year he finished eleventh at the ING New York City Marathon. As a collegiate runner at Adams State University, Rodriguez collected three individual NCAA Division II national titles. Post-collegiately, he has found the half marathon to his liking with wins at the BAA Half Marathon in Boston, and the Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon and Avenue of the Giants Half Marathon in California.

The professional field of elite runners will be introduced at the event press conference on Friday, September 4 at 11:00 am in the lobby of the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

Sunday's event begins with an invitational wheelchair race at 6:40 am. The wheelchair start is followed by the elite women's invitational at 6:45 am, followed by the elite men's invitational and full field starting at 7:00 am. Teams are comprised of 4-6 runners and will be scored cross-country style, with points awarded on the basis of finishing place not time. The team with the lowest score for its top two runners in each race will be the winner. Prize money will be awarded in both team and individual categories.

In 2009, the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon celebrates its ninth anniversary in Virginia Beach on Labor Day Weekend. Open to runners and walkers from novice to professional, Elite runners from around the world have come to Hampton Roads to participate in the event, including inaugural winner and Olympic bronze medalist Deena Kastor, Olympic Marathon gold medalist Fatuma Roba, and course record holders Paul Tergat and Margaret Okayo of Kenya.
The largest half marathon in the Commonwealth of Virginia offers a scenic course that starts on 19th Street outside of the Virginia Beach Convention Center, winds through the area's coastal communities, with the finish line along the oceanfront boardwalk. Combined with the Verizon Wireless American Music Festival, the race has contributed to Virginia Beach's appeal as an end of summer family destination, with 50% of registered runners traveling from out of state and approximately 75% of all event participants visiting from outside the Hampton Roads region.

Weekend festivities begin with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on Fri., Sept. 4 and Sat., Sept 5. Race registration will be available at the Health & Fitness Expo from noon – 7 pm Friday and 9 am – 6 pm Saturday. The Health & Fitness Expo is open to the public and features over 100 exhibitors with the latest in endurance sports gear and nutrition products.
Event weekend concludes Sunday night with an evening headliner concert featuring The Black Crowes at the 5th Street Beach Stage. All participants receive a free concert ticket to the Verizon Wireless American Music Festival with their race entry. For more information, please visit RNRVB.com.
Men

RACE #, NAME, AGE, COUNTRY, CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

USA 1, Luke Humphrey, 26, USA, Part of the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, 11th at 2008 ING New York City Marathon

USA 2, Cele Rodriguez, 28, USA, Collected three individual NCAA Division II national titles Adams State University

USA 3, Carlos Handler, 26, USA, Has a PR of 1:05:18, graduate of Concordia University Irvine

JAPAN 1, Yukou Matsumiya, 29, Japan, 5th in the 2009 Japan Corporate Half Marathon Championships, PR 1:01:53

JAPAN 2, Noritaka Fujiyama, 25, Japan, 9th in 2009 Japan Corporate Half Marathon Championships, PR 1:02:26

EUROPE 1, Andrew Lemoncello, 26, Great Britain, Fastest European over 10,000m, represented GBR at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

EUROPE 2, Marten Bostrom, 26, Finland, Won 2007 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Half Marathon

KENYA 1, Linus Maiyo, 26, Kenya, PR 1:02:40, won Blue Cross Broad Street 10 Mile Run earlier this year

KENYA 2, Ndereba 32, Kenya, PR of 1:01:50 set in 2006. Brother of Catherine Ndereba

KENYA 3, William Chebor, 26, Kenya, Ran 1:01:06 earlier this year when winning the Azkoitia Half Marathon in Spain

ETHIOPIA 1, Lilesa Gemechu, 19, Ethiopia 2nd at Cherry Blossom 10 miler, finished 12th in World Cross Country Championships in Amman

ETHIOPIA 2, Zenbaba Yegezu, 25, Ethiopia Two-time member Ethiopian World Cross Country Team (2006 & 2008)

ETHIOPIA 3, Gebo Burka, 22, Ethiopia 2nd in 10,000m at 2004 Eastern Africa Junior Championships

Women

RACE #, NAME, AGE, COUNTRY, CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

USA 4, Natalie Sherbak, 23, USA, Just graduated from Virginia Tech, ran 34:11 for 10,000m at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in May

USA 5, Susannah Kvasnicka, 37, USA, Won the 2005 Marine Corps Marathon and was a qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon

USA 6, Veena Reddy, 30, USA, From Virginia, Finished 16th at 2008 Olympic Trials Marathon

JAPAN 3, Hiroko Miyauchi, 26, Japan, 9th in 2009 Japan Corporate Half Marathon Championships. PR of 1:09:54. Finished 7th here in 2007

JAPAN 4, Shoko Miyazaki, 22, Japan, PR of 1:11:06 set at this year's Corportate Half Marathon Championships

JAPAN 5, Yumi Sato, 32, Japan, Represented Japan at the 2004 and 2006 WXCC. PR of 1:12:30

JAPAN 6, Yumi Hirata, 28, Japan, Former Olympic Race walker, has a PR of 1:11:18

EUROPE 3, Daniela Cirlan, 28, Romania, First year of competitive running, has improved from 1:06:28 to 1:12:14

EUROPE 4, Denisa Costecu, 33, Romania, Represented Romania at seven World Cross Country Championships

KENYA 4, Edith Masai, 42, Kenya, Defending Champion, former World Cross Country Champion

KENYA 5, Edna Kiplagat, 29, Kenya, Two-time winner at Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach, 2006 and 2007

ETHIOPIA 1, Abebu Gelan Adugna, 19, Ethiopia, Current World junior record holder for half marathon, 1:07:.57

ETHIOPIA 2, Tiki Gelen, 21, Ethiopia, PR of 1:10:22 set in Delhi 2008

ETHIOPIA 3, Meseret Mengistu, 19, Ethiopia, 1:12:03 PR set in 2008, finished top-10 in World Cross Country junior race earlier this year

Africa can promote peace in Middle East: Israeli FM

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ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) - Israel's foreign minister appealed to Africa on Wednesday to help promote peace in the Middle East, a day after African Union head and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi urged countries to shut Israeli embassies.


"Africa's ties with Arab and Muslim countries place the countries of Africa in a position to contribute a positive influence," Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told an audience of businessmen in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.
"We look to Africa to help promote moderation and reconciliation in the Middle East."
Gaddafi told an African Union summit in Tripoli that Israel fuelled conflict on the continent and said its embassies in Africa should be shut.

Lieberman and an Israeli business delegation, half of whom are defence contractors, will visit Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria and Ghana during a tour that began on Wednesday.
"Within the African Union it is very important that the decisions and activities of the African States reflect a positive and constructive approach, one that rejects one-sided decisions against Israel," Lieberman said.African nations often vote in blocs in U.N. forums where Israel is a frequent target of censure.

UW students imprisoned in Ethiopia

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Two detained abroad while volunteering to help African children learn English

Forcefully detained by heavily armed Ethiopian government officials without explanation, University of Wisconsin sophomore Rory Linnane and senior Brett Hebert were finally released and deported after three emotionally trying days.


Linnane and Hebert worked as volunteers with the nonprofit, student-run organization Learning Enterprises and traveled to Ethiopia to teach English to children.

On the morning of July 9, three armed men outside Linnane’s host house did not strike her as unusual, until they grabbed her arm and informed her in broken English she would not be going to school that day.

Despite Linnane and other non-UW students’ efforts to resist, the men forcefully removed their cell phones and passports before picking the girls up and putting them in a car.

“We were kicking and screaming and trying to get out and they just shoved us in the back,” Linnane said.

Meanwhile, in a neighboring village, Hebert and his roommates were dealing with a similar situation.

Once at the police station, Hebert and his roommate were held in a back room without explanation.

It became apparent to Hebert this was not a routine operation once other LE volunteers who had been stationed around the country began to show up even more confused and emotional than themselves.

Expecting the rights guaranteed to them in the United States, both Linnane and Hebert said the predominant emotions they felt were frustration and anger.
After brief questioning, the group was taken back to their respective homes to pack their belongings and embark for the capital city of Addis Ababa, where they hoped to get some answers.

After hours crammed into a hot van alongside armed guards, the group was forced to spend the night in a rundown hotel without adequate food or water.

“I had taken my malaria pill because we were in a malaria zone, but you’re not supposed to take it on an empty stomach, so I spent the whole night vomiting into a hole in the ground overflowing with sewage,” Linnane said.

The next day, the group was driven to the capital where they spent the entire day in immigration, not the American Embassy as they had been told.

Following individual interrogation, the group was informed they did not have the right visas and had to leave the country immediately.
“They told us if we couldn’t afford to change our flights, we would have to stay in jail until our original flight out,” Linnane said. “Mine wasn’t for another month.”

After spending the entire next day locked in a backroom at the airport, the door to the room was thrown open and “white people” began to file in, according to Hebert.

“They were like, ‘We are the American embassy, we are here to help you,’” Linnane said. “It was an epic moment.”

Three days had passed since the students were taken.

According to Katrina Shankland, LE’s director of programming, LE notified the American Embassy the day they were taken and spent the next three searching the country for them.

Before this, however, the American Embassy was unaware of the group’s presence in the country, according to Hebert.

Linnane added despite the wealth of information LE provided, she felt there was still more they could have done to adequately prepare her to deal with such a situation.
While no official reason for deportation has been given, Hebert said the american ambassador led him to believe the students were suspected of teaching a political agenda and with a democratic election coming up next year, this was not a risk the Ethiopian government wanted to take.

“We were told by the ambassador that both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had been briefed on the situation,” Hebert added.

Though nothing of this sort has happened on an LE trip before, the organization has cancelled its programs in the past due to security concerns. An intensive review process is currently underway regarding the program’s presence in Ethiopia, according to Shankland