Five Points of Life Marathon & Half Marathon
Sunday February 22, 2009 – 7 a.m.

USATF Certification:
Full Marathon - FL-07054EBM
Half Marathon - FL-06012DL

Start/finish area is located across the street from the UF&Shands Orthopeadics and Sports Medicine Institute in the parking lot of the Phillips Center for Performing Arts on the University of Florida’s campus at Hull Road and SW 34th Street.

Packet Pickup
Packet Pickup will be held Saturday, February 21, 2009 at the Fitness EXPO at UF&Shands Orthopeadics and Sports Medicine Institute from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Participants will also have an opportunity to pick up their packets race day, Sunday, February 22, 2009 from 6 a.m. until 6:45 a.m.

Packets include race number, t-shirt, and your loaner ChampionChip timing piece. All runners must pick up their packets in order to race on Sunday. Please bring photo ID to pick up your packet.

Gear Bag Drop Off
All participants will be able to check a gear bag at the start/finish area. Just look for the information tent.

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ChampionChip Timing
1st Place Sports from Jacksonville, Florida, is coordinating ChampionChip timing for the marathon and half marathon. Each participant will be given a loaner chip in their race packets. All loaner chips must be returned at the finish line. Participants that do not return the loaner chips will be responsible for the $40 replacement cost.

Awards & Age Groups
All finishers of the marathon and half marathon receive the official Five Points of Life marathon medal at the finish line. Top awards are distributed at the post race party at the marathon stat/finish area at noon. Wheelchair awards will be given to the 1st and 2nd place finishers for each gender. Age group awards will be dispersed to the top three finishers of each gender in each of the following age groups.

The Five Points of Life is awarding a prize purse totaling $5000 to the top finishers of the marathon and half marathon for each gender.

In accordance with USATF rules, overall and cash awards will be determined by gun time while age group awards will be determined by chip time.

Course Records
Half Marathon
Mark Carroll, Ireland                           1:06:34 in 2006
Ramilia Burangulova, Gainesville, FL     1:16:43 in 2007

Marathon
Brent Schneider, Gainesville, FL            2:26:29 in 2007
Lyudmyla Pushkina, Gainesville, FL        2:50:12 in 2006

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Course Support
Water and Gatorade is available at five hydrations stations on the first half and seven on the second half. Energy bars and gels will also be placed at four designated hydration stations.
Medical tents are strategically placed eight times along the course to ensure your safety and comfort. A main medical tent will be stationed at the start/finish area. Medical tents will not have water and Gatorade.

Course Highlights
This Boston Marathon qualifier and USATF certified course starts in front of the University of Florida Center for Performing Arts and weaves through Gainesville’s most popular running areas. The route takes you past the iconic 34th Street Wall where thousands of UF students and Gainesville residents have commemorated important events in their lives and in the community.  You’ll be challenged by the historic hills of 16th Avenue, a popular training route of Frank Shorter who won the 1972 Olympic gold medal in the marathon, and will enjoy Gainesville’s beautiful Duck Pond and downtown areas.
On the first half you’ll also pass through Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, home to the 2006 National Championship Gators, and may see some “real” gators sunning themselves on the shores of Lake Alice.  After the Rails to Trails, Williston road, 34th Street and winds again through parts of UF’s campus and back to the start/finish area. A festive post race party welcomes you to the finish line and you’ll enjoy pizza, refreshments, entertainment and awards.

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Race Day Weather
Average Temperature for February 22
            High     70°F
            Low     47°F

Temperature on race day last year (February 23rd)
            High     73°F
            Low     50°F

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