byLarry Eder
Desiree Davila, 2011 BAA Boston Marathon, 2nd place, photo by PhotoRun.net
Here is a release from Brooks on their new star, Desi Davila:
Hansons-Brooks Runner Davila Battles to the Finish at World Renowned Boston Marathon
Brooks-sponsored Athlete Places Second Female Overall, Finishes
First American Female
Boston (Apr. 18, 2011) – Desiree
Davila, member of the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project (ODP), an elite running group sponsored by Brooks®
Sports, Inc. today fought to the tape to become the first American
female finisher and second-place overall female finisher at the
2011 Boston Marathon. Davila clocked in an official time of 2:22:38, an
American women’s course record, making her the third fastest U.S.
female marathoner of all time. Only Olympic medalists Joan Benoit
Samuelson and Deena Kastor have run faster.
“I
felt great during the buildup to the race and am ecstatic about my
performance today,” said Davila. “To beat my personal
record by three minutes and race for the win proves that my hard work
really paid off. Now I’ll be able to shift my focus to the 2012 U.S.
Olympic Marathon Trials, and earning a spot on the team that has the
honor of competing in London.”
Finishing
just two seconds behind winner Caroline Kilel of Kenya, Davila spent
the last five miles of the race
battling for the lead. The two runners were neck and neck in the home
stretch, but Kilel pulled ahead in the final few meters for the win.
“We
are so proud of Desi. She ran a great race today and battled to the
end,” said Jesse Williams, sports marketing manager
for Brooks Sports. “We have enjoyed watching Desi’s running career grow
throughout the years! She just keeps getting better each time out and
makes us proud of how far the Hansons-Brooks women’s team has come since
2003.”
Founded
with the mission to revive American distance running, the
Hansons-Brooks ODP is one of the largest post-collegiate elite running
groups
in the nation. Living, working, and running together on a daily basis,
they use the power of team training to reach their running goals.
Although
none of the Hansons-Brooks runners were well-known college athletes,
through the group-training program, the team has far exceeded
expectations.
Including today’s race, other high-profile Hansons-Brooks ODP successes
include Davila’s fourth-place finish in the 2010 Bank of America
Chicago Marathon, Brian Sell’s third-place finish at the 2007 Olympic
Team Trials – Men’s Marathon, which earned him a
spot on the 2008 Olympic Men’s Marathon team, Sell’s fourth-place
finish at the 2006 Boston Marathon, and Trent Briney and Clint Verran’s
fourth- and fifth-place finishes at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials –
Men’s Marathon.
About Brooks
Brooks Sports, Inc. is a leading running company that designs and
markets a line of performance footwear, apparel, and accessories in more
than 64 countries worldwide. A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc.,
Brooks was founded in 1914 and is headquartered
in Bothell, Wash., near Seattle. The company’s mission is to inspire
everyone to run and be active by creating innovative gear that keeps
them running longer, farther, and faster. Visit
www.brooksrunning.com
for more information, and follow frequent brand updates on Twitter (@brooksrunning) and Facebook (Brooks Sports).
About the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project
Brothers
Keith and Kevin Hanson founded the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance
Project (ODP) in 1999 with the goal to revive American distance running.
Recruiting post-collegiate runners nationwide, the Hansons-Brooks ODP,
based in Rochester Hills, Mich., gives its athletes the rare opportunity
to live, work, and run together in a supportive, training-focused
environment founded on team principals.
