American Cancer Society and Southwest Special Recreation Association to Benefit from Inaugural Palos Bank Southwest Half Marathon

Business Wire, April 30, 2008

PALOS HEIGHTS, Ill. -- In addition to awarding a total of $10,000 in cash prizes to male and female winners in three age classes, the inaugural Palos Bank Southwest Half Marathon, scheduled for this Sunday, May 4th, will aid local charities.

More than 1,600 local, regional and national runners have registered to participate in this Sunday's Half Marathon, which will step off in front of Palos Heights City Hall at Route 83 and 76th Avenue at 7:30 am. The flat 13.1 mile course will take runners west along Route 83 through Palos Park and the Cook County Forest Preserves for approximately six and one half miles before circling and returning along the same route.

Results will be based on chip timing with top Male and Female runners each receiving cash prizes ranging from $1,000 for first place to $200 for sixth place. Cash prizes will also be awarded to the top three male and female runners in Masters (age 40 and over) and Veterans (50 and over) classes.

Illinois State Senator Edward Maloney will serve as Grand Marshall of the event and Khalid Khannouch, a former world record holder in the marathon, will be on hand throughout the race. A Health Fair and Expo, sponsored by the Palos Heights Chamber of Commerce, will precede the race on Saturday, May 3rd. The Expo will be held from 10am to 5pm on the campus of Trinity Christian College, 6601 W. College Drive in Palos Heights. Khalid Khannouch (of the United States) will attend the Saturday Expo and serve as a keynote speaker at the Saturday evening runner's dinner, also being held on the campus of Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights.