Jun 04, 2009
Race to Stop MS at the sold-out Chicago Marathon and other events
News from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The National Multiple Sclerosis Society’s Pacific South Coast Chapter is offering aspiring triathlon racers and marathon runners free personal training, fundraising assistance and entry fees into three high-profile upcoming events in exchange for their fundraising efforts amounting to a minimum donation of $2,000. Donations will benefit research, services and programs for people with MS, a chronic, unpredictable and disabling disease of the central nervous system with no known cause, cure or prevention. The program is called “I Race to Stop MS,” and more information is available at www.racetostopMS.com or by contacting Nicole Pearson at the chapter nicole.pearson@mspacific.org or 760-448-8422.
The three events are: September 27 for Orange County’s only Olympic Distance Triathlon, the Orange County International Triathlon, featuring a 1500-meter swim in Lake Mission Viejo, 40-kilometer bicycle ride on Aliso Creek Bike Trail and 10-kilometer run paralleling Aliso Creek; October 11 for the Long Beach Marathon or Half Marathon, promoted as “Fast, Flat and Fun;” October 11 for the world-famous Chicago Marathon, for which registration is closed due to the event’s sell-out. Or participants may elect to register for any endurance-type event and receive free personal training, fundraising assistance in exchange for their fundraising efforts.
Open registration for the 2009 Chicago Marathon officially closed on April 23 as 45,000 participants have signed on to complete the 26.2-mile race, marking the event’s established capacity. A limited number of entries remain available through affiliated charities and tour groups, including the National MS Society. By registering through the National MS Society, runners simultaneously become members of a fundraising effort that annually generates in excess of $10 million for more than 100 charitable causes.
Registration for the 32nd running of the Chicago Marathon opened to the public on Feb. 1 and was met with continued enthusiasm from the international running community. Individuals from across the country and around the world signed up to compete in the World Marathon Majors race that will start and finish in Chicago’s Grant Park beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. More information on the race is available at www.chicagomarathon.com.
Personal and group training for the Long Beach and Chicago marathons began in Orange County on June 2, and will begin in San Diego on June 17, though participants are welcome to join the training at any point. Training begins on July 12 for the Orange County International Triathlon. Participants must be at least 12 years old. San Diego area personal training is provided by Rehab United, a San Diego-based physical therapy and sports performance center. Orange County personal training is provided by Golden Legs Racing CA, a Laguna Niguel-based sports performance center focused on involving whole families in fitness and competition and bringing more running and triathlon events to south Orange County.
# # #
About Multiple Sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis interrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the body and stops people from moving. Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease. MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S., and 2.1 million worldwide.
About the National Multiple Sclerosis Society
MS stops people from moving. The National MS Society exists to make sure it doesn’t. We help each person address the challenges of living with MS. Last year alone, through our national office and 50-state network of chapters, we devoted over $136 million to programs that enhanced more than one million lives. Locally, the Pacific South Coast Chapter provides programs and services designed to help the 18,000 people and families affected by MS in San Diego, Orange and Imperial counties move their lives forward. To move us closer to a world free of MS, the Society also invested approximately $50 million to support 440 research projects around the world. Nearly $4 million is spent on MS research in our area annually. We are people who want to do something about MS NOW. Join the movement at www.nationalMSsociety.org.
Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at www.nationalMSsociety.org or 1-800-344-4867 (1-800-FIGHT-MS).
# # #