Portland’s Olympians Race For Final Time
On U.S. Soil Before World Championships
Portland, OR (July 28, 2015) – FloTrack today unveiled several prominent additions to its impressive group of athletes confirmed to compete in the first-ever FloTrack Throwdown event in Portland, Oregon, Aug. 8 at Duniway Park. Many of the top competitors have deep ties to the greater Portland area, and the event serves as a send-off for top runners as they compete for the last time before heading to China for the IAAF World Championships.
The latest high-profile runners will join a field that already features two-time Olympian Nick Symmonds, 2012 Olympic silver medalist Trey Hardee and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Ashton Eaton, who is competing with his wife, Brianne Theisen-Eaton, a World Championship silver medalist.
Athlete commitments include: (connection to Portland noted)
Ashton Eaton – 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist, three-time World Gold Medalist, three-time USA Champion, World-record holder, five-time NCAA Champion (University of Oregon)
Brianne Theisen-Eaton –2013 World Champion Runner-up, Canadian record-holder, Heptathlon; ranked #1 in the World in 2015 Heptathlon, seven-time NCAA Champion (University of Oregon)
Nick Symmonds – 2013 IAAF World Championship Silver Medal 800m, 2012 USA Champion in the 800m, 2015 USA 800m World Team Member, seven-time NCAA D3 Champion (Willamette University)
Andrew Wheating – Two-time Olympian in the 800m, 2015 Pan-American Games Champion, three-time NCAA Champion (University of Oregon)
Mac Fleet – Two-time NCAA 1500m Champion (Oregon)
Duane Solomon – 2013 US Outdoor Champion in the 800m – placed 4th in 2012 Olympics
Brenda Martinez – 2013 World Outdoor 800m Bronze medalist – Three-time NCAA All-American
Katie Mackey – World Relays Silver Medalist, four-time 1500m American Record Holder
Maggie Vessey – 2015 IAAF World Relay Championships Gold Medalist in 4×800
Eaton, who attended Oregon, still trains in Eugene, as do Charles Jock, Tyler Mulder, Andrew Wheating, Jordan McNamara, Mac, Fleet, Pat Casey, Colby Alexander and Hassan Mead in the men’s field. Fleet and Wheating each won multiple NCAA titles while competing at Oregon. Symmonds, who ran at Willamette, now trains in Seattle. On the women’s side, runners who train in Eugene include Thiesen-Eaton, Lauren Johnson and Aisha Praught.
The interactive, festival-style race features a unique athlete compensation structure and race format for runners, as well as food trucks, a beer garden and a DJ for fans. The Throwdown is drawing the attention of top up-and-coming national and local runners from the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
“The best in the world are signing up in droves for the first-ever FloTrack Throwdown event, and that’s how we know we’ve hit on something special,” FloSports co-founder and COO Mark Floreani said. “Our goal is to create one-of-a-kind opportunities for the top athletes to not only showcase their abilities, but experience their sports in entirely new ways, and we can’t wait to see top competition in an electric atmosphere unlike anything the sport has seen.”
The FloTrack Throwdown has partnered with Rogue Ales and Spirits as the official beer sponsor for the event. The Oregon-based brewery, founded by former Nike executives Jack Joyce, Bob Woodell and Rob Strasser in 1988, prides itself on doing things differently, breaking the mold, and leading their industry by example.
Brooks is also sponsoring the event, and has planned a number of engaging activities that will add to the overall festival feel, including a “Frozen Beast Tees” contest, Giant Beer Pong, Water Balloon Dodge Ball and Corn Hole.
Finally, Symmonds’ company, RunGum, is also supporting the event. Designed with the elite athlete in mind, RunGum is a zero-calorie, sugar-free energy gum. The company is hosting a FloTrack Throwdown prediction contest that fans can participate in on the FloTrack website.
For more information and to view the event live, visit Throwdown.FloTrack.com.
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