SEATTLE, Wash - November 2, 1999 -- This coming Friday, November 5, dignitaries, runners of all ages, sponsors and interested parties will gather at Memorial Stadium on the grounds of the Seattle Center to celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Seattle Marathon and the beginning of "Marathon Month" as proclaimed by Mayor Paul Schell and King County Executive Ron Sims. Organizers anticipate the 1999 Suzuki Seattle Marathon presented by Fox Sports Net will be a banner year with as many as 10,000 people entered in any of the five exciting walking and running events; the 26.2 mile race, the half marathon, the half marathon walk, the 8k walk and the kids staged marathon, all taking place on November 28.

This Friday's celebration will be held from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM. Members of the Franklin High School Pep Band (all dressed up in their new uniforms) will begin playing at approximately 11:45 AM while runners in attendance lap the start-to-finish line in Memorial Stadium.

The winner of the first Seattle Marathon, Evan Schull, who later went on to become director and prime organizer of the event, will attend the November 5th celebration as will the winner of last year's Men's Half Marathon, Miguel Galeana and the '98 Women's Half Marathon winner, Alysun Deckert. Joining these runners will be Dave Steffens, 4-time winner of the Seattle Marathon, and John Hill winner of the '95 Men's Half Marathon who just qualified for the Olympic Trials.

Everyone's a winner in the Kid's Staged Marathon sponsored this year by the Immunex Corporation. Working their way toward 26.2 miles are students from Briar Elementary, Edmonds School District. Over 50 of these young runners will be present at Memorial Stadium this Friday to add one or more laps to their total numbers.

Present at the November 5 event will be representatives from the American Suzuki Motor Corporation, this year's title sponsor. In addition to helping defray the costs of staging the 1999 Marathon, American Suzuki will be awarding a 2000 Suzuki V6 Grand Vitara automobile to some lucky winner immediately following the conclusion of the actual marathon which takes place on November 28th.

Also in attendance will be Jim Haugh, newly named director of the Seattle Sports & Events Council; Sharon McQuade representing last year's title sponsor In-Sport; representatives of the American Lung Association of Washington; Immunex as well as other sponsors of this year's event, organizers and volunteers.

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