More® Magazine Marathon and Half-Marathon Athlete Bios

Marathon

Susan Loken
Age: 43
Residence: Phoenix, AZ

Susan Loken has won the last two editions of the More Magazine Marathon and has become the face of the race. A mother of three, Loken set the event record of 2:45:35 in her first appearance at the More Magazine Marathon in 2005; it was the fastest-ever marathon run by a woman entirely in Central Park. She is also the reigning USA masters marathon champion—a title she has won twice—and was the first 40+ woman to cross the finish line at last year’s Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon, which hosted the event. A late bloomer, Loken has done all of her best running since turning 40. She has a personal best time of 2:41:31 set last year in Phoenix. Loken will be traveling to New York with a group of women from Phoenix that she coaches. They represent Foothills Sports Medicine, the physical therapy firm where she works as a marketing manager.

Half-Marathon

Trina Painter
Age: 40
Residence: Flagstaff, AZ

Trina Painter, a mother of two, is just beginning her comeback as a competitive runner. She is the former U.S. record holder for 20K (1:07:07) and was the national champion at that distance in 1995. Painter has a half-marathon personal best of 1:11:58, set in Sapporo in 1996. In January 2007, she won the USA masters title for the half-marathon in Houston, clocking a 1:19:29. Painter, who is also a running coach, will be competing in the More Magazine Half-Marathon for the first time.

Half-Marathon

Lyubov Denisova
Age: 35
Residence: Gainesville, FL

A marathon specialist with a personal-best time of 2:25:18, Denisova has won the City of Los Angeles Marathon twice, made the podium at the ING New York City Marathon twice (second, 2002; third, 2004), and finished second at the Boston Marathon in 2003. She has run 2:28:18 or faster in each of her last five marathons and has only run slower than 2:30 once in her last 10 outings. Denisova smashed the Honolulu Marathon course record last December, running 2:27:19, and plans to return there to defend her title. She is also running the Boston Marathon on April 16; the More Magazine Half-Marathon will serve as a tune-up race for that event. Denisova’s half-marathon personal best time is 1:11:25, set in 2001.

Special Guest

Lynn Jennings
Age: 46
Residence: Portland, OR

Lynn Jennings returns to the 2007 More Magazine Marathon + Half-Marathon as a special guest. One of the greatest runners the United States has ever produced, Jennings won a bronze medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic 10,000 meters and was a three-time World Cross Country champion (1990-1992). At the More Magazine Marathon + Half-Marathon last year she made her first appearance at a running event since retiring in 1998, and was a big inspiration to all participants. Though she no longer competes, Jennings is as fit as ever and still runs every day. A dynamic speaker, she will participate in panel discussions at the Health & Wellness Expo.