March 19, 2009

TALLADEGA, Ala. - Foot power, not horsepower, will take the checkered flag at the Talladega 21000, a half-marathon to be held Saturday April, 11. The inaugural run at Talladega Superspeedway benefits prostate cancer research and patient support services at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Urology, in partnership with the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Named for its 21,000-meter distance, the Talladega 21000 will start and finish on the famed NASCAR track. Part of the event's 13.1-mile course will take runners outside the grandstands and along paved roads. The half-marathon starts at 8:30 a.m.

The post-race party will be on 'pit road' followed by an awards ceremony on the speedway's victory lane. Jeff Cook, founding member of the country-rock group Alabama, will perform with his Allstar Goodtime Band. Free food will be provided by Jim 'N Nick's BAR-B-Q.

Also on April 11, the racetrack will hold its annual Easter egg hunt on the track's infield starting at 9 a.m. Non-running chaperones are required for children to participate. Talladega Superspeedway is located 40 miles east of Birmingham along Interstate 20.

The Talladega 21000 half-marathon began as an idea shared by UAB urologist Tony Herndon, M.D., and Valerie McLean, owner of the Trak Shak athletic stores and founder of the Mercedes Marathon, to raise money for and awareness about men's cancer. "There has long been a need for a fun race to benefit prostate cancer, and to honor all those guys who've supported women and raced for other causes," McLean said.

Prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death in men, behind lung cancer, and the most common type of diagnosed cancer in American males. Early diagnosis for prostate cancer is possible if men talk openly with their doctor about symptoms, medical history and testing options, experts said.