RENOWNED LOCAL SPORTS MEDICINE PHYSICIANS TO OFFER LACTATE TESTING DURING SACRAMENTO MARATHON

While entrants in next month's Sacramento Marathon will test their endurance on foot, physicians and staff members of the UC Davis Medical Group will also test selected athletes' lactate threshold with a brief test during their 26.2-mile journey.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- While entrants in next month's Sacramento Marathon will test their endurance on foot, physicians and staff members of the UC Davis Medical Group will also test selected athletes' lactate threshold with a brief test during their 26.2-mile journey.

The 27th annual Sacramento Marathon will be held Oct. 5 beginning at 7:30 a.m. at William Land Park. The park is located near Freeport Blvd. and Sutterville Rd. across from Sacramento City College.

Under the direction of Dr. Massimo Testa of Davis, the physician who spent a decade in Europe working with four international cycling teams, the medical group's sports medicine staff will provide free, brief earlobe tests at miles 10 and 20.

Marathon participants who sign-up for the test at the pre-race marathon expo, will wear a color-coded insignia and will stop for a few seconds at one of the two on-course locations for the test.

The lactate threshold test, which helps athletes appropriately monitor the body's response to exercise at different levels of intensity, is conducted with a brief pinpoint earlobe puncture. The test will be limited to approximately 50 marathon runners.

The physicians of the UC Davis Medical Group include renowned specialists and orthopedic sports medicine surgeons as well as professional in the fields of exercise physiology, biomechanics, coaching and training. The physicians' group performs evaluation, training and treatment for recreational and professional athletes.

The UC Davis Medical Group joined the Sacramento Marathon as a sponsor this year as part of the event's revitalized organizational commitment.

Since its debut in 1977, the Sacramento Marathon has continued to offer long-distance runners an event true to its motto: "The Fast, Flat and Friendly Place To Run."

As per its long-standing tradition, the Sacramento Marathon will begin and end in William Land Park. In addition to its usual marathon and half-marathon options, a four-person marathon relay for runners and walkers has been added.

Various registration options are available via entry forms in many Northern California running stores. Online registration is also available via Active.com (http://www.active.com). There is no race-day registration.

A newly designed T-shirt, a full-range of age-group awards and random prizes will be awarded in a post-race awards ceremony.

The Sacramento Marathon, a non-profit event, will also benefit Ronald McDonald House and Shriners Hospital For Children, both located in Sacramento.

Sacramento Marathon sponsors include:

Fleet Feet Sportts of Sacramento, KHTK (Sports 1140 AM), Reebok, Racewalking International and UC Davis Medical Group.

For additional marathon information, contact John MacLachlan or Paul Smith, c/o RWI Sports Management Group, 745 Kelly Drive, Incline Village, NV, 89451. Tel. 775-833-2121, Fax 775-833-2122, e-mail: rw-international@msn.com

The marathon's web site: http://www.sacramentomarathon.net