Posted: January 5, 2004

Athletics: Elite Women Ready to Rock at Inaugural Marathon - Women's Field Announced for P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona

SAN DIEGO, Calif. - (Dec. 29, 2003) - A stellar field of elite female runners is shaping up for what is expected to be a fast race at the inaugural P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon on January 11, 2004.

As with the men's elite field, past women's champions and standouts from musical marathons around the country highlight the field for the race that runs through the flat and fast terrain of downtown Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe.

Romania's Aurica Buia, 33, is a two-time Country Music Marathon champion, having won the Nashville race in 2001 and 2002. She earned the 2001 title by posting a time of 2:34:40, nearly two minutes ahead of the second place finisher. Buia owns a personal best of 2:31:39.

Challenging her will be Tanzania's Banuelia Mrashani, 26, who owns the fastest PR in the field thus far at 2:24:59. Mrashani won the 2002 Tokyo International Ladies Marathon when she upset local favorite Rie Matsuoka. Also in the forefront are Romania's Anuta Canuta, who has a personal best of 2:27:34 and Russia's Ramilia Burangulova (2:27:58) and Lioudmila Kortchaguina (2:29:53). Canuta and Kortchaguina both placed in the top 10 at the 2003 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach.

Both the men's and women's elite fields will battle for a prize purse that exceeds $100,000, with the champion in each marathon receiving $20,000.

The P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is the fourth in a series of musical road races that feature a live band staged along every mile of the 26.2 and 13.1-mile race courses to provide runners and spectators with continuous entertainment. The day concludes with an evening concert featuring the Grammy-nominated Goo Goo Dolls at Tempe Beach Park.

For more information on P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona or to register for the race, visit www.rnraz.com or contact Elite Racing, Inc. at 5452 Oberlin Drive, San Diego, CA 92121, or call (858) 450-6510.

P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
Women's Elite Open Field

Name/Age/Country/PR
Banuelia Mrashani, 26, Tanzania, 2:24:59
Anuta Canuta, 35, Romania, 2:27:34
Aurica Buia, 33, Romania, 2:31:39
Lioudmila Kortchaguina, 32, Russia, 2:29:53
Ramilia Burangulova, 42, Russia, 2:27:58