Posted: January 8, 2004

Athletics: HP Houston Marathon/Halliburton Int'l Half Marathon Add More Elites

U.S. men to race half-marathon as final test before Olympic Marathon Trials

HOUSTON - (January 6, 2004) - The field of elite runners is growing fast for the 32nd annual HP Houston Marathon and the Halliburton International Half Marathon, slated for Jan. 18. The list of world-class athletes includes three female members of the U.S. World Championships team, 2003 defending champions and record-setting masters' runners.

The latest confirmed athletes for the Halliburton International Half Marathon include a strong contingent of American men - led by 2001 USA half-marathon and 2002 USA marathon champion Dan Browne - who have qualified for the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials in Birmingham, Ala. on February 7. Brad Hauser, 2000 Olympian and Houston area high school standout; Eddy Hellebuyck, a top U.S. masters' runner; Scott Strand, defending Houston half-marathon champion and David Morris, former U.S. marathon record holder will also use the race as a final tune-up before the Trials. Other elite athletes joining the field include Teddy Mitchell, Todd Reeser, Mike Franko, Ben Rosario, Carl Rundell, Bob Busquaert and Trent Briney.

Among the women, Sylvia Mosqueda of the U.S. and Russia's Lyubov Denisova, winner of the 2002 Los Angeles Marathon, are two runners who recently have committed. They are expected to challenge Americans Colleen De Reuck and Deeja Youngquist for the overall half-marathon title.

In the 32nd annual HP Houston Marathon, elite males recently added to the field include Australian Kim Gillard, Marek Jaroszewski from Poland and Dzmitry Sivou of Belarus. Top females who have committed to the race include Nicole Stevenson of Canada and Alena Vinitskaya of Belarus.

The HP Houston Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, is the nation's premier winter marathon, annually attracting participants from all 50 U.S. states and nearly 20 foreign countries. In 2003, more than 17,000 runners took part in four marathon weekend events (marathon, half-marathon, four-mile run and children's run). The HP Houston Marathon offers the only closed marathon course in Texas and is ranked among the top five in the nation by the "Ultimate Guide to Marathons" for fastest course, organization and crowd support. Start time is 7 a.m. Jan. 18, in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston.

For more information, visit www.hphoustonmarathon.com or call (713) 957-3453.