Athletics: Keflezighi to Defend USA 15K Title at Gate River Run

De Reuck Headlines Women's Field; "Equalizer Bonus" Offered

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - (March 10, 2004) - Olympians Meb Keflezighi and Colleen De Reuck headline the fields for the USA 15K Championships this Saturday, March 13. For the eleventh consecutive year, the Gate River Run will host this national championship and like past editions, strong U.S. fields - which include 6 Olympians and 13 national champions - are expected to compete for the road titles and $52,000 in USA Championship prize money.

New at the River Run is the "Equalizer Bonus", awarding $5000 to the first male or female to cross the finish line, with the top-seeded women starting 5 minutes before the men. The head start was based on the 5 minute difference between the course and U.S. records by four-time champion Deena Drossin 47:15 (2003) and five-time champion Todd Williams 42:22 (1995).

"We anticipate an exciting competition this year. Can Meb become the first four-time consecutive USA 15K men's champion? Who will win the Equalizer Bonus? We'll find out on Saturday morning," said Doug Alred, Race Director.

Last year, Deena Drossin four-peated in 47:15 to break her American record and establish the second fastest all-time 15K performance, while fellow Mammoth Lakes, Calif. resident Keflezighi three-peated with his 43:31.

This year, Keflezighi, 28, fresh off his second place performance at the Olympic Marathon Trials in Birmingham, Ala., is the race favorite again. In 2002 and 2003, the UCLA graduate won five and three national titles respectively. In 2002, the 2000 Olympic Trials 10,000 meter champion set the U.S. 10,000m record (27:13.98) and in the 2003, the Team Running USA athlete added the U.S. 20K record (58:57) at New Haven.

Top male contenders at Gate include:

1) Abdi Abdirahman, 27, (Tucson, AZ), national 15K runner-up last year at Gate River (43:59); 2002 USA 12K Cross Country, 10,000m, 7 Mile and 15K Championships runner-up; 2001 USA 10,000 meter champion and USA 10K national runner-up; 2000 Olympian 10,000 meters (3rd at Olympic Trials) - finished 10th in Olympic 10,000m final; Team Running USA athlete

2) Nick Rogers, 28, (Lake Springfield, OR), 4th last year at Gate River (44:39); 4th 2003 USA 12K Cross Country Championships; 2001 USA 10K champion (28:18); 2000 Olympian 5000 meters (3rd at U.S. Olympic Trials); Team Running USA athlete

3) Phillimon Hanneck, 32, (Portland, OR), 2003 national runner-up USA Half-Marathon and 25K Championships and 3rd USA 20K Championship; 1999 USA 10 & 20K champion; 1992 1500m Olympian for Zimbabwe; Nike Project athlete

4) Ryan Kirkpatrick, 25, (Boulder, CO), 4th 2003 USA 20K Championship and 2002 USA 10K champion; U.S. Army WCAP team

Other top U.S. men expected:

Fasil Bizuneh (Marina, CA); Jeff Campbell (Brevard, NC); Henry Dennis (Cincinnati, OH), 2003 USA 5K champion; Mike Donnelly (Portland, OR), 7th last year (44:50); Matt Downin (LaJolla, CA); Chris Graff (Palo Alto, CA), 2003 USA 10 Mile champion; Eddy Hellebuyck (Albuquerque, NM), top master/1996 Olympic marathoner; Peter Julian (Boulder, CO); Jerry Lawson (Jacksonville, FL), former American record holder in the marathon; Teddy Mitchell (Albuquerque, NM); Karl Savage (Blowing Rock, NC); Dennis Simonaitis (Draper, UT), top master; Matt Thull (Wauwatosa, WI) and Clint Wells (Boulder, CO), 6th last year (44:45)

In the USA Women's Championship, Colleen De Reuck, 39, from Boulder, Colo. is also favored to win. This year, De Reuck has won the USA 8K Cross Country title and the Halliburton Half-Marathon in 1:10:55. The 2002 World Cross Country Championships bronze medalist who has also won the past two USA Running Circuit Grand Prix titles finished 3rd last year at the River Run. The three-time Olympian from South Africa became a U.S. citizen in December 2000.

De Reuck's main competitors should be:

1) Sylvia Mosqueda, 37, (Los Angeles, CA), 2004 3M Half-Marathon winner (1:09:53, course record) and 2nd at the Halliburton Half-Marathon (1:11:31); 2001 2nd Gate River (49:22) and 3rd USARC Grand Prix; 6th 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000 (32:18.06); 1988 NCAA 10,000 meter champion

2) Deeja Youngquist, 26, (Albuquerque, NM), 4th 2004 Halliburton Half-Marathon (1:14:16); 2003 USA 25K Championship runner-up and at the 2003 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon ran 2:29:01 (3rd fastest U.S. debut ever)

3) Sara Wells, 24, (Edina, MN), 2003 USA Marathon champion, 4th Gate River (50:07), 2nd USARC Grand Prix and World 8K Cross Country Championships bronze medal team member; Team USA Minnesota athlete

Other top U.S. women expected are:

Stacie Alboucrek (Ft. Lauderdale, FL); Jill Boaz (Los Osos, CA), 2002 USA Marathon champion; Jennifer DeRego (Arroyo Grande, CA); Sonja Friend-Uhl (West Palm Beach, FL); Jeanne Hennessy (Mahopac, NY), 2002 USA 25K champion; Nicole Hunt (Deer Lodge, MT); Turena Johnson Lane (Statesboro, GA); Amy Lyman (Belchertown, MA); Johanna Olson (Bloomington, MN); Zika Palmer (Blowing Rock, NC); Kim Pawelek (Arden, NC), 1999 USA Marathon champion and Christina Wells (Woodbridge, VA)

The guaranteed USA Championships prize purse equals $52,000 including the $5000 Equalizer Bonus and goes ten-deep: $10,000, $4000, $3000, $2000, $1000, $900, $800, $700, $600 and $500. The Gate River Run also offers bonuses for course, U.S. and world records ($3000, $5000 and $10,000 cumulative respectively).

The 27th Gate River Run is also part of the 2004 USA Running Circuit, a USA Track & Field road series that features USA Championships from the 5K to marathon and offers over $820,000 in prize money. Per USARC race, the first ten U.S. runners earn points (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1) with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6000, $4000 and $2500) for the top three men and women.

The loop course - which goes over the Hart Bridge - starts and finishes in downtown Jacksonville. In conjunction with the national championship, the event also has the Florida Times-Union 5K Run/Walk and adidas sponsors the Junior River Run One Mile.

In 2003, the second largest 15K in the country had 7,153 finishers. For more information, visit the Gate River Run website at: www.gate-riverrun.com.

Previous USA 15K Champions at Gate River Run

      	MEN                           	WOMEN
1994  Todd Williams      43:42       Anne Marie Letko      49:27
1995  Todd Williams      42:22*      Cathy O'Brien      48:56
1996  Todd Williams      43:49       Lynn Jennings      49:45
1997  Joe LeMay       43:35       Lynn Jennings      50:13
1998  Todd Williams      44:06       Jen Rhines            51:00
1999  Todd Williams      43:59       Lynn Jennings      50:05
2000  Dan Browne            44:26       Deena Drossin      49:40
2001  Meb Keflezighi      43:14       Deena Drossin      49:09
2002  Meb Keflezighi      42:48       Deena Drossin      48:12
2003  Meb Keflezighi      43:31       Deena Drossin      47:15*
*U.S. and USA Championship Records