Posted: June 7, 2004

Athletics: Kastor, Mosqueda Headline USA Women's Half-Marathon Championship Field

DULUTH, Minn. - (June 4, 2004) - Deena Kastor and Sylvia Mosqueda, two of America's top women distance runners, are officially entered to compete in the 2004 USA Women's Half-Marathon Championship held on Saturday, June 19 in conjunction with the 28th annual Grandma's Marathon weekend in Duluth, Minn. The 13.1 mile race starts at 6:15 a.m., and will follow the same route as the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon, which is run on the last half of the Grandma's Marathon course.

Kastor, 31, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. set the U.S. women's marathon record of 2:21:16 at the 2003 Flora London Marathon, and recently earned a spot on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Women's Marathon team by finishing second in the U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials in St. Louis on April 3. In addition, Kastor is the American road race record holder for the 5K (14:54) and 15K (47:15), and also holds the U.S. track record for 10,000 meters (30:50.32). She enters the USA Half-Marathon Championship with a personal record time of 1:10:08.

Meanwhile, Mosqueda, 38, of Los Angeles, Calif. has run one of the fastest half-marathon times thus far in 2004. In January, she won the 3M Half-Marathon in 1:09:53, and prior to that, she had strong races in the IAAF World Half-Marathon Championship (1:11:22, fourth) last October and Halliburton Half-Marathon (1:11:31, second) in January. Mosqueda started the 2004 U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials, and held third place for well over half of the race, but unfortunately was unable to finish.

While Kastor and Mosqueda have the fastest half-marathon times going into the national championship race, they will be met with some tough competition as a field of 70 women, who have all run under 1:22:00, will toe the starting line on June 19.

"During our two-year tenure as host of the USA Women's Half-Marathon Championship, it has been one of our top goals to bring in the best female runners possible to experience our beautiful course and city. I think we've certainly succeeded in that, and we are honored to have these women join us for some great competition, and of course, a lot of fun," says Scott Keenan, executive director of Grandma's Marathon.

The participants in the championship will compete for a prize purse that goes ten deep in the Open division and three deep in the masters division totaling $28,000, with $6,000 going to the USA champion and time incentive bonuses starting at sub-1:16:00. In addition, the top three finishers in the competition will automatically qualify for the World Half-Marathon Championship in New Dehli, India on October 3, 2004.

"The field is very strong, and I am confident that we will see some great performances again this year," says Keenan. The top eight finishers in the 2003 national championship broke the former Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon course record of 1:14:11, with Colleen DeReuck of Boulder, Colo. winning the race in 1:10:00. DeReuck is not expected back this year to defend her title.

The USA Women's Half-Marathon Championship is the fifth stop on the 2004 Women's USA Running Circuit, a USA Track & Field road series featuring USA Championship races ranging in distance from 5K to the marathon. More USARC information available at: www.usatf.org/events/2004/USARunningCircuit/

A list of the top ten participants in the 2004 USA Women's Half Marathon Championship as of June 4 is below. For more information visit the website www.grandmasmarathon.com or call (218) 727-0947.

TOP TEN PARTICIPANTS - OPEN DIVISION (according to personal best time)
1.  Sylvia Mosqueda Los Angeles, CA 1:09:53
2.  Deena Kastor Mammoth Lakes, CA 1:10:08
3.  Debbi Kilpatrick-Morris Strongsville, OH 1:10:52
4.  Kim Pawelek Arden, NC 1:12:48
5.  Deeja Youngquist Albuquerque, NM 1:12:51
6.  Jenny Spangler Lake Villa, IL 1:13:00
7.  Susannah Beck Yarmouth, ME 1:13:03
8.  Katrina Price Houston, TX 1:13:17
9.  Rachel Kinsman Archbold, OH 1:13:55
10. Turena Johnson Lane Statesboro, GA 1:13:59
    Kari McKay Spokane, WA 1:13:59

TOP FIVE PARTICIPANTS - MASTERS DIVISION (according to personal best time) 
1.  Debbi K-Morris Strongsville, OH 1:10:52
2.  Jenny Spangler Lake Villa, IL 1:13:00
3.  Janet Robertz Shorewood, MN 1:15:36
4.  Roxi Erickson Omaha, NE 1:16:40
5.  Susan Loken Phoenix, AZ 1:16:44 

NOTE: Above list is subject to change. For a complete list of elite athletes, please call Laura Wright at (218) 727-0947.

From: Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services