Posted: September 3, 2004

Athletics: Shay, Kilpatrick-Morris Top Fields for USA 20K Championships at New Haven

$34,000 USA Championship purse, World Half-Marathon team spots at stake

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - (September 2, 2004) - The 27th NewAlliance New Haven 20K, to be held Monday, September 6, again hosts the USA Championships - the 12th consecutive for the men and 4th for the women, and like past editions, competitive U.S. fields are expected for the annual Labor Day tradition.

Recent 2004 national road champions Ryan Shay (half-marathon) and Debbi Kilpatrick-Morris (25K) lead their respective fields who will be vying not only for U.S. titles, but also over a $34,000 USA Championship purse ($6000 for the national champion) and spots on the U.S. team for the World Half-Marathon Championships October 3 in New Delhi, India.

Monday's New Haven forecast is partly cloudy with race morning temperatures in the 60s.

Last year at the USA 20K Championship, Meb Keflezighi and Marla Runyan set U.S. records in 58:57 and 1:05:52 respectively. In an exciting duel, Runyan just edged Colleen De Reuck by one second. Due to their recent Olympic participation - where Keflezighi, a Team Running USA member, won a silver medal in the marathon, both will not defend their national titles.

As a USA Championship, the New Haven 20K is also part of the 2004 USA Running Circuit (USARC), a USA Track & Field road series. Some of the top contenders for the $25,000 USARC Grand Prix will be at the race including the defending GP men's champion Ryan Shay as well as Teddy Mitchell, Chris Graff, Teren Jameson, Josh Cox and Kilpatrick-Morris. The top ten U.S. finishers will earn important Circuit points.

Below is the USA 20K Championships field which includes eight past national champions and one Olympian:

MEN by bib# order
Ryan Shay (East Jordan, MI), 2003-04 USA Half-Marathon champion, 2003 USARC GP champion, Team Running USA; Chris Graff (Palo Alto, CA), 2003 USA 10 Mile champion, 2004 USA 10 Mile Champs runner-up; Trent Briney (Rochester Hills, MI), 4th 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials, Hansons-Brooks Team USA Michigan; David Morris (Albuquerque, NM), former U.S. marathon record holder (2:09:32); Chad Johnson (Portland, OR), 2001 USA 25K champion; Teddy Mitchell (Albuquerque, NM), 3rd 2004 USA Half-Marathon Champs; Nick Rogers (Eugene, OR), 2000 Olympian 5000m; Josh Cox (Murrieta, CA), 7th 2004 OMT; Ryan Meissen (River Falls, WI); Justin Young (Boulder, CO); Peter Gilmore (Menlo Park, CA), 9th 2004 OMT; Dave Davis (Portland, OR); Teren Jameson (Salt Lake City, UT), 2nd 2004 USA Half-Marathon Champs; Kevin Collins (Albuquerque, NM), 2nd 2003 USA Marathon Championship; Matt Downin (LaJolla, CA), Team Running USA; Chris Banks (Alexandria, VA); Edwardo Torres (Boulder, CO); Brandon Leslie (Mammoth Lakes, CA), Team Running USA; Kevin Castille (Eugene, OR) and Erik Kean (Alexandria, VA)

WOMEN by bib# order
Debbi Kilpatrick-Morris (Strongsville, OH), 2004 USA 25K champion and 1995 USA Marathon champion; Liz Wilson (Eugene, OR); Rachel Kinsman (Archbold, OH), 4th 2004 USA Half-Marathon Champs; Emily Jameson (Salt Lake City, UT); Jenny Crain (Eugene, OR); Turena Johnson Lane (Statesboro, GA); Kim Pawelek (Arden, NC), 1999 USA Marathon champion; Heather Tanner (Palo Alto, CA); Kim Lorenz (Indianapolis, IN); Cheri Kenah (Reston, VA), 1999 USA 5K champion; Heather Hanscom (Alexandria, VA), 6th 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials; Tamara Lave (San Diego, CA); Judy Johnson (Cicero, NY); Melissa White (Royal Oak, MI), Hansons-Brooks Team USA Michigan; Dana Coons (Burnsville, MN), Team USA Minnesota and Stephanie Dueringer (Indianapolis, IN)

The $37,850 total race purse includes $34,000 for the USA Championship ($6000, $3500, $2500, $1500, $1000, $800, $600, $500, $400 and $200 for 10th). In addition, the first runner to break the course record (57:37 - men and 1:05:11 - women) will earn a $1000 bonus.

20K Road Records

U.S. All-Comers and Course
57:37 Khalid Khannouchi (MAR), New Haven, CT, 09/07/98
1:05:11 Colleen De Reuck (RSA), New Haven, CT, 09/07/98
U.S.
58:57 Meb Keflezighi, New Haven, CT, 09/01/03
1:05:52 Marla Runyan, New Haven, CT, 09/01/03

The flat, fast loop course starts and finishes at the New Haven Green. Over 4,500 participants in the 20K and accompanying 5K and 1/2 mile children's runs are expected at the 27th edition, the fourth largest 20K in the country (2,083 finishers in 2003). The New Haven Road Race is sponsored by NewAlliance. For more information, visit the race website at: http://www.newhavenroadrace.org.

Recent USA 20K Champions

1993 Keith Brantly 59:55 New Haven Road Race, CT
1994 Ed Eyestone 59:16 New Haven Road Race, CT
1995 Joe LeMay 59:30 New Haven Road Race, CT
1996 Joe LeMay 59:37 New Haven Road Race, CT
1997 Brian Clas 1:00:43 New Haven Road Race, CT
1998 Terrence Mahon 1:00:58 New Haven Road Race, CT
1999 Phillimon Hanneck 1:01:02 New Haven Road Race, CT
2000 Todd Reeser 1:00:00 New Haven Road Race, CT
2001 Dan Browne 1:00:10 New Haven Road Race, CT
2002 Dan Browne 59:21 New Haven Road Race, CT
2003 Meb Keflezighi 58:57+ New Haven Savings Bank Road Race, CT

1996 Lynn Nelson 1:09:08 Gallery Furniture, Houston, TX
2001 Milena Glusac 1:07:49 New Haven Road Race, CT
2002 Colleen De Reuck 1:07:53 New Haven Road Race, CT
2003 Marla Runyan 1:05:52+ New Haven Savings Bank Road Race, CT
+USA Championship and U.S. Records