Posted: December 1, 2004

Athletics: National Capital Race Weekend Offers Scholarship To Assist Canadian Athletes

Only running organization offering funds to develop the sport of running in the country

December 1, 2004 - Ottawa, ON - Organizers of the National Capital Race Weekend today announced the return of three bursaries to be awarded to up-and-coming Canadian runners. The scholarships were first awarded last May in a movement to develop the sport of distance running in Canada.

The National Capital Race Weekend Athletic Scholarship is a $3,000 bursary awarded to a promising young runner attending a Canadian post-secondary institution. Criteria for selection include athletic accomplishments, athletic potential, running/community contributions, scholastic grades and financial need. The inaugural scholarship was granted to Taylor Murphy, 24, a student at the University of Guelph. After receiving the award Taylor travelled to Ottawa in May to run the MDS Nordion 10K, where he was the first Canadian runner to cross the finish line.

The National Capital Race Weekend/National Capital Runners Association Athletic Awards are two $1,000 bursaries awarded to promising local track athletes in the National Capital region. In 2004 the bursaries were awarded to Mike Woods and Lisa McVicar, both grade 12 students in Ottawa.

"These scholarships are our contribution to the development of distance running in this country. As we saw in the recent Olympics, we need to encourage, nurture and fund our athletes in order to be represented on the world stage and that's what the Race Weekend organizers aim to do," says Manny Rodrigues, Vice President and Elite Athlete Coordinator for the international running event.

"A few thousand dollars to young athletes now could turn into Olympic gold medals for Canada down the line."

Applications for the 2005 scholarships are available on the Race Weekend website (www.ingottawamarathon.ca). Deadlines for the local and national scholarships are December 31st, 2004, and January 17th, 2005 respectively.

The National Capital Race Weekend, with its two featured events the ING Ottawa Marathon and the MDS Nordion 10K will be held on May 28 and 29, 2005.

About the National Capital Race Weekend
The National Capital Race Weekend, Canada's premier running festival, combines competition, participation and fundraising to make a distinctive contribution to the health of the community. The Race Weekend has over 24,000 participants in 9 races, including the ING Ottawa Marathon and the MDS Nordion 10K. It is run by a volunteer Board of Directors. This year, the Race Weekend is scheduled for the May 27-29 weekend.

About the National Capital Runners' Association
The National Capital Runners' Association is a running club that is dedicated to promoting running as both a recreational option and a competitive alternative for men and women in Canada's National Capital Region.

For more information on Elite Athletes contact: Manny Rodrigues at mannyr@rogers.com.