Posted: February 17, 2005

Athletics: Olympic Medalist Deena Kastor to Lead Field at USA Women's 8K Championship

Tim Broe, 2002 USA 8K Champion, Tops Men's Field

NEW YORK - (February 14, 2005) - Deena Kastor, bronze medalist in the 2004 Olympic Marathon, will begin her 2005 season on Saturday, March 26, leading a field of America's top female distance runners at the USA Women's 8K Championship hosted by New York Road Runners. Starting and finishing at the new Icahn Track and Field Stadium on Manhattan's Randall's Island, the race will be followed by the USA Men's 8K Championship.

Kastor, who holds American records in the 5K (14:54), 15K (47:15), 10,000 meters (30:50.32) and marathon (2:21:16), aims to secure one of the few she's yet to own - Lynn Jennings's 1991 U.S. 8K road record of 25:02. NYRR executive vice president and COO Mary Wittenberg announced at Monday's New York Track Writers luncheon that NYRR is offering a $25,000 cash bonus for both the men's and women's championships, should the winner set an American record.

"It is difficult to force records to happen, and the U.S. 8K record is a tough one to match," said Kastor, a Team Running USA athlete. "My main focus for the race is to win, and if a record falls in pursuit, I will be elated."

Kastor and 2004 Olympic 5000 meter finalist Tim Broe, who will compete in the USA Men's 8K Championship, joined the Track Writers luncheon via teleconference.

"It is a thrill to be bringing the USA Women's 8K Championships to New York for the first time this year," said Wittenberg. "The men's national championship, which NYRR has hosted since 2002, has become a real crowd and athlete favorite, and we expect that the women's event will share that success."

Kastor, 32, of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., had a stellar year in 2004 that was capped by her emotional third-place finish in Athens - the first Olympic marathon medal for an American woman in 20 years. Kastor is widely regarded as one of the finest runners in the United States.

Broe, 27, of Ann Arbor, Mich., is set to headline the men's field. He returns to the USA Men's 8K Championship for the third time in 2005. He won the race in 2002 in a time of 22:26 and placed fourth in 2003 in 22:47. Broe opened his competitive season this past weekend by winning his third USA Cross Country 4K title in 11:37 and finishing third in the 12K race.

About New York Road Runners
Founded in 1958 with a membership of 47, New York Road Runners (NYRR) is one of the world's foremost running organizations. NYRR is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of running and walking for health, recreation, and competition, and provides full professional services related to all aspects of racing. The organization has a full-time staff of more than 60 employees, supplemented by a network of thousands of volunteers, serving 40,000 members from every U.S. state and more than 100 countries.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.