Posted: March 27, 2005

Athletics: Larry Comstock Chosen to "Dash for the Cash" at Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K

Chesterfield Man to Get 2-mile Head Start in Race for Possible $2,500 prize

RICHMOND, Va. - (March 23, 2005) - For Chesterfield's Larry Comstock, a lot more than pride or a PR will be at stake when he runs the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K presented by POWERade on April 9. Instead, he'll be running for $2,500 in the Clear Channel Dash for the Cash.

Comstock was chosen at random from over 15,000 people who were registered for the country's 6th largest 10K as of the March 15 contest deadline and will be given a head start when the race begins at 8:30am. To win the cash, he will have to out-run the rest of the field to the finish line.

Based on his predicted time that he listed on his race entry form and his past performances in the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K, he will be given a 2-mile head start on the course and will attempt to cross the finish line before any of the elite athletes, who will be running the full 10K (6.2 miles). The first person to cross the finish line wins the Dash for the Cash prize.

"When the gun goes off, Larry will take off from the 2-mile mark near the I-195 overpass on Monument Avenue," said race director Tracey Russell. "When he makes the turn at the halfway point and heads down Monument Avenue toward Monroe Park, he'll get to see the elite athletes on the other side of the road closing in on him."

"This is such a unique and exciting opportunity for me," said the 49-year-old Comstock, who is an internet coordinator for Dominion Resources, Inc. "I've never run a race with so much at stake. I'm hoping that the crowd of runners and spectators on Monument Avenue will be pulling for me because I'll need to feed off their energy to get me across the finish line first."

To help him prepare for the Dash for the Cash, Comstock will get advice and guidance over the next two weeks from the contest's honorary coach Bart Yasso, who is race and event promotion director and contributing writer for Runner's World magazine. Yasso will also be with Comstock at his designated starting line on race morning to provide last minute support. Yasso has extensive running experience, completing over 150 marathons around the world including the Boston Marathon, ING New York City Marathon, Antarctica Marathon, Mount Everest Marathon and the Mount Kilimanjaro Marathon. He has also completed the Badwater 146 miler through Death Valley.

Registration for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K and First Market Mile Kids Run will close on March 31 at 11:59pm. The fee is $35 for the 10K and $20 for the Kids Run and online registrants save $3 (www.sportsbackers.org). Anyone wishing to mail in their registration for either event may download an entry form off the website or pick one up at any Ukrop's Super Market. As of March 23, over 15,700 have registered for the 10K and over 900 for the Kids Run.

Source: Scott Schricker, (804) 285-9495

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.