Posted: May 17, 2005

Athletics: Champions Defend Titles at Coca-Cola Zero ^(TM) Rock 'n' Roll Marathon

Past Winners Highlight Men's and Women's Elite Rosters

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (May 17, 2005) -- Kenyan Joseph Ngolepus and Russian Tatiana Titova headline a group of returning champions who will be on hand to test out the new race course for the eighth running of the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. The musical marathon, which recently signed Coca-Cola Zero ^(TM)The elite runners will all be vying for a prize purse that awards $20,000 and a new vehicle to both the men's and women's champions. Each second place finisher earns $20,000 and all told, the total prize purse is valued at nearly $200,000. Another Kenyan, Michael Rotich, 22, who enters the 2005 race with the fastest time among elite runners at 2:06:33, will challenge them. Ethiopian youngster Tekeste Kebede, 25, is seeking to improve on his third place finish from 2004. He ran a 2:11:48 last year, just behind Ngolepus at 2:11:04 and Jomo Kororia at 2:11:24. Christopher Cheboibich, who finished fifth at this year's Boston Marathon, returns to San Diego after a four- year absence. Cheboibich was second to Tarus in the inaugural race and returned in 2000 to finish fifth.

On the women's side, Titova, who lives and trains in Gainesville, Fla., ran a personal best 2:29:36 en route to her victory last year. She will face Chepchumba, the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games bronze medalist in the marathon. Chepchumba, who was fourth at the '04 London Marathon, owns the fastest time in the women's field at 2:23:22. Countrywoman Hellen Kimutai, 27, enters with the second fastest time, 2:25:52, and is coming off a third place finish at the '05 Los Angeles Marathon. Another Kenyan in the field is Margaret Atodonyang, the second place finisher behind Titova last year. Two-time Olympic Games competitor Kerryn McCann of Australia enters with a PR of 2:25:59.

"We have a large and experienced field this year," said Mike Long, elite athlete coordinator for the Coca-Cola Zero Rock 'n' Roll Marathon. It should be an outstanding race on both the men's and women's side and I think it could be anybody's game."

The invitational field will be the first to traverse the newly designed course that will welcome more than 20,000 runners and walkers on June 5. To learn more about the marathon or to registration, visit www.rnrmarathon.com or call 800/311-1255.

2005 Men's Elite Open Field