Posted: September 13, 2005

Athletics: Record Bonus And Live TV For Fifth Avenue Mile

From David Monti

© 2005 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

The New York Road Runners have announced that a $10,000 bonus will be awarded for a men's or women's course record at the 2005 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile Powered by "Four Minutes," an ESPN2 Film, on Saturday, September 24. In addition, the men's professional race will air live on ESPNEWS, returning the race to national television for the first time in more than a decade.

The current men's course record of 3:47.52 was set in 1981 by Sydney Maree and is one of road running's longest-standing records. The women's record of 4:16.68 was set by PattiSue Plumer in 1990. Premier American miler and Olympian Alan Webb and Craig Mottram of Australia, the bronze medalist in the 5000 meters at the 2005 IAAF World Championships, are the top contenders to break Maree's record and take home the bonus.

Joining Webb and Mottram on the starting line will be Rui Silva of Portugal, the bronze medalist in the 1500 meters at the 2004 Olympics and the 2005 IAAF World Championships. The women's field will be headlined by 2004 U.S. Olympian Carrie Tollefson of St. Paul, Minnesota, her former Villova teammate Carmen Douma-Hussar of Canada, former NCAA All American Amy Mortimer of West Roxbury, Mass., and two-time Olympian Amy Rudolph of Providence, Rhode Island.

The total prize purse for the race is $30,000 with the men's and women's champions each winning $5,000. In addition to the professional races, which start at 1:35 p.m. for the women and 1:45 p.m. for the men, there will be wheelchair and age-group races for the general public beginning at 10:00 a.m.

For more information visit www.nyrr.org.

NOTE: Race Results Weekly provides elite athlete consulting for the New York Road Runners --Ed.