Posted: May 5, 2006

Athletics: Runyan, Webb join field for adidas Track Classic on May 21

CARSON, Calif. (May 4) – Two-time Olympian Marla Runyan and Alan Webb, the American Record-holder for 2 miles, will compete at the adidas Track Classic on May 21, organizers announced today.

Dozens of Olympic and World Championship medalists are expected to compete in the finals-only event, which will begin at 12:30 p.m. PT on May 21 at The Home Depot Center, on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills, and be broadcast live on ESPN from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. PT. (4 p.m.-6 p.m. ET).

A three-time national champion at 5000 meters, the 37-year-old Runyan may have the deepest range of any track-and-field athlete in history. After starting her career in the heptathlon, she was eighth at 1500m in the 2000 Olympics, equaling the best-ever finish by an American woman. The next year, she set the indoor American Record at 5000m (15:07.33). By 2002, she was ranked No. 1 in the U.S. at 3000m, 5000m and the marathon, after her 2:27:10 debut. She will run the 3000 meters here.

For Webb, 2005 was his best as a professional. The 23-year-old broke the American record for the 2-Mile run when he posted a time of 8:11.48 at last year’s Prefontaine Classic. A 1500-meter finalist in the 2005 World Championships, he finished the year ranked #7 in the world at the distance by Track & Field News. This season, he took up where he left off by winning his 10,000-meter debut on April 30 at the Payton Jordon Stanford Invitational in 27:34:72, becoming the eighth-fastest American all-time. He will run the 2-Mile here against Ireland’s Alistair Cragg, the European Indoor Champion at 3000m; and Americans Ryan Hall (2006 U.S. Cross Country Champion at 12K); Olympian Abdi Abdirahman and Ian Dobson.

Produced by Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc., the adidas Track Classic is the second stop of USA Track & Field’s Visa Championship Series. Tickets, at $45 (finish line), $30 (homestretch) and $20 (backstretch) are now available by calling Ticketmaster at 213-480-3232 or visiting www.Ticketmaster.com. For group sales, call 1-877-AEG-TICKETS, and for more information and frequent updates, visit the event website at www.adidasTrackClassic.com.

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