Posted: May 13, 2006

Athletics: USATF News and Notes, Volume 7, Number 36

adidas Track Classic adds four more

The 2006 adidas Track Classic will feature 45 Olympic or World Championships medalists, including 13 Olympic gold medalists and 14 World Champions with Sanya Richards, Bernard Lagat, Andrew Rock, and Xing Huina being added to the field.

The adidas Track Classic 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. The second stop on USATF's 2006 Visa Championship Series, the adidas Track Classic will be broadcast live on ESPN from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. PT. (4 p.m.-6 p.m. ET).

The 2005 World silver medalist at 400 meters, Richards will step down in distance and race in the 200m where she will face fierce competition from 200m World champion Allyson Felix.

The American Record holder at 1,500m, Lagat will go head to head with double 2005 World Champion at 800 and 1500 meters Rachid Ramzi of Bahrain and 2006 Commonwealth Games 1500m gold medalist Nick Willis of New Zealand.

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.

Nike Pre Classic goes the distance

The Nike Prefontaine Classic will see competition from some of the fastest women in the world at 800 meters and 1,500 meters.

The third event of USATF's 2006 Outdoor Visa Championship Series, the Nike Prefontaine Classic will be televised live May 28 on ESPN2 from 5-7 p.m. Eastern Time.

The

omen's 800 meters promises to be an exciting race, with five-time Olympian Maria Mutola going for her 14th consecutive win. Mutola will be challenged by two-time Olympian Hazel Clark, who had the fastest time in the field (1:57.99) from 2005. Also competing are 2005 U.S. 1,500m runner-up Jen Toomey, two-time NCAA 800m champion Alice Schmidt, and 2005 Jamaican 800m champion Kenia Sinclair.

2005 U.S. 1,500m champion Treniere Clement and three-time U.S. 5,000m champion Marla Runyan will face some of the best the world has to offer in the women's 1,500m race. Ranked #1 in the world by Track & Field News for 2005, Maryam Jamal of Bahrain will race alongside World champion and #2 ranked Tatyana Tomashova of Russia, #9 ranked Hind Dehiba of France and #10 ranked Gelete Burka of Ethiopia. Also competing is Australia's Sarah Jamieson, holder of the fastest time in the world this year.

Tickets for the 2006 Nike Prefontaine Classic are still available in-person at the University of Oregon Athletic Department Ticket Office, by phone from 1-800-WEBFOOT, and online at www.goducks.com. For more information and frequent updates, visit the event website at www.preclassic.com.

Lilac Bloomsday Run

There will be five showings of the 2006 Lilac Bloomsday Run. Neraly 41,000 runners, joggers, and walkers completed the 30th running of the event which was won by Kenyans Gilbert Okari and Isabella Ochichi. The 30-minute show includes footage of the men's and women's elite races, wheelchair races, and general footage of the activities surrounding the run.

The scheduled air dates are:

*Fox Sports Northwest:*
--May 12, 12:30 p.m. PDT
--May 13, 3:30 p.m. PDT
--May 17, Noon PDT
*Outdoor Life Network:*
--June 10, 12:30 p.m. PDT
--June 14, 12:30 p.m. PDT

For more information and complete results on the 2006 Lilac Bloomsday Run, please visit www.bloomsdayrun.org.

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