Posted: June 19, 2006

Athletics: Team Running USA Headed to Indianapolis for 2006 USA Outdoor Track Championships

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - (June 18, 2006) - Team Running USA athletes are rested and ready for the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships in Indianapolis, June 21-25. The competition should be keen as the athletes vie for national honors, prize money and selection for the IAAF World Cup of Athletics in Athens, Greece this September.

2004 Olympic Marathon silver medalist Meb Keflezighi of Mammoth Lakes and San Diego, Calif. and two-time Olympian Jen Rhines of Mammoth Lakes lead the Team Running USA contingent.

Last year, Keflezighi waged an exciting U.S. 10,000 meter title battle with Abdi Abdirahman as Abdirahman edged Keflezighi at the line, 28:10.38 to 28:10.57, while new Team Running USA additions Ian Dobson and Ryan Hall finished second and third - and set personal records, 13:15.33 and 13:16.03 - in the 5000 meters to defending champion Tim Broe.

For 2006, the men's 5000 meter national championship race is stacked with the returning Dobson and Hall, the resurgent Adam Goucher and rising star Dathan Ritzenhein and veterans Keflezighi and Abdirahman may also double back from the Thursday night's 10,000.

Last year, Rhines finished third in the USA 10,000m Championship race in a personal record, 31:37.20, behind Katie McGregor (31:33.82) and Blake Russell (31:35.25) and this year, the 2002 USA 10,000m champion will compete at the same distance and possibly the 5000 meters.

Below find the racing schedules for Team Running USA in Indianapolis:

Thursday, June 22
10,000m FINAL, Men (7:20pm) & Women (7:55pm)
Meb Keflezighi (Nike)

Jen Rhines (adidas)
Kate O'Neill (Nike)
Alicia Craig (Reebok), provisional

Friday, June 23
5000m FINAL, Women (8:00pm) & Men (8:45pm)
Lauren Fleshman (Nike), national runner-up in 2005
Jen Rhines (adidas)
Sara Hall (ASICS)
Missy Buttry (Reebok)

Ian Dobson (adidas)
Ryan Hall (ASICS)
Meb Keflezighi (Nike)

Saturday, June 24
1500m Women's FINAL (need to qualify), 7:40pm 
Sara Hall (ASICS), provisional

Sunday, June 25
1500m Men's FINAL (need to qualify), 4:40pm
Gabe Jennings

TV Schedule
All times Eastern; subject to change; check local listings

Air Date / Time / Network
June 24 - 6:00-8:00pm, ESPN2
June 25 - 5:00-7:00pm, ESPN2

For more information and entry lists on the 2006 AT&T USA Outdoor Championships, visit: USATF.org.

About Team Running USA
Team Running USA, formerly Team USA California, is a national athlete development program created by Running USA, a national industry trade organization. The mission of Team Running USA is to support, promote and assist the development of U.S. distance runners.

Since 2001, Team Running USA athletes have won two Olympic medals and 12 World Cross Country Championship medals, set one world road record, 16 national records and numerous personal records, earned 46 national titles and three USARC Grand Prix titles and added to world and U.S. all-time lists. In short, they are the most accomplished training group in the United States.

Supported by the Town of Mammoth Lakes, the New York Road Runners, Chevron Houston Marathon and Atlanta Track Club, the program's athletes utilize the resources at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista/San Diego for sea level training and Mammoth Lakes for high/low altitude training throughout the year. Renowned and Olympic coaches Joe Vigil and Bob Larsen and coach Terrence Mahon coordinate this elite group.

For more information on Team Running USA, contact: Ryan Lamppa, (805) 696-6232 or ryan@runningusa.org or visit: RunningUSA.org.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.

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