Top Americans to debut at USA Half Marathon Ch

For Immediate Release
Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Contact:
Jim Estes
USA Track & Field
Associate Director of LDR & Marketing
317-713-4661; Jim.Estes@usatf.org


Top Americans to debut at USA Half Marathon Championships; Aramco Houston Half Marathon kicks-off 2010 championship season
INDIANAPOLIS - The Aramco Houston Half Marathon has been a key stop on the road to success for a number of U.S. distance running stars over the last six years and 2010 is sure to see its share of breakout performances as the event hosts the USA Half Marathon Championships this Sunday.

Running her first half marathon, Olympic Bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan (Pittsboro, N.C.) headlines the women's field. Also making his debut for the distance will be 2009 USA 15 km runner-up Tim Nelson (Portland, Ore.), who is among the favorites for the men's title.

While Houston is the home of the men's American record for the half marathon, race organizers are hopeful that Flanagan can add the women's record to the event's history books.

Set to push Flanagan will be defending champion Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.) as they face a field that includes Serena Burla (Ellisville, Mo.), the third fastest U.S. woman at the half marathon in 2009. Other contenders include 2009 runner-up Kelly Jaske (Portland, Ore.), 2009 Team USA World Half Marathon squad members Heidi Westover (Walpole, N.H.), Amy Hastings (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and 2009 USA 20 km champion Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, Colo.).

The men's race could prove to be the most heated of the day with several men capable of taking the title. Joining Nelson among the favorites will be 2008 champion James Carney (Boulder, Colo.), 2006 NCAA Division I Cross Country Champion Josh Rohatinsky (Portland, Ore.), and Team USA Minnesota teammates Josh Moen (Saint Louis Park, Minn.) and Patrick Smyth (Minneapolis, Minn.) who finished second and third respectively at the 2009 USA Men's 10 Mile Championship.

About the USARC

The Aramco Houston Half Marathon is the first stop on the 2010 USA Running Circuit (USARC), and features a total championship prize purse of $59,500 plus potential bonuses. The men's and women's champions will each earn $12,000.

The 2010 USARC is a USA Track & Field road series, featuring USA Championships from one mile to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners, including Olympians Deena Kastor, Ryan Hall, Shalane Flanagan and Anthony Famiglietti. The 2010 USARC has ten events each for men and women.

The 2010 USARC will once again see a record amount of circuit prize money for a non-Olympic year with total prize purse of $623,850 offered by host events. U.S. athletes will also have the opportunity to qualify for various Team USA events, including the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and the Chiba International Ekiden.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USARC race (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1), with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6,000, $4,000, and $2,500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall. The USARC points at the USA Marathon Championships will be doubled.

The mission of the USA Running Circuit is to showcase, support, and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USARC and its races have provided over $6 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.

For more information on the 2010 USA Half-Marathon Championships visit www.usatf.org.
About USA Track & Field

USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.

For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org

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