Eight Olympians to Compete for USA 15K Titles at Gate River

Carlson to defend men's national crown; $58,000 national championship purse
From USATF

Courtesy Running USA Wire

INDIANAPOLIS - (March 11, 2009) - Defending men's champion Andrew Carlson (Flagstaff, Ariz.) takes on a field that includes eight Olympians at the USA 15K Championship this Saturday, March 14 in Jacksonville, Fla. This marks the 16th year that the national championship has been hosted by the Gate River Run, the country's largest 15K.

Set to challenge Carlson for the U.S. title will be 2008 Olympians Jorge Torres (Boulder, Colo.), Ian Dobson (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and Anthony Famiglietti (Knoxville, Tenn.) as well as 2004 Olympian and 2000 USA 15K champion Dan Browne (Beaverton, Ore.).

In a field that includes eight of the top ten U.S.-ranked road racers from 2008, contenders for the men's title will also include 2008 USA Cross Country runner-up Tim Nelson (Portland, Ore) and fellow World Cross Country team member Ed Moran (Williamsburg, Va.). Also in the mix will be the 2008 USA Marathon champion and U.S. 25K record holder Fernando Cabada (Boulder, Colo.) and Jason Lehmkuhle (Minneapolis, Minn.), a member of the U.S. team at the 2008 World Half-Marathon Championships.

The women's field will feature five of the top ten road athletes from 2008 as well as a rare appearance on the USA Running Circuit from Amy Yoder Begley (Portland, Ore.), a 2008 Olympian at 10,000 meters. Additional Olympians in the women's field include 2004 Olympic marathoner Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, Colo.), two-time Olympian Elva Dryer (Gunnison, Colo.) and two-time Olympian at 5000 meters Amy Rudolph (Providence, R.I.).

Also considered strong challengers for the women's title will be Emily Brown (Minneapolis, Minn.), the women's 8K champion at last month's USA Cross Country Championships, and her Team USA Minnesota teammate Katie McGregor (St. Louis Park, Minn.).

For a deeper athlete list, go to: www.usatf.org/events/2009/USA15kmChampionships/entry/status....

At the 32nd Gate River Run, athletes will compete for a total prize purse of $58,000, with the national champions earning $12,000 each. The event is also part of the 2009 USA Running Circuit, a USA Track & Field road racing series featuring USA Championships from 1 mile to the marathon.

This year's race will once again feature the Equalizer Bonus, awarding $5000 to the first male or female to cross the finish line, with the top-seeded women beginning 5 minutes before the men. The 5 minute "head start" is based on the time differential of the U.S. 15K records: 42:22 for the men (Todd Williams, 1995) and 47:15 for the women (Deena Drossin, 2003), both set on the Gate River Run course. In 2008, men's U.S. champion Andrew Carlson won the Equalizer Bonus.

Additional bonuses of $10,000 will be offered for a World record (41:29 - men; 46:55 - women); $5000 for a U.S. record (42:22 - men; 47:15 - women) and $3000 for a course record (42:22 - men; 47:15 - women).

Video race highlights
For the second time in 2009, video highlights of a USA Championship and pre- and post-race video interviews with top athletes will be made available throughout race weekend in cooperation with Flotrack.com.