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Olympians Bernard Lagat, Shannon Rowbury to Close Out Their Seasons at the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile
Ten Olympians to challenge for titles at the September 21 race

NEW YORK - (September 17, 2008) - U.S. Olympic mile stars Bernard Lagat and Shannon Rowbury will close out their 2008 seasons with their road racing debuts at the famed Continental Airlines® Fifth Avenue Mile on Sunday, September 21, it was announced by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.

Lagat and Rowbury headline a deep professional field of 10 Olympians competing in the 28th running of the world-famous mile road race down Fifth Avenue, including Americans Nick Symmonds, Erin Donohue, Nick Willis of New Zealand and Lisa Dobriskey of Great Britain.

"Featuring a blockbuster cast of stars like Bernard, Shannon, Nick and others, the Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile promises to deliver a big finale as the curtain drops on this long and dramatic Olympic season for many in the field," said Wittenberg. "Speed will be the name of the game on the world's most famous street on Sunday."

Lagat, 33, of Tucson, AZ, was a two-time Olympic medalist for Kenya in 2000 and 2004 before becoming a U.S. citizen and going on to win the 1500 and 5000 meters at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Track and Field in June. In 2007, Lagat captured double gold at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka. A six-time winner of the renowned Wanamaker Mile, Lagat will be aiming to become only the second man in history to win both the Fifth Avenue and Wanamaker miles in the same year. Only Isaac Viciosa of Spain in 1997 has won the Wanamaker Mile and Fifth Avenue Mile double.

Symmonds, 24, of Eugene, OR, made headlines around the country with his victory in an epic 800 meter race at the U.S. Olympic Trials. Symmonds was a semi-finalist at the Olympic Games, finishing fifth in his semi-final. Earlier in the year, he took sixth at the World Indoor Championships.

Willis, 25, earned one of nine overall New Zealand medals at the Olympic Games, winning bronze at the 1500 meters in Beijing. A three-time NCAA champion for the University of Michigan, Willis was the gold medalist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in the 1500 meters. He holds New Zealand records at the 1500 and 3000 meter distances.

Rowbury, 23, of San Francisco, CA, had a breakout season, running 4:20.34 to become America's second fastest female miler ever (behind Mary Decker Slaney's 4:16.71). Rowbury, who will turn 24 two days before the race, finished seventh in the 1500 meter Olympic final. In February, the Duke grad won the indoor 3000 meter title at the USA Championships in Boston.

Donohue, 25, of Chapel Hill, NC, earned a spot on her first Olympic team with a runner-up finish in the 1500 at the U.S. Olympic Trials. A New Jersey native who grew up running in New York, Donohue was also a World Championship semi-finalist in 2007. She finished third in the Fifth Avenue Mile in 2006.

Dobriskey, 24, narrowly missed the podium in the 1500 meters at the 2008 Olympic Games, finishing fourth in a personal best 4:02.10. She was the Commonwealth Games 1500 meter gold medalist in 2006.

The race down the world-famous thoroughfare begins near East 80th Street and finishes at East 60th Street. The wheelchair and handcycle race will kick off the event at 9:00am. After that, entrants will run in heats according to age and gender. The professional women's race is scheduled to start at 12:45pm, followed by the professional men's race at 1:05pm.

JUST THE FACTS: The Field

WOMEN
Lisa Dobriskey, Great Britain, 4th 2008 Olympic Games 1500 meters
Erin Donohue, United States, 2008 Olympian 1500 meters
Lindsey Gallo, United States, six-time Big Ten champion
Nikeya Green, United States, 2007 USA Indoor 800m champion
Sara Hall, United States, 2006 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile champion
Sarah Jamieson, Australia, 2008 Olympian 1500 meters
Rose Kosgei, Kenya, 2008 Carlsbad 5000 meters runner-up
Meskerem Legesse, Ethiopia, World junior record, indoor 800m (2:01.03)
Amy Mortimer, United States, 2007 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile runner-up
Marina Muncan, Serbia, Serbian record holder, 1500m (4:08.02)
Shannon Rowbury, United States, 2008 Olympian; 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m champion

MEN
Adrian Blincoe, New Zealand, 2008 Olympian 5000 meters
Nate Brannen, Canada, 2008 Olympian 1500 meters
Bernard Lagat, United States, 2008 Olympian; 2007 World 1500m and 5000m champion
Will Leer, United States, 4th U.S. Olympic Trials 1500m
Chris Lukezic, United States, 7th 2006 World Indoor Championships 1500m
Jon Rankin, United States, 3rd 2007 Continental Airlines Fifth Avenue Mile
John Richardson, United States, NCAA Championships qualifier
Phil Sakala, United States, 2004 IC4A champion 1500 meters
Chris Solinsky, United States, 5th U.S. Olympic Trials 5000m
Kevin Sullivan, Canada, 2008 Olympian 1500 meters
Nick Symmonds, United States, 2008 Olympian; U.S. Olympic Trials 800m champion
James Thie, Great Britain, two-time Welsh champion
David Torrence, United States, University of California school record, mile (3:58.62)
Nick Willis, New Zealand, 2008 Olympic Games 1500m bronze medalist

For more information, visit: NYRR.org

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Flanagan, Browne Set to Defend USA 5K Titles at CVS Caremark Downtown
2008 U.S. Olympians Tegenkamp, Famiglietti also lead men's field in Providence
From USATF

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - (September 18, 2008) - Shalane Flanagan (Pittsboro, N.C.), the 2008 Olympic bronze medalist at 10,000 meters returns to Providence, R.I. to defend her USA 5K title at the CVS Caremark Downtown 5K on Sunday, September 21. Matt Tegenkamp (Madison, Wis.) and Anthony Famiglietti (Knoxville, Tenn.), both of whom represented Team USA at the Beijing Olympic Games, will lead the men's field.

In her first race appearance since Beijing, Flanagan, 27, the U.S. record holder at 5000m and 10,000 meters, leads the field that includes Carrie Tollefson (St. Paul, Minn.), a 2004 Olympian at 1500 meters; former Colorado University All-American Renee Metivier (Flagstaff, Ariz.) and former Notre Dame All-American Molly Huddle (Providence, R.I.).

In the men's race, 2006 USA 5K champion Famiglietti, 29, a finalist in the 3000 meter steeplechase in Beijing, will face Olympic teammate Tegenkamp and defending champion and 2004 Olympian Dan Browne (Beaverton, Ore.), who will look to win his third 5K title (also 1998). The field also features 2007 USA 5K runner-up Rod Koborsi (Washington, D.C.) and Thomas Morgan (Blowing Rock, N.C.), who finished tenth at this year's Olympic Trials 5000m.

The 19th CVS Caremark Downtown 5K offers $30,000 in national championship money with $5000 for each national champion. The race is also the seventh stop for men and the sixth for women on the 2008 USA Running Circuit (USARC).

The USARC, a USA Track & Field road series, features USA Championships from 5K to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The fourteenth edition for the men and thirteenth for the women, the 2008 circuit has eight events for men and nine events for women. James Carney currently leads the men's circuit with 37 points, while 2007 USARC champion Deena Kastor leads the women with 45.

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 ($6000, $4000, and $2500) 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 more than $7 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.

For more information on the 2008 USARC and the USA 5K Championship, visit: USATF.org

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Costello, Domich Deliver Wins at the 2008 Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon
Rain doesn't deter dedicated runners in race record field of 16,500

CHICAGO - (Sept. 14, 2008) - Chicago residents Greg Costello and Amanda Domich bested one of the most competitive amateur fields to win the 12th Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon in 1:07:59 and 1:20:58, respectively. Following the rainiest day on record in Chicago and under a steady, and at times heavy rain on Sunday, Costello and Domich set also new course records for the 13.1-mile race.

Costello, winner of the 2006 and 2007 races, set and maintained an aggressive pace of 5:12-minutes-per-mile. He was joined by runner-up Puerto Rican Adrian Rodriguez and third pace finisher Matt Flaherty from Bloomington, IN. The three contenders stayed close for more than 12 miles before defending champion Costello began to take the edge. Costello and Rodriguez remained close before sprinting into an exciting finish with a mere 13 seconds between them.

"There is no doubt I was pushed to run well by Rodriguez and Flaherty," said Costello. "I felt strong the whole time and the new course made it a bit easier mentally because of shorter out-and-back."

A relatively new competitor at this distance, women's winner, Amanda Domich crossed the finish line after striding to a 6:11 minutes-per-mile pace. Domich was joined by runner-up Alona Banai for most of the race, before she pushed the pace and broke free around mile nine. Chicagoland took a sweep of the women's podium with the three top women hailing from the city.

Clearly surprised by her win, Domich shared, "This is my first time running this race, and I'm almost in shock. I knew I could run this pace, but to be first is a great feeling."

"Our goal was to deliver a safe, memorable race for our participants today despite the wet weather conditions," said Jeff Graves, race director. "With the help of nearly 1,000 volunteers, with the support of Banco Popular and our other sponsors, we were able to reach that goal. Today though, I was most impressed by the dedication - the determination - of the people who trained, got to the start and crossed the finish line."

More than 95 percent of the starting field finished the race. Under the new management of US Road Sports & Entertainment Group, the 2008 Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon sported its largest field ever of 16,500 registered participants.

Despite the precipitation, nearly 70 percent of racers got to the new starting line at historic Jackson Park, site of the 1893 World' Columbian Exposition. The 13.1-mile course took racers through a puddle-packed and rain-soaked Chicago that included the University of Chicago campus, a view of Lake Michigan from the famous Lake Shore Drive before returning to historic Jackson Park. Finishers received the newly debuted race medal: a black and bronze showpiece that featured a representation of Chicago's famous skyscrapers and Lake Michigan.

Runners ranged in age from 16 to 77 years-old. Female racers made up more than half of all registrants at 63 percent; male racers made up 37 percent of the field. As a combined group, the racers represented 48 states, with Illinois runners representing nearly three-quarters of the field and 28 countries with Canada providing the most international runners.

The 13.1 race wasn't only record-setting finish. The inaugural Banco Popular Chicago 5K field numbered nearly 600 runners. The race organizers added the 5K for those who wanted to be part of the inspiring race, but at the shorter 3.1-mile distance. The Banco Popular Chicago 5K men's winner, Luis Camacho from Ponce, PUR, reached the finish line in 15:49. Donna Anderson from Naperville, IL, was the women's winner with a time of 21:36.

"The Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon & 5K showcases the best of our Chicago communities and we're proud to be a part of one of the largest half-marathons in the country," said Michael McCraken, region executive, Illinois of Banco Popular. "This year, we saw not only the largest registered field, every improvement was focused on making the race better for the runners - from the new expo location to the new start and finish, to the new finisher's medal. It's exciting to be part of a race that focuses on the runner's experience."

12th Banco Popular Chicago Half Marathon
Chicago, IL, Sunday, September 14, 2008

MEN
1) Greg Costello, 27, Chicago, IL, 1:07:59
2) Adrian Rodriguez, 20, Arecibo, PUR, 1:08:12
3) Matt Flaherty, 23, Bloomington, IL, 1:08:45

WOMEN
1) Amanda Domich, 27, Algonquin, IL, 1:20:58
2) Alona Banai, 24, Oak Park, IL, 1:22:05
3) Christina Overbeck, 22, Chicago, IL, 1:23:11

Complete results at: ChicagoHalfMarathon.com

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Dane Rauschenberg to Serve as This Year's RBC Wealth Management Charity Chaser

BALTIMORE, Md. - (September 16, 2008) - Corrigan Sports Enterprises has announced that Dane Rauschenberg will be this year's RBC Wealth Management Charity Chaser at the Under Armour Baltimore Marathon on Saturday, October 11.

The Charity Chaser was created three years cooperatively between Corrigan Sports and Ferris, Baker Watts in an effort to raise money for the United Way of Central Maryland. RBC Wealth Management who acquired Ferris, Baker Watts earlier this year is pleased to carry on the tradition. One runner starts dead last and tries to pass as many runners as possible. In the inaugural year, Chris Dean passed 2,086 runners collecting $6,258 for the United Way of Central Maryland. Last year, FBW employee Greg Manara ran by 4,001 runners to accumulate $8,002.

Rauschenberg, 32, is an amateur athlete who, in 2006, successively ran a certified marathon every weekend to benefit the Mobile, Alabama chapter of L'Arche Internationale as part of an effort titled "Fiddy2", raising over $44,000 to date for L'Arche Mobile. He was one of 2006 MarathonGuide.com's Outstanding USA Marathoners of the Year as well as the co-Male Runner of the Year by the Washington Running Club. This will be Rauschenberg's second stint as a Charity Chaser. He served in the same capacity at the 2007 Frederick Marathon, passing 705 of a possible 721 runners.

The 8th Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival will take place on Saturday, October 11 beginning at 8:00am. The day includes the forementioned marathon, CareFirst Blue Cross BlueShield Half-Marathon and Legg Mason Four-Person Team Relay as well as the United Way 5K and Kids' Fun Run. The event has generated over 75 million dollars in revenue for the city and over 4 million dollars for local charities. For more information or to register, visit: TheBaltimoreMarathon.com

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232
Ryan@RunningUSA.org | www.RunningUSA.org