Posted: June 4, 2004

Athletics: Shay to Defend USA Men's Half-Marathon Title at Hospital Hill Run

Two World Half-Marathon Championship Team Spots Also at Stake

KANSAS CITY - (June 3, 2004) - Ryan Shay of East Jordan, Mich. is set to defend his USA Half-Marathon title at the Carondelet Heart Institute Hospital Hill Run on Saturday morning, June 5. Shay, 25, also the defending USA Running Circuit Grand Prix champion, will face a strong U.S. field that includes Teren Jameson (4th last year), Teddy Mitchell (5th last year), Josh Cox, Kevin Collins, Chris Lundstrom, Scott Larson and Jeff Campbell (9th last year).

"We are excited to host the USA Men's Half-Marathon Championship for the third consecutive year. The Hospital Hill race is a beautiful and challengin g course through the streets of Kansas City and its surrounding boroughs. With defending champion Ryan Shay and 12 other athletes who competed in the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, the national championship should be very competitive," said Terry Drake, the race's athlete coordinator.

Saturday's weather forecast for Kansas City is mostly cloudy with scattered thunderstorms with lows in the mid-60s and highs in the low-80s.

Last year, Shay, a Team Running USA athlete, surged up and over Trinity Hill in the final mile to pull away from Phillimon Hanneck and defending champion Peter DeLaCerda for the win in 1:04:13 and his second USA national road crown.

Hospital Hill offers $10,100 in USA Championship prize money with $4000 for the national champion, and the purse goes ten deep ($4000, $2000, $1200, $950, $550, $450, $350, $300, $200 and $100).

The national championship also serves as a selection race for the World Half-Marathon Championship on October 3, 2004 in New Delhi, India. The top 7 finishers at the race will be eligible for two team spots.

In addition, Hospital Hill is the sixth stop on the 2004 Men's USA Running Circuit and thus, valuable USARC points will be at stake as the first ten U.S. runners earn points (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1). With top performances, Shay, Larson and Mitchell can move up in the standings and into grand prix contention. Current Circuit leaders are Olympians Meb Keflezighi and Colleen De Reuck.

The 2004 USARC, a USA Track & Field road series featuring USA Championships from 5K to the marathon, offers over $810,000 in championship prize money plus a $25,000 grand prix purse. More USARC information available at: www.usatf.org.

The 31st Carondelet Heart Institute Hospital Hill Run is the oldest road race in Kansas City. With a half-marathon, 12K, 5K and Family Fun Run, the Hospital Hill Run has a distance for everybody, and over 3,000 are expected for the event. In addition, the race will be broadcast five times by local TV station Metro Sports of Kansas City.

For more information, visit the race website at: www.hospitalhillrun.com.

2004 USA Running Circuit Standings

MEN after five races
1) Meb Keflezighi, 29, Mth Lakes, CA      54
2) Dan Browne, 28, Beaverton, OR          50
3) Alan Culpepper, 31, Lafayette, CO    30
4) Ryan Shay, 25, East Jordan, MI          22
   Chris Graff, 28, Palo Alto, CA          22
6) Scott Larson, 34, Superior, CO            17
7) Trent Briney, 25, Rochester Hills, MI      14
8) Teddy Mitchell, 32, Albuquerque, NM    13
9) Clint Verran, 28, Rochester Hills, MI      12
   Abdi Abdirahman, 27, Tucson, AZ          12
   Mike Donnelly, 29, Portland, OR            12
   Anthony Famiglietti, 25, Knoxville, TN    12

2004 Men's USARC Champions
Alan Culpepper 2:11:42  U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, Birmingham, AL, Feb 7
Meb Keflezighi   43:18  Gate River Run 15K, Jacksonville, FL, March 13
Meb Keflezighi   22:16+ NYRR 8000/USA Men's Championship, NY, NY, March 27
Dan Browne       46:32+ Papa John's 10 Miler, Louisville, KY, April 10
Dan Browne     1:16:21  Fifth Third River Bank 25K, Grand Rapids, MI, May 8
+USA Championship Record

Recent USA Half-Marathon Champions
1987  Paul Cummings      1:02:32+ New Bedford/Bank of Boston, MA, 03/15
1988  Mark Stickley      1:02:42  Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL, 12/10
1990  Mark Curp        1:03:37  Parkersburg, WV, 08/18
1991  Jon Sinclair      1:03:44  Parkersburg, WV, 08/17
1992  Don Janicki           1:03:44  Parkersburg, WV, 08/15
1993  Ed Eyestone          1:03:19  Parkersburg, WV, 08/21
1994  Rod DeHaven           1:03:38  Parkersburg, WV, 08/20
1995  Steve Spence      1:04:42  Parkersburg, WV, 08/19
1996      Alfredo Vigueras      1:04:42  Parkersburg, WV, 08/17
1997  David Morris      1:05:53  Parkersburg, WV, 08/16
1998  Rod DeHaven           1:03:42  Parkersburg, WV, 08/22
1999  Todd Williams      1:04:24  Parkersburg, WV, 08/21
2000  Rod DeHaven           1:03:06  Parkersburg, WV, 08/19
2001  Dan Browne            1:03:55  Parkersburg, WV, 08/18
2002  Peter DeLaCerda      1:05:57  Hospital Hill Run, Kansas City, MO,
06/01
2003  Ryan Shay        1:04:13  Hospital Hill Run, Kansas City, MO, 06/07
+Championship Record