Posted: September 12, 2005

Athletics: Olympic Marathon Medalists Kastor and Takahashi Headline Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run

PHILADELHIA, Pa. (Sept. 12, 2005) - One took bronze in Athens. One captured gold in Sydney. Both are the most recognized running celebrities in their respective countries, and on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2005, American Deena Kastor and Japan's Naoko Takahashi will face off at the Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run. It will be the first time these two women have matched strides at the 13.1-mile distance.

After winning the bronze medal in the Athens marathon, only the second American women's medal in Olympic marathon history, Kastor, 32, has her sights set on the 21-year-old American half marathon record (1:08:34) set by Joan Benoit Samuelson at the 1984 Philadelphia Distance Run. Samuelson, gold medalist 1984, was the first American woman to medal in an Olympic marathon.

Kastor's potentially record-setting tour will be spurred by a strong women's field featuring the 2000 Sydney Olympic marathon gold medalist Naoko Takahashi, who finished 4th at the Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon two weeks ago. Although she was not victorious in Virginia Beach, Takahashi showed the late-race surge that took the 33-year-old to a marathon world record in 2001, simultaneously becoming the first woman to break the 2:20:00 time barrier.

Japan's Rie Ueno, 29, back-to-back champion at the 2004 and '05 Kyoto City Half Marathon, should prove a threat in the women's field if her plan to set a personal best time in the low 68-minute range is realized. American Laura O'Neill, 25, will make her half marathon debut as she steps up in distance after a strong showing at the USATF National Championships in the 10,000m.

With the fastest half marathon time (60:33) in the men's field, Chistopher Cheboiboch, 27, would like to record one last victory before he returns to his home near the Rift Valley in Kenya to train for the ING New York City Marathon in November. In June, Cheboiboch overcame flu like symptoms to win the Rock 'n' Roll Marathon in 2:09:17.

Fellow Kenyan John Korir arrives at the start line having already earned two victories in 2005 at both the Lilac Bloomsday and World's Best 10K.

Both the third and fourth place finishers from the 2005 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, Ethiopians Tekeste Kebede and Gudisa Shentema, join the men's field. Shentema, who won Bolder Boulder this past May, will make his half marathon debut in Philadelphia.

This year, athletes from eight countries will compete for the largest prize purse offered in the event's 28-year history. At more than $62,000 the prize purse awards the top 10 elite men and women and includes course record bonuses, masters and first male and female Philadelphia resident prize money.

This year the Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run welcomes more than 9,000 runners and walkers on Sept. 18. To learn more about the half marathon and the prize purse, visit www.runphilly.com or call 800/311- 1255.

28th annual Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run Elite Athlete Roster - Monday 12, Sept. , 2005

2005 Men's Elite Open Field as of Sept. 9, 2005

NAME	AGE	COUNTRY	BEST	FACT/COMMENT
Christopher Cheboiboch	27	KEN	60:33	1st 2005 Coca-Cola Zero Rock 'n' Roll Marathon
Mohammed Amyn	29	MAR	62:30	5th 2005 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
Araya Haregot	24	ETH	63:02	1st 2005 Salt Lake City Marathon
Tekeste Kebede	26	ETH	62:59	3rd 2005 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, 4th 2005 San Blas Half Marathon
Gudisa Shentema	25	ETH	Debut	4th 2005 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, 1st 2005 Bolder Boulder
Giday Amaha	27	ETH	N/A	3rd 2005 Standard Charter Dubai Marathon
Luke Metto	29	KEN	61:18	4th 2004 Jefferson Hospital Philadelphia Distance Run, 1st 2004 BAA Half Marathon
Michael Aish	29	NZL	63:59	9th 2005 Cardinal Invitational 10,000m, 2nd Guidant Heart of Summer 10K
Abdelrahime Bouramdane	27	MAR	63:56	1st 2005 Marrakesh Marathon
Likhaya Dayile	32	RSA	64:13	N/A
Ernest Kimeli	19	KEN	64:20	4th 2005 Lilac Bloomsday
Abdelhadi Habassa	29	KEN	61:20	1st 2002 Casablanca Marathon
Abderrahim Haji	27	MAR	61:28	1st 2004 Baltimore Half Marathon
John Itati	31	KEN	62:04	1st 2005 Broad Street Run
John Korir	29	KEN	61:00	1st 2005 World's Best 10K, 1st Lilac Bloomsday
Linus Maiyo	22	KEN	Debut	1st 2005 Rift Valley Cross Country Championships
Samuel Ndereba	28	KEN	62:48	1st 2005 21K de Montreal, 7th 2005 Bix 7 Mile
Francis Bowen	31	KEN	31:11	1st 2005 Parkersburg Half Marathon
Reuben Chebii	33	KEN	60:59	2nd 2005 Park Forest 10 Mile
2005 Women's Elite Open Field as of Sept. 9, 2005
NAME	AGE	COUNTRY	BEST	FACT/COMMENT
Deena Kastor	32	USA	70:08	2004 Athens Olympic Marathon Bronze Medalist - 2:27:20, American Marathon Record Holder - 2:21:16
Naoko Takahashi	33	JPN	68:55	2000 Sydney Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist - 2:23:14
Rie Ueno	29	JPN	69:57	1st 2004 & 2005 Kyoto City Half Marathon
Ichiyo Naganuma	33	JPN	72:57	1st 2003 Long Beach Half Marathon
Laura O'Neill	25	USA	Debut	6th 2005 USATF National Champion 10,000m, 5th 2004 SBLI Falmouth Road Race
Molly Austin	25	USA	75:20	Two-time member USA World Cross Country Team, (2003 & 2004)
Kathy Butler	31	GBR	71:24	12th 2004 Olympic 10,000m
Samia Akbar	N/A	N/A	Debut	N/A
Margaret Atodonyang	26	KEN	69:12	2nd 2004 Rock 'n' Roll Marathon, 2nd 2003 Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon
Shitaye Gemechu	24	ETH	70:46	1st 2004 & '05 P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon
Tatyana Chulakh	24	RUS	73:35	1st 2005 America's Finest City Half Marathon, 1st 2005 Parkersburg Half Marathon
Teresa Wanjiku	31	KEN	71:42	4th 2005 Indianapolis 500 Festival 21K
Leah Malot	33	KEN	69:35	2nd 2004 & 1st 2003 JH Philadelphia Distance Run

Country Key: ETH, Ethiopia - GBR, Great Britain - JPN, Japan - KEN, Kenya - MAR, Morrocco - RSA, Republic of South Africa - RUS, Russia - USA, United States