Posted: September 24, 2007

Athletics: Team USA announced for IAAF World Road Running Championships

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - The USA track & Field women's Long Distance Running Committee has announced the 2007 U.S. team for the IAAF World Road Running Championships. This year's event will be take place in Udine, Italy on October 14. The World Road Running Championships is a half-marathon distance contested on a 7,000 meter criterium-loop through the streets of Udine. It will offer a total of $225,000 in prize money. Each team will consist of five athletes, with the top three athletes scoring. Team members were selected based on performances time performances at 15 km, half marathon, 20 km and 25 km. Looking for the first U.S. team medal at the World Road Running Championships, this year's Team USA will feature an all-star line-up that includes an Olympic medalist and multiple USA and NCAA champions. Deena Kastor, Mammoth Lakes, Calif. A bronze medalist for the U.S. in the marathon at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Kastor brings a host of titles and accomplishments to the Team USA squad, including seven USA cross country titles and multiple USA Running Circuit wins. The American record holder at the half-marathon distance (67:34), Kastor's major marathon titles include the 2005 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon (2:21:25) and the 2006 Flora London Marathon, where she set the current American record of 2:19:36. Kastor has won 2007 championships at 15 km and 10,000 meters. Katie McGregor, Minneapolis, Minn. The 2007 USA 25 km champion also is one of the U.S.'s top 10,000 meter runners. McGregor is the 2005 USA outdoor track champion at the distance as well as two-time defending USA 10 km champion on the roads. Alicia (Craig) Shay, Flagstaff, Ariz. A two-time NCAA Division I champion at 10,000 meters, Shay recently won her first USA Running Circuit title at the USA 20 km Championships in New Haven, Conn. Tara Storage, Dayton, Ohio. A former Atlantic-10 Conference champion at the University of Dayton, Storage earned a spot on her first Team USA with a fourth-place finish at the USA 20 km Championships. Desiree Davila, Rochester Hills, Mich. - Davila was a cross country and track All-American at Arizona State University and earned a spot on her third Team USA with a fifth-place finish at the 2007 USA 20 km Championships on Labor Day. In her first appearance at the World Road Running Championships in Debrecen, Hungary last year, Davila was the fourth finisher for the U.S. in 43rd place. For more information on the 2007 IAAF World Road Running Championships visit www.usatf.org. Subscribe to the Runner's Web Weekly Digest