With top field and women's defending champion Lewy Boulet, Aramco Houston Half Marathon kicks-off 2010 USA Running Circuit season
INDIANAPOLIS - (January 13, 2010) - The Aramco Houston Half Marathon has been a key stop on the road to success for a number of U.S. distance running stars since 2005, and 2010 is sure to see its share of breakout performances as the event hosts the USA Half Marathon Championships this Sunday in Texas.
Running her first half-marathon, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Shalane Flanagan, 28, (Pittsboro, N.C.) headlines the women's field. Also making his debut for the 13.1 mile distance will be 2009 USA 15K Championship runner-up Tim Nelson, 25, (Portland, Ore.) who is among the favorites for the men's national title.
While Houston is the home of the men's U.S. record for the half-marathon (59:43, Ryan Hall, 2007), race organizers are hopeful that Flanagan can add the women's record (1:07:34, Deena Kastor, 2006) to the event's history books.
Set to push Flanagan will be defending champion Magdalena Lewy Boulet (Oakland, Calif.) as they face a field that includes Serena Burla (Ellisville, Mo.), the third fastest U.S. woman at the half-marathon in 2009. Other contenders include 2009 national runner-up Kelly Jaske (Portland, Ore.), 2009 Team USA World Half Marathon squad members Heidi Westover (Walpole, N.H.) and Amy Hastings (Mammoth Lakes, Calif.) and 2009 USA 20K champion Colleen De Reuck (Boulder, Colo.).
The men's race could prove to be the most heated of the day with several men capable of taking the title. Joining Nelson among the favorites will be 2006 NCAA Cross Country champion Josh Rohatinsky (Portland, Ore.) and Team USA Minnesota teammates Josh Moen (St. Louis Park, Minn.) and Patrick Smyth (Minneapolis, Minn.) who finished second and third respectively at the 2009 USA Men's 10 Mile Championship.
The Aramco Houston Half Marathon, the first stop on the 2010 USA Running Circuit (USARC), features a total national championship prize purse of $59,500 plus potential bonuses. The men's and women's U.S. champions will each earn $12,000.
The 2010 USARC is a USA Track & Field road series, featuring USA Championships from one mile to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners, including Olympians Deena Kastor, Meb Keflezighi, Ryan Hall, Shalane Flanagan and Anthony Famiglietti. The 2010 USARC has ten events each for men and women.
The 2010 USARC will award a record amount of circuit prize money for a non-Olympic year with a guaranteed prize purse of $623,850 offered by host events. U.S. athletes will also have the opportunity to qualify for various Team USA events, including the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and the Chiba International Ekiden.
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 $8.5 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.
For more information on the 2010 USA Half Marathon Championships and USARC, visit: USATF.org
Know someone else who's interested in running and triathlon?
