For Immediate Release
Thursday, January 8, 2009
    
Contact:
Jim Estes
USA Track & Field, Associate Director of LDR Programs/Marketing
(317) 713-4661; [email protected]

USATF announces 2009 Running Circuit schedule
INDIANAPOLIS - USA Track & Field on Monday announced the USA Running Circuit (USARC) schedule for 2009. The fifteenth edition for the men and fourteenth for the women, the 2009 USARC has ten events for men and nine events for women.
 
The USA Running Circuit (USARC), a USA Track & Field road series, features USA Championships from one mile to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners, including Olympians Deena Kastor, Ryan Hall, Shalane Flanagan and Anthony Famiglietti.
 
"We are proud to announce that the 2009 USARC will offer a record amount of circuit prize money for a non-Olympic year," said USA Track & Field CEO Doug Logan.  "This will allow us to continue our commitment to providing our athletes with important competitive opportunities for both our current and developing stars."

In addition to competing for a total prize purse of $613,000, U.S. athletes will have the opportunity to qualify for various Team USA events, including the IAAF World Championships Marathon, the IAAF World Road Running Championships and the Chiba International Ekiden.
 
The 2009 USARC kicks off at the USA Half-Marathon Championships hosted by the Aramco Houston Half-Marathon on January 18.
 
2009 USA Running Circuit Schedule
 
Men
 
USA Half-Marathon Championships, Houston, Tex., $29,750, Jan. 18
USA 15 km Championships, Jacksonville, Fla., $26,500, March 14
USA 1 Mile Road Championship, Minneapolis, Minn., $10,000, May 7
USA 25 km Championships, Grand Rapids, Mich., $10,600, May 9
USA Men's 10 km Championship, Atlanta, Ga., $30,000, July 4
USA 7 Mile Championships, Davenport, Iowa,$22,500, July 25
USA 20 km Championships, New Haven, Conn., $20,000, Sept. 7
USA 5 km Championships, Providence, R.I., $15,000, Sept. 20
USA Men's 10 Mile Championship, Minneapolis, Minn., $25,000, Oct. 4
USA Men's Marathon Championship, New York, N.Y., $150,000 Nov. 1
 
     Subtotal                       $339,350
     USARC Grand Prix       $12,500
     Total                            $351,850

Women
 
USA Half-Marathon Championships, Houston, Tex., $29,750, Jan. 18
USA 15 km Championships, Jacksonville, Fla., $26,500, March 14
USA 1 Mile Road Championship, Minneapolis, Minn., $10,000, May 7
USA 25 km Championships, Grand Rapids, Mich., $10,600, May 9
USA 7 Mile Championships, Davenport, Iowa,$22,500, July 25
USA Women's 10 Mile Championship, Flint, Mich., $17,200 August 22
USA 20 km Championships, New Haven, Conn., $20,000, Sept. 7
USA 5 km Championships, Providence, R.I., $15,000, Sept. 20
USA Women's Marathon Championship, Minneapolis, Minn., $72,500, October 4
USA Women's 10 km Championships, Boston, Mass., $23,000, Oct. 12
 
     Subtotal                       $249,500
     USARC Grand Prix       $12,500
     Total                            $262,000
 
USARC Grand Prix Champions (1995-2008)
 
1995    Keith Brantly                          not contested
1996    Mark Coogan                          Anne Marie Lauck
1997    John Sence                              Kim Jones
1998    Rod DeHaven                         Shelly Steely
1999    Todd Williams                        Libbie Hickman
2000    Rod DeHaven                         Libbie Hickman
2001    Dan Browne/Scott Larson      Milena Glusac
2002    Dan Browne                            Colleen De Reuck
2003    Ryan Shay                               Colleen De Reuck
2004    Ryan Shay                               Colleen De Reuck
2005    Abdi Abdirahman                   Nicole Aish
2006    Mbarak Hussein                      Marla Runyan
2007    Ryan Hall                                Deena Kastor
2008    Fernando Cabada                    Deena Kastor
 
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 over $6 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.
 
For more information on the 2009 USARC visit www.usatf.org.
About USA Track & Field
 
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.
 
For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org
 
# # #