INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - 2008 USA Men's 10 km champion Abdi Abdirahman (Tucson, Ariz.) will defend his title against a field that includes two fellow Olympians at the USA Men's 10 km Championship in Richmond, Va., this Saturday. This year's championships are hosted by the Metropolitan Richmond Sports Backers in conjunction with the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K.
Abdirahman will face challenges for the title from the likes of 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion Alan Culpepper (Lafayette, Colo.), 2004 10,000 and marathon Olympian Dan Browne (Portland, Ore.); and USA 25 km champion and record holder Fernando Cabada (Boulder, Colo.).
Additional contenders for top-ten finishes will include Matt Gabrielson (Minneapolis, Minn.), Fasil Bizuneh (Flagstaff, Ariz.), Andy Smith (Boulder, Colo.); Josh Moen (Readlyn, Iowa); Josh Eberly (Gunnison, Colo.); and Macharia Yuot (Chester, Pa.).
The fourth-largest 10 km in the U.S., the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K had more than 25,000 runners in 2007 and will feature a total of $25,000 in prize money with $7,500 for the champion.
About the USARC
The USA 10 km Championship is the fourth stop on the 2008 USA Running Circuit (USARC) for men. The USARC is a USA Track & Field road series, features USA Championships from 5 km to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The fourteenth edition for the men and thirteenth for the women, the 2008 USARC has seven events for men and nine events for women.
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 ($6,000, $4,000, and $2,500) 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 $4 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.
For more information on the 2008 USA 10 km Championships visit www.usatf.org.