NEW YORK, NY (March 12) - Meb Keflezighi and Abdi Abdirahman top a group of four members of the 2003 United States World Cross Country team to commit today to the USA Men's 8K Championships in Central Park on Saturday, April 5, it was announced by Allan Steinfeld, president and CEO of New York Road Runners.
The other USA squad members announced today are Nick Rogers and Chad Johnson. Dan Browne, a fifth member of the USA team that will compete in the World Championships in Switzerland on March 29-30, was previously announced.
The field for this year's race on the same fast Central Park loop course where defending champion Tim Broe recorded the best 8K time (22:26) in the world for 2002, is shaping up to be the strongest and deepest of any 2003 USA road championships, featuring a potent mix of America's best runners from the track, the roads and cross country. Total guaranteed prize money is $20,000, with a $25,000 bonus for breaking the USA 8K record of 22:04 set by Alberto Salazar in 1981.
"With the phenomenal mix of athletes lined up, and the talent they will bring to the line, I have no doubt that this race will bring more sizzling times," said Steinfeld, who noted that the top three times in the world at the 8K distance in 2002 were all set at last year's championships.
Keflezighi, 27, of Mammoth Lakes, CA, is returning to New York for the first time since his marathon debut at last year's New York City Marathon, where he was the top American, finishing ninth in 2:12:35. This past weekend, Keflezighi (43:31) outdueled his 2000 Olympic and World Cross Country teammate Abdirahman (43:59) to win his third consecutive USA 15K Championships crown at the Gate River Run in Jacksonville, FL. At last month's USA Cross Country Championships, Keflezighi finished second in the 12K (38:34). Keflezighi, who grew up in war-torn Eritrea and became a U.S. citizen in 1998, won five national titles (5K, 7-mile, 10,000m, 12K cross country, and 15K) in 2002.
Abdirahman, 26, of Tucson, AZ, earned his trip to the World Cross Country Championships by finishing fifth (39:36) at the USA 12K Championships last month. In 2002 he was runner-up at the USA 12K Cross Country, 10,000m, 7-Mile, 15K Championships, and finished fourth (22:42) at the 8K Championships. He was the top American in the 2000 Olympic 10,000 final, finishing 10th. Born in Somalia, Abdirahman became a U.S. citizen in 2000.
Rogers, 27, of Lake Springfield, OR, earned his third trip to the World Cross Country Championships by finishing fourth (39:21) in last month's USA 12K Championships. At the 15K Championships last weekend, Rogers was fourth (44:39). He was also a 2000 Olympian at 5000m.
Johnson, 26, of Portland, OR, was sixth (39:43) at last month's USA 12K Cross Country Championships and finished third (44:39) at last weekend's 15K Championships.
The USA Men's 8K Championships joins the New York Mini 10K (June 7) and the New York City Marathon (November 2) as the cornerstones of the newly named NYRR Professional Racing Series and continues NYRR's tradition of bringing the very best runners in the world to New York City.
Founded in 1958 with a membership of 47, today New York Road Runners (NYRR) is one of the world's foremost running organizations in the world. NYRR is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the sport of running and walking for health, recreation, and competition, and provides full professional services related to all aspects of racing, including course certification, computer scoring, and event promotion. The organization has a full-time staff of more than 60 employees, supplemented by a network of thousands of volunteers, serving more than 40,000 members from every U.S. state and more than 100 countries.
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