Press Release - U.S. Men's Olympic Trials Marathon - 01/30/04

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
                                          Contact:Tom Surber
                                                  Media Information Manager
                                                  USA Track & Field
                                                  (317) 261-0478 x317
                                                  Tom.Surber@usatf.org

      Birmingham to host U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon
	  
INDIANAPOLIS – The first three members of the Team USA roster for the 2004
Olympic Games in Athens will be determined at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials
– Men’s Marathon on February 7 in Birmingham, Alabama.

More than 80 of the best U.S. male distance runners are expected to vie for
the three coveted Olympic team spots to the Summer Games in Athens and
$271,500 in prize money.

Favorites to make the Team USA roster include Alan Culpepper, who owns the
fastest qualifying time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 41 seconds. Other top
contenders include 2002 USA Marathon champion Dan Browne, reigning USA
marathon champion Ryan Shay, Kevin Collins, Keith Dowling, Clint Verran,
Peter DeLaCerda, Todd Meyer (formerly Reeser), Teddy Mitchell, Jim
Jurcevich and local resident Scott Strand.

A 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon preview release will be
distributed on Monday, February 2. Men's Olympic Marathon Trials stats and
fun facts follow.

Men’s Olympic Marathon Trials “Fun Facts”

2004 Trials race = 80th USA Men's Marathon Championship, the longest
continuously held national road championship

Prize money = $271,500 Trials champion = $60,000 plus $25,000 bonus for
Olympic Marathon participation

Qualified = 104 U.S. men Entered = 91 Qualifier states = 30 Entrant states
= 28

Average age = 30.2 years (31.9 in 2000 and 27.5 in 1984) Average height =
5'-8.5" Average weight = 140

Single (60) = 61% Married (38) = 39%

For more information on the 2004 Olympic Team Trials – Men’s Marathon and a
list of entries (91) and qualifiers (104), visit www.usatf.org.

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