American women’s marathon record holder Deena Kastor will lead the nation’s finest long distance runners as they compete for three Olympic team berths Saturday, April 3, at the 2004 U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials in St. Louis.

The 2004 Olympic Women’s Marathon Trials will be held as part of the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend. The race will begin at 7:00 a.m. at Washington University’s Francis Field with runners entering a criterium course in Forest Park and finishing on Government Drive, below the World’s Fair Pavilion. The route is the same one used for the 2003 Michelob Ultra USA Women’s Marathon Championship.

Favorites to earn the three coveted spots on the Team USA roster for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens include Deena Kastor, Colleen De Reuck, Deeja Youngquist, Blake Russell, Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Jenny Spangler, Sylvia Mosqueda, Jill Boaz and Sara Wells among others. The top three finishers will represent the U.S. at the 2004 Olympic Games in the women’s marathon on Sunday, August 22.

A total of 150 athletes entered the Trials after running times of 2 hours, 48 minutes, 00 seconds or better, of which 132 are entered. Thirteen of those eligible have times below 2:37:00, the new Olympic ‘A’ qualifying time. The previous ‘A’ time was 2:33:00. The new Olympic ‘B’ standard is 2:42:00. Prize money for the top 20 Olympic Trials finishers totals $250,000, including $35,000 for the Trials champion and $10,000 to each woman participating in the marathon at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

For more information on the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials –Women’s Marathon, visit www.usatf.org.

Contact:

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