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SYRACUSE FESTIVAL OF RACEST MEN'S 5K RANKS AS THE WORLD'S 2nd FASTEST 5K ROAD RACE IN 2002

Syracuse Event Includes Three of the World's Five Fastest Individual Road Performances For the Year

SYRACUSE, NY - Officials at USA Track & Field's Road Running Information Center (RRIC) in Santa Barbara, CA, have confirmed that the Men's 5K at the Syracuse Festival of RacesT, conducted on October 6, is the second fastest 5K road race run anywhere in the world in 2002.

Only the Carlsbad 5,000, conducted last April in Carlsbad, CA, produced a faster winning time in 2002. Carlsbad bills itself-and is widely regarded-as the world's fastest 5K road race. Five kilometers (3.1068 miles) is the most popular road race distance, with more races being conducted at 5K than any other distance and more individual participants finishing 5Ks than any other distance.

"This is wonderful news for the Festival of Races, the Syracuse Chargers Track Club, and the city of Syracuse," admits race founder and director Dave Oja. "Since the inception of the Festival in 1993 we've been working to provide Syracuse and Central New York with a first-class annual event, but we never expected that an event of our size and our resources would produce a set of results this close to Carlsbad's."

A comparison of the Men's 5K at the Syracuse Festival of RacesT with the elite men's race at Carlsbad illustrates how similar the two fields were in 2002. Both events had their 13th finisher cross the line in 14:44. Carlsbad had its top six finishers under 13:45; the Festival of Races had its top six finishers under 13:46. The third finisher at Carlsbad ran 13:31; the third finisher at the Festival ran 13:30. Carlsbad's winning time was world record holder Sammy Kipketer's 13:17; the Festival saw John Itati edge Shadrack Kosgei with both timed in 13:27.

According to Ryan Lamppa of the RRIC, the Syracuse Festival of RacesT contributed three of the top five and four of the top ten individual 5K road race performances in the world in 2002. Carlsbad accounted for two of the top five and four of the top ten individual performances. The complete list is as follows:

Top 11 Performances/10 Individuals for 5K Road Races in the World in 2002 Source: USATF Road Running Information Center

13:17 1 Sammy Kipketer (KEN) Carlsbad, CA 04/07/02
13:27 1 John Itati (KEN) Syracuse, NY 10/06/02
13:27 2 Shadrack Kosgei (KEN) Syracuse, NY 10/06/02
13:30 2 Luke Kipkosgei (KEN) Carlsbad, CA 04/07/02
13:30 3 Gilbert Okari (KEN) Syracuse, NY 10/06/02
13:31 3 Leonard Mucheru (KEN) Carlsbad, CA 04/07/02
13:33 1 James Koskei (KEN) Gardena, CA 06/02/02
13:34 4 Meb Keflezighi (CA/USA) Carlsbad, CA 04/07/02
13:35 2 John Itati - 2 Gardena, CA 06/02/02
13:36 4 Moses Macharia (KEN) Syracuse NY 10/06/02
13:37 5 Albert Chepkurui (KEN) Carlsbad, CA 04/07/02

In addition to the world-ranked performances, U.S. single-age records by brothers Jordan McDougal (15:19 for males age 15) and Joshua McDougal (14:38 for males age 17), of Peru, NY, added further luster to the 2002 performances at the Festival of Races. The 11th annual Syracuse Festival of Races is scheduled for Sunday, October 5, 2003. Additional information about the event is available at www.FestivalofRaces.com.

Major sponsors of the 2002 Syracuse Festival of RacesT included: United Healthcare; M&T Bank; The Home Depot; Northland Cranberries; NBC-3; Citadel Communications; American Airlines; Carmella's Café; Chary Griffin, Realtor; Conseco; Dermody, Burke & Brown; Dick's Sporting Goods; Peter's Groceries; Stickley, Audi & Company; the Syracuse New Times; Syracuse Parent/Eagle Newspapers; and the Syracuse Chargers Track Club.