Courtesy: Running USA

At the 25th Gate River Run 15K - to be contested on Saturday, March 9 - U.S. road titles, $47,000 and USA Running Circuit points are again on the line and like past editions, deep U.S. fields are expected including ten 2000 Olympians Meb Keflezighi (defending champion -- pictured), Abdi Abdirahman, Alan Culpepper, Nick Rogers, Brad Hauser, Tony Cosey, Deena Drossin (defending champion), Jennifer Rhines (1998 champion), Elva Dryer and Colleen DeReuck. Gate River - home of the U.S. men's 15K record (42:22) by Todd Williams in 1995 - hosts the USA 15K Championships for the nine consecutive year.

"For our silver edition, the men's and women's fields are perhaps the deepest in U.S. distance running history outside of the Olympic Trials. I look for a fast and very competitive race on both sides. It could very well be a repeat of the last month's USA Cross Country Championships with the same key players," said Doug Alred, Race Director.

Last year at Gate River, Keflezighi and Culpepper dueled before Keflezighi pulled away to win his first U.S. road title in 43:14, while Drossin held off Sylvia Mosqueda to defend her title in 49:09 (8th fastest U.S. woman all-time).

This year, for the men, Keflezighi, 26, returns to defend his title against a deeper field than in 2001. The UCLA graduate appears fully recovered from his 2001 mid-season illness as on February 10, he defended his USA Cross Country 12K title with a stirring victory over Team USA California teammate Abdi Abdirahman. Last May at Stanford, Keflezighi, the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000 meter champion, ran 27:13.98 to break the nearly 15-year U.S. 10,000 meter record by over 6 seconds.

Keflezighi's top competitors include:

1) Abdi Abdirahman, 25, (Tucson, AZ), 2002 USA Winter Cross Country 12K Championships runner-up; 2001 USA 10,000 meter champion and USA 10K national runner-up; 2000 Olympian 10,000 meters (3rd at Olympic Trials)- finished 10th in Olympic 10,000m final; Team USA California

2) Alan Culpepper, 29, (Louisville, CO), 3rd 2002 USA 12K Winter Cross Country Championships; last year finished second at Gate River (43:35), set 10,000m PR (27:33.93) and USA Cross Country 12K Championships runner-up; 2000 Olympian 10,000 meters (2nd at U.S. Olympic Trials); 1999 USA 10,000 and 12K Cross Country champion; making rare appearance on the roads.

3) Nick Rogers, 26, (Lake Springfield, OR), 7th last year at Gate River (45:05) 2001 USA 10K champion (28:18 - Senior Bowl); 2000 Olympian 5000 meters (3rd at U.S. Olympic Trials); 1999 Delchamps Senior Bowl winner (28:40)

4) Brad Hauser, 24, (Menlo Park, CA), 2000 Olympian 5000 meters (2nd at U.S. Olympic Trials); 1999 USA 10,000m national runner-up; NCAA champion at 5000m (2000) and 10,000m (1998/2000); also making rare road appearance.

5) Scott Larson, 32, (Boulder, CO), 2001 USA Running Circuit Grand Prix co-champion with Dan Browne; USA marathon champion (2:15:26), New York City; top American (33rd) at the World Half-Marathon Championships (1:03:08, personal record)

Other top U.S. men expected at Gate River:

Jeff Campbell (Rochester Hills, MI); Mark Coogan (Madison, WI), 1996 Olympic marathoner, USARC champion and USA 12K/5K champion; Tony Cosey (Knoxville, TN); 2000 Olympic steeplechaser; Josh Cox (El Cajon, CA); Keith Dowling (Reston, VA), 2001 USA Half-Marathon Championships runner-up; Shawn Found (Boulder, CO), 2000 USA 25K champion; Chris Graff (Palo Alto, CA); Phillimon Hanneck (Clackamas, OR), 1999 USA 20K/10K champion; Jimmy Hearld (Louisville, KY), 1998 USA 10 Mile champion; Eddy Hellebuyck (Albuquerque, NM), set U.S. masters record (45:10) last year; Chris Lundstrom (St. Paul, MN); Eric Mack (Las Vegas, NV); Terrence Mahon (St. Davids, PA), 1998 USA 20K champion; Teddy Mitchell (Boulder, CO); David Morris (Albuquerque, NM), former U.S. marathon record holder (2:09:32); Mike Mykytok (Ramsey, NJ), 1999 USA 10 Mile and 1997 U.S. 10,000m champion; Todd Reeser (Canandaigua, NY), 2000 USA 20K champion; John Sence (Cincinnati, OH), 1997 USARC champion and 1997-98 USA 25K champion; Peter Sherry (Great Falls, VA); Steve Spence (Shippensburg, PA), 1992 Olympic marathoner; Nolan Swanson (Eugene, OR); Matt Thull (Campbell's Yard, WI), Clint Verran (Rochester Hills, MI), 2001 USA Marathon Championships runner-up and Clint Wells (Boulder, CO), 5th 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials steeplechase.

In the women's title tilt, Deena Drossin, 29, from Mammoth Lakes, Calif. goes after history as no U.S. woman has won three consecutive USA 15K road crowns. Four weeks ago, the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000 meter champion defended her USA 8K Cross Country title with a 15 second victory over Colleen DeReuck. Last year, Drossin - who is also a member of Team USA California - won four U.S. titles (8K cross country, 15K roads, 10,000m track and marathon). Her marathon at New York City produced a 2:26:58, the fastest U.S. debut. In addition, the six-time national cross country champion holds the U.S. 5K record (15:08) set at the 2000 Carlsbad 5000.

Like Keflezighi, Drossin faces a tough field as last year's 2-5 finishers - Mosqueda, Rhines, Glusac and Chisum - return.

1) Colleen DeReuck, 37, (Boulder, CO), 2002 USA Cross Country 8K national runner-up; 2001 USA 8K champion; 2000 Crescent City Classic 10K, Bay to Breakers 12K, Steamboat Classic 4 Mile and Bix 7 winner; the former South African became a U.S. citizen December 2000; holds the world record for 10 miles (51:16) set in 1998; 1996 Berlin Marathon winner (2:26:35); three-time Olympian for South Africa

2) Jen Rhines, 27, (St. Davids, PA), 4th 2002 USA Cross Country 8K Championship; third last year at Gate River (50:05); 2001 USA national runner-up at 8K cross country and 10,000m; 2000 Olympian 10,000 meters (2nd U.S. Olympic Trials); 1998 USA 15K champion; three-time NCAA 5000 meter champion (1994-96) at Villanova; Team USA California

3) Milena Glusac, 26, (Fallbrook, CA), 5th 2002 USA Cross Country 8K Championship; fourth last year at Gate River (50:14); 2001 USARC Grand Prix champion as she won three U.S. road titles (20K, half-marathon and 25K); Team USA California

4) Kristin Chisum, 29, (Wayland, MA), 5th last year at Gate River (50:27); 3rd 2001 USA 8K Cross Country Championship; 2000 USA 25K champion; 2nd 1997 Gate River Run; nee Beaney

5) Elva Dryer, 30, (Albuquerque, NM), 3rd 2002 USA Cross Country 8K Championship; 2001 USA 10K champion (32:43 - Senior Bowl); 2000 Olympian 5000m; 1998 USA Indoor 3000m champion; Team USA California

6) Sylvia Mosqueda, 35, (Los Angeles, CA), last Sunday, 7th 2002 City of Los Angeles Marathon (2:36:38 - personal record); second last year at Gate River (49:22) and 3rd 2001 USARC Grand Prix; 6th 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000 (32:18.06); 1988 NCAA 10,000 meter champion

Other top U.S. women are:

Jackie Brooks (Raleigh, NC); Chris Clifton (Auburn, WA); Kelly Cordell (San Luis Obispo, CA), 7th last year (52:02); Kim Fitchen (Palo Alto, CA); Jeanne Hennessy (Mahopac, NY); Monica Hostetler (Kendallville, IN); Kelly Keeler (Bloomington, MN), top master; Turena Johnson Lane (Statesboro, GA), 8th last year (52:16); Magdalena Lewy (Berkeley, CA); Tamara Lave (San Diego, CA); Kim Pawelek (Jacksonville Beach, FL), 1999 USA marathon champion; Nadia Prasad (Longmont, CO); Rachel Sauder (Auburn, AL) and Carmen Troncoso (Austin, TX), top master.

The USA Championship prize purse totals $47,000 and goes ten- deep: $10,000, $4000, $3000, $2000, $1000, $900, $800, $700, $600 and $500. The Gate River Run also offers bonuses for course, U.S. and world records ($3000, $5000 and $10,000 cumulative respectively).

The Gate River Run opens the 2002 USA Running Circuit, a USA Track & Field road series that features USA Championships from the 5K to marathon and offers over $340,000 in prize money and a $25,000 grand prix. Per USARC race, the first ten U.S. runners earn points (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 ($6000, $4000 and $2500) for the top three men and women.

In conjunction with the national championship, the Gate River Run also has a 5K run/walk and adidas sponsors the Jr. River Run One Mile. The loop course - which goes over the Hart Bridge - starts and finishes in downtown Jacksonville. In 2001, the Gate River Run was the second largest 15K in the country with 6,922 finishers and the fifth largest in the world.