Courtesy: Running USA

Four members of the 2000 United States Olympic team - Elva Dryer (pictured), Jennifer Rhines, Abdi Abdirahman and Nick Rogers - are the first group of elite runners named to the field for the Food World Senior Bowl Charity Run, set for November 3 in downtown Mobile, Alabama.

This year's Charity Run serves as both the Men's and Women's 2001 USA 10K Championship. A prize money purse of $50,000 is available to the top men and women finishers in the event, with the first place prize set at $7,500.

"We have what will be a truly outstanding field filled with U.S. Olympians, past and present U.S. road champions, and many young performers who will undoubtedly be the American racing stars of the future," said Charity Run race director Vic Knight. "With the four Olympians that we are announcing today, combined with the rest of this year's Charity Run field which will be announced in the next couple of weeks leading up to the race, we will have a field which represents the very best of American distance running."

Dryer will be looking for her second straight Charity Run championship after taking top honors in last year's race in a time of 32:53. A 2000 Olympian at 5000 meters, she also won the 1998 USATF indoor 3000 meter championship.

Rhines finished second at the 2000 U.S. Olympic 10,000 meter Trials in a personal best of 31:58 to make her first-ever Olympic team. The Team USA California member also captured the 1998 USA 15K title at the Gate River Run.

Another U.S. Olympian, Abdirahman finished tenth in the 10,000 meter final at the 2000 Sydney Games. The Team USA California member is also the current U.S. national track champion at 10,000 meters and has run a career best 27:46 10K.

Rogers scored his first major U.S. road victory at the 1999 Charity Run in a time of 28:40, and went on to finish third in the 5000 meter finals at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials to claim his first-ever U.S. Olympic team berth.

The Charity Run is also part of the USA Running Circuit, a USA Track & Field road series. The 2001 USARC, the seventh edition for the men and sixth for the women, offers over $290,000 in prize money plus a $25,000 grand prix purse. All USARC events are USA Championships.

Per 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 point scorers overall.

The fast, loop Food World Senior Bowl Charity Run course winds through downtown Mobile and, like past years, records and PRs are likely to be set. In addition to the Men's and Women's USA 10K championship races, there will also be a One-Mile Fun Run, wheelchair and race walker race's as over 5,000 runners are expected to take part in the Charity Run's different events.

The Charity Run, which also hosted the Men's 10K Championship in 2000 and will serve in that capacity again in 2002, is also part of the successful Association Athlete Development Program (AADP) which is administered by USATF Men's and Women's LDR committees. Its purpose is to assist upcoming distance runners from local associations.

The Food World Senior Bowl Charity Run has also donated over $1.8 million to area charities since its inception in 1989. For more information on the 2001 Food World Senior Bowl Charity Run, call 334-438-2276 or go to www.seniorbowl.com.