FALMOUTH, Mass. - (July 26, 2005) - 2004 Olympic marathon bronze medalist Deena Kastor of Mammoth Lakes, Calif. will be among the favorites in the women's division of the SBLI Falmouth Road Race set for Sunday, August 14. She will be joined on the starting line in Woods Hole by Olympic teammates Colleen De Reuck and Abdi Abdirahman.

The addition of Kastor adds excitement to an already-strong field highlighted by three-time Falmouth champion and course record holder Lorna Kiplagat, also a 2004 Olympian, representing The Netherlands, and defending champion Alevtina Ivanova of Russia.

Kastor, 32, formerly Deena Drossin, is one of the greatest American distance runners ever. Her resume is full of sensational performances, including U.S. records of 30:50.32 for 10,000 meters on the track and 24:36 for 8K and 47:15 for 15K on the roads, plus a then 5K world road record of 14:54 set at the 2002 Carlsbad 5000.

In addition to her Olympic marathon medal, she's a two-time world cross country silver medalist, a four-time U.S. champion at 10,000 meters, a four-time U.S. 15K champion and an eight-time NCAA All-American while at Arkansas. The Team Running USA athlete also won the 10,000 at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, but was hampered by an injury at the Sydney Games.

Perhaps Kastor's most impressive performance was when she broke 1984 Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson's long-standing American record in the marathon. Kastor ran 2:21:16 at the 2003 Flora London Marathon. Her Olympic medal last year was the first by a U.S. runner in the event since Benoit Samuelson won the first women's Olympic Marathon in Los Angeles.

Kastor's stiffest competition will undoubtedly come from Kiplagat, whose 35:05 Falmouth record over the point-to-point 7 mile course was set in 2000. Kiplagat finished fifth in the Olympic 10,000 meters (30:31.92) in Athens last summer and this year has been unbeaten in seven major races, including the World Best 10K in Puerto Rico, the Rotterdam Marathon, the Circle of Friends Mini 10K in New York City and the prestigious Peachtree 10K in Atlanta on July 4.

The evergreen De Reuck won Falmouth in 1993 and '97, has finished second four times and was third in 2003. Now 41, she is one of the top masters in the world, and earlier this year won the USA 25K Championship (15.5 miles) at the Fifth Third River Bank Run in Grand Rapids, Mich. Her 1:25:15 clocking set a masters world record for the distance. Also this year, the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials champion won the U.S. cross-country title, was fourth in the Gate River Run 15K in Jacksonville with a U.S. masters record 49:51 and fourth in the Bolder Boulder (Colo.) 10K.

Abdirahman, 28, the 2005 U.S. 10,000 meter and 10 Mile champion, ran Falmouth in 2002, when he placed 11th overall and second American. The Arizona grad ran the 10,000 for the U.S. in last year's Athens Olympics, placing 15th, and in Sydney 2000, when he placed 10th.

For more information on the 33rd SBLI Falmouth Road Race, go to Web site