Franklin Park, Boston

Start and Finish at The Playstead near Franklin Park Zoo

10:10 a.m.

Girls 1.1-mile race

10:30 a.m.

Boys 1.1-mile race

10:50 a.m.

Franklin Park 5k

11:30 a.m.

Women's Championship 5k

Noon

Men's Championship 8k

BOSTON, MASS. - The 16th Annual Mayor's Cup Cross Country Races will give runners, especially road racers, perhaps their single cross country racing opportunity of the year. Participants will contest the Men's Championship 8-kilometer Championship; Women's 5-kilometer Championship; youth 1.1-mile races; and an "open" all-comers 5- kilometer race known as the Franklin Park 5k. Past Mayor's Cup champions include Olympians and World Championship competitors.

The event offers $5,700 in team and individual prize money awards. New for 2005 is prize money for the first, second and third place US citizens (male and female). US citizens may receive both US and overall prize money awards. Also new for 2005, this year's Mayor's Cup races are held in conjunction with the 2005 USA Distance Running Summit, hosted by the Boston Athletic Association. Seven elite distance running centers will gather in Boston from Friday through Sunday (October 21- 23) to chart their progress and plot future efforts, leading to the 2008 Olympics.

Many girls and boys age 14 and under participate in the kids 1.1-mile races in preparation for Junior Olympic cross country qualifying; for other youths, the Mayor's Cup kids races are the first exposure to the sport, and the event is part of the B.A.A.'s effort to introduce the sport of running to Boston-area youngsters. More than 1,000 harriers - in five different races - are expected for Sunday's race, which began in 1990 and attracted only nine runners. The late-October race has evolved substantially over the years and is THE mid-season, competitive racing opportunity for clubs (both adult and youth) in the eastern United States.

The partnership between the Boston Athletic Association and adidas has helped develop the event into a premier competition for the City of Boston. Since 1997 when the B.A.A. and adidas became involved, the Mayor's Cup has been a mainstay on the national calendar among open cross country events. Regarded as one of the most competitive cross country races in the eastern United States, several clubs once again will use the Mayor's Cup to prepare for the USA Fall National Cross Country Championship [this year held in Rochester, New York on November 19].

Spectators enjoy a multiple loop course, and participants are able to experience course landmarks such as the Wilderness and Bear Cage Hill. Courses similar to the one used for the Mayor's Cup and held at the same Franklin Park location were used for both the 1991 and 1995 USA Cross Country Championship, the 2000 USA Fall Cross Country Championship, as well as the 1992 IAAF World Cross Country Championship.

Mayor's Cup Cross Country races are sponsored by adidas and the Boston Athletic Association, and directed by USA Track & Field - New England with cooperation from the Boston Centers for Youth & Families, the Boston Parks & Recreation Department and the City of Boston Park Rangers. Proceeds from the event are directed towards the improvement, preservation and maintenance of the Franklin Park cross country courses.

Entries will be accepted until the race start. For more information, go to: www.baa.org

Notable entrants in Sunday's Mayor's Cup races (as of October 19, 2005)

********************************WOMEN************************************

Nicole Blood and Caitlin Lane, both are from Gansevoort, New York.

A pair of this country's leading scholastic 1,500-meter, 3,000-meter and cross country stars. Multiple-time winner Blood has twice won the Footlocker Northeast Regional cross country meet and has the chance to become a rare four-time qualifier of the National Footlocker Cross Country Championships. Lane is the freshman state record-holder for 1500 meters. Blood and Lane are classmates at Saratoga Springs High School in New York.

Amanda Chase and Debbie Thornhill, both are from Blowing Rock, North Carolina (ZAP Fitness teammates)

Debbie Thornhill, a graduate of Baylor University, was a NCAA Division I All-American at 10,000 meters and a two-time Big 12 champion. Debbie has a 5000-meter personal record of 16:11 and a 10-kilometer PR of 33:34. Amanda Chase is a 2003 graduate of Hamilton College. She joined ZAP in the fall of 2005 after training for a year with the BAA. This past year Chase qualified for and participated in the US Indoor and Outdoor National Track Championships in the mile and 1,500 meters, respectively. Her PRs are 2:06 for 800 meters; 4:17 for 1,500 meters; 4:51 for the mile; and 9:38 for 3,000 meters.

Roisin McGettigan and Mary Cullen, of Ireland

Two products of Providence College, both have been All-Americans during their tenure. An Irish citizen and having graduated from PC, McGettigan has been one of the top steeplechase runners in the world for more than three years. She established the Irish national record for that event. Cullen has been a nationally ranked (eighth) in the 3,000 metres (9.14.58) on the US Collegiate indoor list and seventh in the mile (4.38.17).

Rebecca Stallwood, of Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Last year's Mayor's Cup runner-up, Stallwood attended West Virginia University and was awarded a national scholarship as one of Canada's rising stars. She was a member of Canada's World Cross Country team last year.

**************************************MEN********************************** *************

Thomas Morgan, of Blowing Rock, North Carolina

All-American and SEC champion from the University of Kentucky has both 3:42 1,500-meter speed, as well as superb cross-country strength. Thomas has run 13:42 for 5000 meters and 7:58 for 3000 meters. He competes for ZAP Fitness, a leading US Distance Running Center.

Sintayehu Taye and Ayalew Taye, of Portland, Maine

Citzens of Ethiopia, the phenomenal brothers have established state records since bursting into the running scene three years ago. Last year at the New England indoor meet in Roxbury, Mass., Sintayehu established a national record for freshmen with his winning time of 9:16.55 in the 3,200-meter run. He has also run 4:09.69 for 1600 meters, bettering the state record by nearly five seconds. Both attend Cushing Academy.

Mark Miller, of Keene, New Hampshire

A graduate of Keene State College, the 2005 USA Track & Field (New England) five mile champion may have the hot hand and will lead the B.A.A.'s team charge. The B.A.A. has won the men's team competition at the Mayor's Cup for the last two years.

Daniel Zegeye, New York resident

Sixth place at the 2000 Olympic Games (Sydney). Zegeye is a citizen of Ethiopia and resident of New York.

Elarbi Khatabbi, Pennsylvania resident

A two-time Olympian, Khatabbi is citizen of Morocco who competes for Westchester Track Club from New York.

MAYOR'S CUP STATISTICS, FACTS and FIGURES

Individual Awards (Overall):

First place

$600

Second place

$300

Third place

$200

Fourth place

$150

Fifth place

$100

Individual Awards (Top US Citizens)*:

First place

$300

Second place

$200

Third place

$100

* US Citizens are eligible for both US and overall prize money awards.

Team Awards:

First place

$500

Second place

$300

Third place

$100

Last year's champions:

Men's Championship 8k: Mark Carroll, adidas (23:53)

Men's Team (14 teams): Boston Athletic Association

Women's Championship 5k: Atalelech Ketema, Westchester Track Club (16:47)

Women's Team (7 teams): Boston Athletic Association

*****************MAYOR'S CUP HISTORY... Champions Year-by-Year * ********************

MEN Mark Carroll, adidas

2003 Keith Kelly, New Balance

2002 Keith Kelly, New Balance

2001 Sandu Rebencuic, U.S. Army

2000 Francis Kirwa, Life University

1999 Sammy Nyamongo, Life University

1998 Francis Kirwa, Life University

1997 Silah Misoi, Life University *22:53 ... * Mayor's Cup meet record.

1996 Silah Misoi, Life University

1995 Seamus McElligott, ASICS Fleet Feet

1994 Abidi Bouazza, Westchester Track Club

1993 Brad Schlapak, NYAC

1992 Brad Schlapak, NYAC

1991 Andy Ball, NIKE Running Room

1990 Michael Baugh, HFC Striders

WOMEN Atalelech Ketema, Westchester Track Club

2003 Kate O'Neill, Nike

2002 Kristin Chisum, New Balance

2001 Priscilla Hein, Indiana Invaders

2000 Sarah Dupre, Boston Athletic Association

1999 Christine Junkermann, adidas Club Connecticut

1998 Lesley Lehane, Boston Athletic Association

1997 Kathy Franey, NIKE International *16:22 ... * Mayor's Cup meet record.

1996 Kate Fonshell, ASICS

1995 Lynn Jennings, NIKE International

1994 Lynn Jennings, NIKE International

1993 Carmen Troncoso, NIKE Texas

1992 Kathy Franey, Reebok Racing Club

1991 Gwyn Coogan, NIKE Boston

1990 Michelle DiMuro, Reebok Racing Club

Media contact is Jack Fleming, Boston Athletic Association: Office telephone:

617-236-1652 ext. 2627; mobile telephone: 617-694-8218.