Courtesy: Running USA

The Crim is pleased to announce a strong elite athlete field again this year. Athletes, locally and from around the world, will be competing in the 25th annual 10-mile race for a piece of the $42,750 in prize money.

Kenyan runners and past Crim champions, Catherine Ndereba and John Korir will be among those at the start line on the 25th of August. Both have performed strongly this year, coming away champions of the Quad- City Times Bix 7 in Davenport, Iowa, as well as the Utica Boilermaker 15K in upstate New York. Ndereba has won the last three consecutive Crim's in addition to 1996 and has also been the Boston Marathon champion for the last two editions. She won the Chicago Marathon last year, with the fastest women's time in the world, 2:21:33. Korir has won the Crim in both 1998 and 1999, taking the 2000-year off, but returned in 2001 to win the Cherry Blossom 10- Mile in Washington, D.C. and the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta.

Another returning elite Crim favorite is Tatyana Pozdnyakova of the Ukraine. Pozdnyakova has been the reigning champion in the Women's Master Division for five consecutive Crim races and has won masters titles at the U.S. 10K Classic in Atlanta, Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis, Minn., Crescent City Classic 10K in New Orleans and Pittsburgh Marathon in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Here's the elite field for the 25th Crim.

MEN: John Korir, Enock Mitei, Gabriel Machuri, Gilbert Okari, Ronald Mogaka, Mitisunori Hirayama, Simon Karori, Simon Kasimili, Laban Kipkemgoi, Andrew Masai and Kyle Baker;

WOMEN: Catherine Ndereba, Jane Omoro, Gladys Asiba, Jane Ngotho, Ramilia Burangulova, Kayoko Obato and Tatyana Pozdnyakova

The 25th running of the Crim 10-Mile Race will begin at 8:00 a.m. on August 25. The Crim Festival of Races is a Running USA Founding Member.

The presenting sponsors of the 2001 Crim Festival of Races are: ACDelco, The Flint Journal, HealthPlus of Michigan, McLaren Health Care Corporation, Genesys Health System, Home Depot, Bank One, Citizens Bank, State Farm, WEYI-Channel 25, Coca-Cola