Courtesy: Running USA

After three course records were shattered in last year's edition, a strong field is set to threaten those marks in the 24th Annual America's Finest City Half Marathon on August 19.

The year-old women's record of 1:10:44, set by Christina Pomacu of Romania, will be in jeopardy when Margaret Okayo (Kenya) and Yuko Arimori (Japan) set off on the 13.1-mile course from the Cabrillo National Monument on Pt. Loma to the finish in Balboa Park. Okayo, the Rock 'n Roll Marathon champion the past two years, has a half marathon PR of 69:03 set in 2000. Challenging her will be Arimori who won the Olympic Marathon Silver Medal in 1992 (Barcelona) and Bronze Medal in 1996 (Atlanta).

Ramilya Burangulova (Russia), who just turned 40 this year, and U.S. runner Mary Knisely will both be going after the women's Masters record set last year by Marina Belyaeva (Russia) of 1:17:27. In 2000, Burangulova finished third in the open division at AFC in 1:13:45. Knisely set a U.S. single age record of 2:37:51 in the 2000 Chicago Marathon.

1999 AFC winner Simon Sawe (Kenya) and 1998 champion Jonathan Ndambuki (Kenya) will head the men's field. Challenging will be Andrew Musuva (Kenya), who has run the fourth fast time on the AFC course (1:03:01). Peter Githuka (Kenya) set the course record of 1:02:24 last year.

Antonio Villanueva (Mexico) has held the Master's record of 1:05:20 since setting it in 1982. At the time, it was a World Best. The closest time ever to Villanueva was Mike Manley's American Record 1:06:30 in the same race. Russia's Andrei Kuznetsov is a definite threat to erase this long-standing mark. Kuznetsov is the 1998 and 1999 Boston Marathon Master's Champion. He has a 2:14:12 marathon PR as a master. Other strong masters competitors will be U.S. runners Danny Reed of Laguna Beach with a half marathon PR of 1:04:04 and two time AFC Masters winner Jim Hage (1998 & 2000).

The America's Finest City Half Marathon will have a full field of 6,000 runners, as well as over 1,000 runners in the accompanying 5K run in Balboa Park. Over $11,000 in prize money and bonuses will be available to the top finishers.

The event benefits the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation, a private, non-profit cooperating association of the National Park Service. During its 23-year history, the America's Finest City Half Marathon has raised over $1.6 million for non-profit organizations.

The America's Finest City Half Marathon, a Running USA Founding Member, is produced by Neil Finn Sports Management, Inc.

The AFC Half Marathon Presenting Sponsor is Southwest Airlines. Gold Sponsors are The Home Depot, Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina and the Old Mission Beach Athletic Club.

For more information or to register for the 2001 AFC Half Marathon & 5K, please visit www.afchalf.com or call 858.792.2900.