Courtesy: Running USA

This Saturday, August 18, another strong U.S. contingent will compete at the USA Half-Marathon Championship hosted by Parkersburg. 2000 Olympic marathoner Rod DeHaven returns to defend his title against a top U.S. field including 2001 USA 25K champion Chad Johnson, Dan Browne, Mike Donnelly, Todd Reeser and Clint Verran. For the women, 2001 USA 25K champion Milena Glusac, Sylvia Mosqueda, Susannah Beck and Kim Pawelek are the top entrants.

In addition to U.S. titles and over $36,000 in championship prize money, the top five men and top three women earn automatic berths on the USA team for the 10th IAAF World Half-Marathon Championships in Bristol, England on October 7.

"We celebrate our 15th anniversary of the Parkersburg Half- Marathon and it should be one of the best ever. With our deepest U.S. fields ever and national titles up for grabs, we are looking forward to a very competitive and exciting race," said Louie Haer, Race Director. It will be the twelfth consecutive year that Parkersburg has hosted the USA Men's Championship and its fourth straight year hosting the Women's Championship.

Last year, 2000 Olympians DeHaven and Libbie Hickman won the U.S. titles in 1:03:06 and 1:11:01 respectively; both set U.S. course records (Hickman's time was also an overall course record). Hickman will not defend her title because she is pregnant.

As a three-time USA Half-Marathon champion at Parkersburg, DeHaven, 34, from Madison, Wisc. knows the course intimately and will be tough to beat. In April, the 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion finished 6th (2:12:41) at the Boston Marathon (the best U.S. male finish since 1994). On July 4, the two-time USA Running Circuit Grand Prix Champion (1998 and 2000) finished 3rd (23:21) at the Fifth Season 8K.

The top U.S. men expected to challenge DeHaven include:

1) Chad Johnson, 25, (Rochester Hills, MI), 2001 USA 25K champion (River Bank Run), 11th USA 5000m Championships (13:41.98, PR) and 11th USA 12K Cross Country Championships; Hansons Running Shop Team USA Michigan member

2) Dan Browne, 26, (Lafayette, CO), 2001 third USA 4K Cross Country Championships and 13th Falmouth Road Race 7.1 Mile (top American); 2000 USA 15K champion (Gate River); in 1998, won five USA titles (5K, 10K, 10,000m, 3000m indoor and 4K cross country)

3) Peter DeLaCerda, 29, (Alamosa, CO), 2001 USA 25K Championships national runner-up (River Bank Run); 2nd 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials (2:16:18, PR); 4th at 1999 Parkersburg (1:04:35) and second at 1998 Parkersburg (1:04:48)

4) Mike Donnelly, 26, (Providence, RI), 2001 3rd USA 25K Championships (River Bank Run), 4th USA 15K Championships (Gate River Run) and 10th USA 12K Cross Country Championships; current USARC standings leader (17 points)

5) Todd Reeser, 27, (Canandaigua, NY), 2000 USA 20K champion (New Haven), USA Half-Marathon national runner-up (Parkersburg) and Great Cow Harbor 10K winner; Team Brownstone USA member

At Parkersburg, other top American men include Jeff Campbell (Rochester Hills, MI), 8th last year at Parkersburg; Keith Dowling (Reston, VA); Phillimon Hanneck (Clackamas, OR), 1999 USA 10K/20K champion; Jason Hubbard (Rochester Hills, MI); Jim Jurcevich (Rochester Hills, MI), 6th 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials 10,000m; Scott Larson (Boulder, CO), 2nd 1999 Parkersburg; Jerry Lawson (Boulder, CO), former U.S. marathon record holder (2:09:35, LaSalle Banks Chicago); John Sence (Cincinnati, OH), 1997 USARC champion and 1997-98 USA 25K champion; Steve Schell (Rochester Hills, MI) and Clint Verran (Rochester Hills, MI), 4th last year at Parkersburg and top American (17th) at 2000 World Championships Half-Marathon.

In the women's national championship race, there are several contenders for the U.S. title including Sylvia Mosqueda, 35, of Los Angeles, Calif. Last year, she pushed Libbie Hickman to a course record and her second place performance (1:11:20) was also better than the previous record. This year, Mosqueda has finished second at the USA 15K Championships (Gate River), third at the USA 5K Championships (Freihofer's), third at the USA 10,000m Championships (32:25.22) and 7th atQuad-City Times Bix 7 Mile (top American). The 1988 NCAA 10,000m champion is also tied for second in the USARC standings with Milena Glusac; both have 22 points.

Mosqueda's main competition should come from:

1) Milena Glusac, 25, (Fallbrook, CA), 2001 USA 25K champion (River Bank Run) and 4th USA 15K Championship (Gate River); 10th 2000 World Half- Marathon Championships (top American); Team USA California member; 2000 RRCA Roads Scholar

2) Kim Pawelek, 27, (Jacksonville Beach, FL), 2001 Walt Disney World Half-Marathon winner and Naples Half-Marathon runner-up (2000 winner); 1999 USA marathon champion (Twin Cities), 2nd USA Running Circuit Grand Prix and Roads Scholar recipient

3) Susannah Beck, 33, (Eugene, OR), 2001 USA 8K Championship runner-up (Carolina) and 15th Boston Marathon (2:37:12); 4th 2000 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and 6th at Parkersburg; 1998 USA 12K champion; 1996 RRCA Roads Scholar

Other U.S. women include Laura Baker (Dorchester, MA); Heather Burroughs (Boulder, CO); Kelly Cordell (San Luis Obispo, CA), last year 3rd at Parkersburg; Misti Demko (Hershey, PA); Kelly Keane (Winchester, MA), last year 7th at Parkersburg; Julia Kirtland (Harpswell, ME), 1997 U.S. marathon champion and Nadia Prasad (Boulder, CO), 1995 City of Los Angeles Marathon winner (2:29:48).

The total prize purse equals $52,050. The top ten U.S. men and women will be competing for $36,950 national championship money ($6000, $4000, $3000, $1500, $1200, $850, $700, $500, $400 and $325). The 15th annual Parkersburg Half-Marathon is also part of the Men and Women's USA Running Circuit (USARC) and the top ten finishers will earn important Circuit points.

Highlights of the USA Men and Women's Half-Marathon Championships from Parkersburg, West Virginia will be aired via tape delay on FOX Sports Net 1:30-2:00 p.m. EST Sunday, August 19; 9:30-10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 25 and 10:30-11:00 a.m. Sunday, August 26.