Many of the nation's elite masters runners will compete Sunday at the 2004 USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships in Saratoga Spa State Park in Saratoga Springs, New York. The Championships are held in conjunction with the Saratoga National Bank Open 5km Cross Country Classic.

Teams will consist of five to eight masters cross country runners, with the top three or five in each team scoring in their respective age groups.

Defending men's champions entered this year include 2003 USATF Masters Cross Country Athlete of the Year, Tom Dalton-M45 (Schenectady, N.Y.); Harry Nolan-M55 (Navesink, N.J.); Bill Borla-M60 (Torrington, Conn.); Thom Weddle-M65 (Minneapolis, Minn.); Bill Fortune-M75 (Pearl River, N.Y.); and Sab Kiobe-80 (Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.)

In women's competition the following 2003 champions are set to defend their titles: Catherine Stone-Borkowski-W40 (Ringwood, N.J.); Janice Morra-W45 (Piermont, N.Y.); Katherine Martin-W50 (Northport, N.Y.); and Barbara Spannuse-W55 (Minneapolis, Minn.).

Clubs expected to via for national team titles include: Adirondack AC (Adirondack, N.Y.), Club (Niagara, N.Y.), Liberty Athletic Club (New England, Mass.), Milrose AA (Metropolitan, N.Y.), Philadelphia Athletic Charities TC (Mid-Atlantic, Pa.), Syracuse Chargers Track Club (Niagara, N.Y.), Shawangunk Runners (Adirondack, N.Y.), Team Runners High (Southern California, Calif.).

For more information on the 2004 USA Masters 5 km Cross Country Championships, visit www.usatf.org