MOBILE, AL - America's best are again coming to Mobile. Food World Senior Bowl Charity Run officials have announced the elite field set to race on Saturday, November 5 in downtown Mobile. Over 40 of America's best distance runners will be taking part in the event, which will also serve as the USA Men's 10K Championship for the sixth straight year.

This year's outstanding men's field will be led by a trio of United States Olympians - Gabe Jennings, Jonathon Riley and Dathan Ritzenhein - while the women's field will feature 2004 U.S. Olympian Kate O'Neill, the 2005 USA 10,000 meter and 10K national champion Katie McGregor, defending Charity Run champ Collette Liss and rising stars Alicia Craig, Missy Buttry and Laura O'Neill of Team Running USA.

Considered by many America's best young distance runner, Ritzenhein, 22, earned a spot on 2004 U.S. Olympic at 10,000 meters. He has enjoyed a solid 2005 racing season, which includes a victory at the USA 12K Cross Country Championship. A former NCAA champion from the University of Colorado, he is also the current American collegiate 10K record holder with a time of 27:38.50.

Jennings, 26, won the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials 1500 meter with a time of 3:35.90, and is currently making the transition to longer distances. The Team Running USA athlete is also a former multiple NCAA 1500 meter champion from Stanford University.

Riley, 26, was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team at 5000 meters. A three-time USA 3000 meter indoor national champion (2003-05), he was also the 2001 NCAA 5000m champion while at Stanford University.

The U.S. men will be competing for a $30,000 national championship prize purse with the national champion taking home $10,000. The event is also the season finale for the USA Running Circuit, a USATF road racing series featuring national championships from 5K to the marathon, and the final grand prix positions will be decided after Mobile.

Other top U.S. men expected in Mobile include Brian Sell, the 2005 USA 25K champion who is currently ranked as the number two U.S. road runner by Running Times magazine; Trent Briney, a member of the 2005 U.S. World Marathon team and fourth place finisher at the 2004 Olympic Marathon Trials; 2004 U.S. Olympic Trials finalists Matt Gonzales, Chad Johnson, Jason Hubbard, Brandon Leslie, Ray Hughes, Matt Tegenkamp and Clint Verran, who finished fifth at the 2004 marathon trials.

Joining America's premier distance runners will be nearly 5,000 other runners from throughout the Gulf Coast who will be participating in the Charity Run's 10K and One-Mile Fun Run races.

Since its inception in 1989, the Charity Run has also made contributions to charities along the Gulf Coast which have exceeded $2.8 million, with last year's event raising a one-year record $208,000 which was donated to 16 different Gulf Coast charities.

2005 Food World Senior Bowl Charity Run Elite Field

MEN
Trent Briney, MI
Ben Bruce, CA
Fernando Cabada, VA
Ian Connor, NC
Joe Eby, OH
Matt Folk, OH
Matt Gonzales, NM
Jason Hubbard, CO
Ray Hughes, OR
Gabe Jennings, CA
Chad Johnson, MI
Paul Kezes, OR
Kyle King, NC
Brandon Leslie, NM
Josh Moen, MI
Mike Morgan, MI
Kyle O'Brien, MI
Jonathon Riley, CA
Dathan Ritzenhein, CO
Marty Rosendahl, MI
Chris Seaton, NC
Brian Sell, MI
Matt Tegenkamp, WI
Clint Verran, MI

WOMEN
Missy Buttry, IA
Melissa Cook, TX
Jenny Crain, WI
Alicia Craig, CA
Collette Liss, IN
Katie McGregor, MN
Kate O'Neill, MA
Laura O'Neill, MA
Laura Turner, WA