NEW YORK, NY - Olympians Jen Rhines, Carrie Tollefson and Amy Rudolph are joining the field of top Americans set to run the USA Women's 8K Championships hosted by New York Road Runners on Saturday, March 26.

Mary Wittenberg, New York Road Runners executive vice president and chief operating officer, made the announcement on Wednesday.

Like the USA Men's 8K Championships being hosted by NYRR on the same day, the race features a $20,000 prize purse and will start and finish in the new Icahn Track and Field Stadium on Manhattan's Randall's Island. Rhines, Tollefson, and Rudolph will toe the line with Deena Kastor, the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon, whose entry was announced in February. Also announced on Wednesday was Tollefson's Team USA Minnesota teammate and 2005 USA World Cross Country team member, Katie McGregor.

"These women truly exemplify the kind of top talent we have in American distance running today," said Wittenberg. "We are excited to have them coming to New York for our first-year hosting of the USA Women's 8K Championships."

Rhines, 30, of Ardmore, Pa., was a 2004 Olympian in the marathon after running an 11-minute personal best to finish third at the 2004 U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon Trials (2:29:57). The Team Running USA athlete was runner-up at the 2005 USA Cross Country Championships women's 8K last month.

Tollefson, 28, of Minneapolis, Minn., was the 2004 U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials winner at 1500 meters, claiming her first national title as well as a spot on the 2004 Olympic team. A five-time NCAA champion at Villanova University, Tollefson has continued to reign as one of America's best track runners, and she will make her 2005 racing debut at the national championship.

Rudolph, 31, of Providence, R.I., has competed on two Olympic teams (1996 and 2000), twice won both the U.S. Indoor Championships 3000 meters and USA Cross Country Championships, and was the 1998-99 USA Women's 8K champion. Rudolph was national runner-up in at time of 8:57.42 at the 2005 U.S. Indoor 3000 meters last month.