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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

IMPRESSIVE ELITE FIELD SHAPES UP FOR 2004 PAPA JOHN’S 10 MILER / USA MEN’S TEN MILE CHAMPIONSHIP

Chris Graff, Dan Browne, Matt Thull and Other Top US Athletes to Compete

Louisville, Kentucky (March 24, 2004) – The 2004 Papa John’s 10 Miler, host of the USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship, has an impressive field of elite athletes committed to compete in the race on Saturday, April 10 in Louisville, Kentucky. To date, at least 23 of the Top 100 ranked US Men1 have committed to compete in the Championship, including:

#3 Chris Graff, Winner 2003 Papa John’s 10 Miler/USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship, 3rd 2004 USA Men’s 15K Championship
#4 Dan Browne, 3rd Qualifier, 2004 US Olympic Marathon Team
#9 Matt Thull, 3rd Place 2003 Papa John’s 10 Miler/USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship
#10 Trent Briney, 4th 2004 US Olympic Team Trials-Men’s Marathon, Hanson’s Olympic Development Program
#11 Josh Cox, 7th 2004 US Olympic Team Trials-Men’s Marathon
#12 Clint Verran, 5th 2004 US Olympic Team Trials-Men’s Marathon, Hanson’s Olympic Development Program
#17 Teren Jameson
#18 Henry Dennis, 9th Place, 2003 Papa John’s 10 Miler/USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship
#20 Pete Gilmore, 9th 2004 US Olympic Team Trials-Men’s Marathon
#22 Keith Dowling, 6th Place, 2003 Papa John’s 10 Miler/USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship, 11th 2004 US Olympic Team Trials-Men’s Marathon
#25 Brian Sell, Hanson’s Olympic Development Program
#26 Scott Strand, 2nd Place 2003 Papa John’s 10 Miler/USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship
#35 Kevin Collins
#40 Carl Rundell, Hanson’s Olympic Development Program
#43 Ryan Shay
#50 Kevin Doyle, Hanson’s Olympic Development Program
#53 Teddy Mitchell
#56 Christopher England
#61 Ben Rosario, Hanson’s Olympic Development Program
#84 Aaron Carrizales
#92 James McGown
#95 Paul AufdemBerge
#98 Chris Lundstrom

2004 marks the second year the Papa John’s 10 Miler was awarded the bid to host the Championship event. In its support of US distance running and the Championship, the 2004 Papa John’s 10 Miler will offer more than $26,000 in prize money to the top 15 US male athletes with the Championship winner receiving $10,000.

“We’re very pleased to again have such an impressive field of elite athletes coming to Louisville for the Papa John’s 10 Miler,” said Karen Sherman, Race Director. “The runners, walkers and community in general are excited to host the athletes in Louisville. With last year’s course record set at 47:09, we’re looking forward to seeing another great race all the way to the finish line.”

Papa John’s began sponsoring the now final leg of the Louisville Triple Crown of RunningSM presented by Novo Nordisk in 2001. In the last three years the race has grown to be the nation’s sixth largest ten-mile competition (per Running USA’s 2002 road race rankings). Race officials expect close to 5,500 runners for the Fourth Annual Papa John’s 10 Miler/USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship.

The Papa John’s 10 Miler/USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship is part of the 2004 USA Running Circuit, a USA Track & Field road racing series featuring USA Championships from 5K to the marathon. The 2004 USARC offers a record of $818,700 in guaranteed prize money with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6000, $4000 and $2500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall.

At each USARC race, the first ten US runners earn points (15 points for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1), and Circuit points will be doubled at the USA Marathon Championships.

Sponsors of the 2004 Papa John’s 10 Miler/USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship include adidas America, Fleet Feet Sports, Panera Bread, Wild Oats Natural Marketplace, Heine Brothers Coffee, Delta Air Lines – the Official Airline, Hilton Garden Inn Louisville Airport – the Official Hotel, Cox Radio, YMCA of Greater Louisville, Thrifty Car Rental and Sales, Waste Management, Jewish Hospital Health Network/Frazier Rehab Institute, Nextel, Zip Express, Louisville Water Company, Kentuckiana HealthFitness, WHAS-11 TV and 84 WHAS Radio. Net race proceeds benefit the WHAS Crusade for Children.

How to register for the Papa John’s 10 Miler/USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship: The Papa John’s 10 Miler is open to all runners and walkers who can complete the course in less than 3 hours. You may register online by visiting www.papajohns10miler.com. Online registration is open until midnight ET on April 3, 2004. To request a brochure, please email papajohns10miler@papajohns.com. Registration is $18 for early registration (postmarked by March 29, 2004 for mail-in entries), $25 for late registration (from March 29 through April 9 on a walk-in basis to Fleet Feet Sports Louisville) and $40 race day registration. Online and mail-in registrations require male athletes wishing to compete in the 2004 USA Men’s Ten Mile Championship to provide a valid USATF member number. Please visit www.papajohns10miler.com for additional race information.