Men's Champion Returns to Defend Carlsbad 5000 Title

Carlsbad, CA – April 2, 2009 – The Carlsbad 5000, home of the current 5k World Records, has announced the professional field for the elite invitational on Sunday, April 5.  Defending men’s champion Maregu Zewdie of Ethiopia will attempt to win back-to-back titles after a thrilling finish in last year’s race, in which only two seconds separated the top five finishing times.  Zewdie, owner of two team Gold Medals from the World Cross Country Championships, will be challenged by a group of American runners led by Californian Scott Bauhs.

Bauhs, a two-time National Champion and a participant in last summer’s U.S. Olympic Trials, won his pro racing debut at the Synaptics Elite Athlete 5-K in San Jose with an unofficial time of 13:37, the fastest for an American on the roads last year. He also finished sixth at the 2007 Rock ‘n’ Roll San Jose half-marathon in 1:03:04, the top U.S. finisher in the race by over a minute.

“To say I'm fired up aboutrunning Carlsbad would be an understatement,” said Bauhs, who will wear an Adidas uniform for the first time at Carlsbad. “My training partners will tell you that I won't quit talking about the event and I got even more excited when I found out who was running. Between the blazing fast Ethiopians, ‘Fam’ (Anthony Famiglietti) and the Aussies, it is going to be a great race and a perfect way to start the season.”

The men's field features two Carlsbad champions including 2006 winner Abreham Cherkos of Ethiopia. Cherkos, the former world junior champion over 3000m, finished 5th in the Olympic 5000m final at Beijing last summer and owns a PR of 12:54 for the distance.  Fellow Ethiopian Ali Abdosh comes to Carlsbad with PR of 13:01:44 and a successful 2008 season, including a 5000m victory at the Adidas Track Classic.  Also expected to contend for the title is Shedrack Korir of Kenya, the 2007 world championship 1500m bronze medalist in Osaka. He has a PR of 13:09 over 5000m and was the 2006 Kenyan national 1500m champion.

The non-African international challenge will likely be led by former University of Arkansas star Alistair Cragg of Ireland. At the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Cragg competed in the 1500m and 5000m track events, his second Olympic 5000m final.

Australian Collis Birmingham comes to Carlsbad having set a 5000m PR of 13:16 in Melbourne earlier this year, which is the world’s fastest outdoor time in 2009. These athletes join previously announced U.S. Olympians Anthony Famiglietti and triathlete Jarrod Shoemaker in the stellar lineup of runners including 8 Americans.

The women’s field for Carlsbad is equally impressive. The international competition challenging U.S. Olympians Christin Wurth-Thomas and Shannon Rowbury will be led by Aheza Kiros of Ethiopia. Kiros was part of the Ethiopian national team who went to the 2007 World Championships in Osaka. She has a PR of 15:09 for 5000m and finished 3rd at Carlsbad in 2007.

U.S. 10,000m Champion Katie McGregor looks to be in good form after recently finishing second at the USA 15k Championships. A five-time qualifier for the U.S. World Cross Country team, McGregor is a national champion in the 25k, 10k road and 10,000m. She spent the second half of 2008 training for the ING New York City Marathon, recording a top-10 finish and personal best time of 2:31:14.  Marisol Romero, the Mexican national champion over 1500m, rounds out the favorites in the international field.

The complete field of international athletes will be introduced at a local media briefing at Pizza Port in Carlsbad on Friday, April 3 at 2:00 pm. To view the full start lists, visit www.carlsbad5000.com.

 2009 CARLSBAD 5000 ELITE ATHLETES

Men
Bib #     NAME    COUNTRY
1          MAREGU ZEWDIE, ETHIOPIA
2          ANTHONY FAMIGLIETTI, USA
3          ABREHAM CHERKOS, ETHIOPIA
4          SHEDRACK KORIR, KENYA
5          COLLIS BIRMINGHAM, AUSTRALIA
6          ALI ABDOSH, ETHIOPIA
7          ALISTAIR CRAGG, IRELAND
8          IBRAHIM JEILEN, ETHIOPIA
10        DABA BEKANA, ETHIOPIA
11        BEN ST LAWRENCE, AUSTRALIA
12        HARON LAGAT, KENYA
13        MATT GABRIELSON, USA
14        YOUCEF ABDI, AUSTRALIA
15        SCOTT BAUHS, USA
16        STEPHEN PIFER, USA
17        MIKE AISH, NEW ZEALAND
18        SETH SUMMERSIDE, USA
19        PAUL HOFFMAN, AUSTRALIA
20        JARROD SHOEMAKER, USA
21        SCOTT SIMPSON, CANADA
22        KRISTOPHER HOUGHTON, USA
23        JESSE ARMIJO, USA

Women
F1        SHANNON ROWBURY, USA
F2        AHEZA KIROS, ETHIOPIA
F3        LARA TAMSETT, AUSTRALIA
F4        KATIE MCGREGOR, USA
F5        MALINDI ELMORE, CANADA
F6        CHRISTEN WURTH-THOMAS, USA
F7        JANE KIBII, KENYA
F8        MARISOL ROMERO, MEXICO
F9        LISA BLOMME, SWEDEN
F10      DIANE NUKURI, BURUNDI
F11      NICOLE AISH, USA
F12      DARCIA PERKINS, USA
F13      VIVIAN WADECK, USA
F14      CARRE JOYCE, USA
F15      LAUREN JOHNSON, USA

About The Carlsbad 5000
Known as the World's Fastest 5K, the Carlsbad 5000 attracts amateur, competitive and professional runners from around the world. The event is home to 16 world records, 8 American records and 11 world wheelchair bests. Race day begins at 7:05am with the Masters Men 40 and over, the first of nine races that will take place throughout the morning.

The invitational event, featuring the world's fastest professional athletes, begins at 12:15pm. The Carlsbad 5000 is home to the current world 5K road records: 13:00, Sammy Kipketer (KEN), 2000 & 2001, and 14:46, Meseret Defar (ETH), 2006.

Saturday, April 4 will mark the 20th Anniversary of the Junior Carlsbad, a running event for kids 12 and under. Eleven kids’ races run throughout the morning crossing the same finish line as the professional field on Sunday. Registration is available on race day. To view the full race weekend schedule, visit www.Carlsbad5000.com or www.juniorcarlsbad.com.Invitational Field Announced for World's Fastest 5K