USA Track & Field Foundation announces 2009 Distance Project Grant recipients

INDIANAPOLIS - The USA Track & Field Foundation, running event organizations and generous fans have come together again to make possible a significant investment in USA distance running in 2009.

Thanks to support from the following sponsors, grants totaling $282,000 will be directed to the development of elite and "up and coming" American distance runners via the USA Distance Project:

New York Road Runners - Presenting Sponsor

Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. - Major Sponsor

Houston Marathon Foundation, Inc. - Major Sponsor

MarathonGuide.com - Major Sponsor

Individual Donors
Following a rigorous evaluation process, the following seven comprehensive post-collegiate training groups will receive grants in 2009:

Mammoth Track Club, Mammoth Lakes, CA

Marathon Performance Group, Eugene, OR

McMillan Elite, Flagstaff, AZ

Team Indiana Elite, Bloomington, IN

Team USA Minnesota, Minneapolis,

MNTempo Sports, Boulder, CO

ZAP Fitness, Blowing Rock, NC

These group distance centers collectively qualified 60 athletes for last year's USA Olympic Team Trials.

"There is universal agreement that group training centers like these have fueled the surge in USA distance running performance," said Jack Wickens, USATF Foundation Board member. "The USATF Foundation considers it critical that we continue to support them, so our country's top young distance runners can pursue their dreams and inspire America's youth."

The Distance Project will also award grants to individual athletes later in the year.

For more information, or to contribute to the Distance Project, please visit the USA Track & Field Foundation website at www.usatffoundation.org.

Tags: 2009 Distance Project Grant, USA Track and Field