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More than 1,500 Women Participate in Third Annual Event

Kansas City, MO – October 1, 2000 - Cori Mooney, a 27-year-old stockbroker from Omaha, NE, captured the Avon Running-Kansas City title today with a winning time of 35:15. Mooney’s time is nearly 30 seconds better than her 1999 time, when she won the 10K with 35:42.

More than 1,500 women of every age and fitness level participated in this year’s Avon Running-Kansas City event, which included a 10K run (6.2 miles) and 5K walk/run (3.1 miles). The Avon Running Global Women’s Circuit is the only international series of its kind that provides women the opportunity to pursue elite racing, moderate running or simple fitness in unified events.

As the Avon Running-Kansas City champion, Mooney took home the $500 first prize and won an expense-paid trip to Phoenix, Ariz. for the Avon Running National Championship on December 10. The Boise, Idaho native started running in high school and ran throughout her college career at Boise State University.

Darla Moberly, Kearney, MO, finished second overall at 36:00, winning $250. Moberly, who celebrates her 37th birthday today, also finished second in 1998 and 1999. She is a stay-at-home mother of three who does substitute teaching and is a school volunteer, Deborah Torneden, Wichita, finished third with 36:24, winning $150. This is Torneden’s first appearance in the Kansas City event. She is also a stay-at-home mom.

Catriona Dowling, a 42-year-old from Boulder, CO, won $100 as the first place master (over age 40) in the 10K. Her time was 37:29. Karen Foley, Topeka, was the top Avon representative, finishing at 42:39. Both Dowling and Foley also won an expense-paid trip to the Avon Running National Championship.

"Through Avon Running, thousands of women in the Kansas City area and around the world are getting to the starting line of fitness and realizing their individual potential, said Elizabeth Phillips, program manager for Avon Running.

On behalf of the Avon Products Foundation, Phillips presented a check representing a portion of each entry to the Center for Women’s Health, the charitable beneficiary of this year’s Kansas City event. The Center for Women’s Health, part of Kansas City’s Saint Luke’s-Shawnee Mission Health System, is a resource center dedicated to promoting health and wellness for women throughout the region.

The Center for Women’s Health presents the Women’s Training Team, a recently completed eight-week program that blends education and training to help women prepare for Avon Running-Kansas City. This year, more than 600 area women enrolled in the Training Team, with approximately 300 Training Team members completing the Avon Running-Kansas City event.

During 2000, Avon Running events were scheduled in nine additional U.S. cities, including four new to the circuit:

Hartford, CT July 8

Portland, OR July 23

Minneapolis/St.Paul, MN August 12 (new)

Albuquerque, NM August 13 (new)

Baltimore, MD September 10

Kansas City, MO October 1

Cincinnati, OH October 15

Tampa, FL November 18 (new)

Phoenix, AZ * December 10 (new)

* The Phoenix event is also the Avon Running National Championship, in which winners from all preceding U.S. events will vie for the national title alongside women of every age and ability.

The Avon Running Global Women’s Circuit 2000 is building upon the program’s two-year success of spreading the word about health and fitness, particularly cardiovascular disease, to thousands of women worldwide. Through Avon Running, women learn about the benefits of a regular running and walking regimen, one of the most accessible and affordable forms of exercise for even the busiest women. The program includes both a 10K run and 5K walk/run to offer participation opportunities for the nearly 40 percent of the women in the Avon Running program who are beginners.

Studies show that regular running and walking can substantially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death among women, as well as significantly reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer and other diseases.

Additional information and race applications for Avon Running events are available by calling

(212) 282-5350 or on the Avon Running web site at www.avonrunning.com.

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