The 18th Annual Great Race Honors Agoura Running Star Deena Drosssin
AGOURA HILLS, Calif. - (March 17, 2003) - The Great Race of Agoura, a running festival featuring four races, a fitness and camp expo and an award winning finish line party, is naming its 5K race after former Agoura High School running standout, world record holder and Olympian Deena Drossin.

E-mail this page  Printer-friendly page

Posted Thursday, 20 March, 2003

Consisting of a 10K run, 5K run, 2K competitive run for 7-12 year olds and a 2K family fun run, the event takes place Saturday, March 22 at the Agoura High School Stadium in Agoura Hills.

Drossin, 30, who grew up running in The Great Race, set the women's 5K road world record (14:54) at the Carlsbad 5000 in April 2002. Last year, Drossin also set the U.S. 10,000 meter record (30:50.32) and just bettered her U.S. 15K record by 57 seconds on March 8 at the Gate River Run (47:15). While at Agoura High School, Drossin won five state titles, three in cross country and two in track and led her cross country team to a state title her senior year.
The ASICS-sponsored Drossin, 30, now resides in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., and runs for Team USA California.

"We are proud to name the 5K after Deena Drossin. Deena grew up in Agoura Hills, set records and won titles at Agoura High School and now owns the world record for the 5K," said Danny Greenberg, president of The Great Race of Agoura, Inc., the nonprofit corporation that organizes the event. "It is very fitting that The Great Race of Agoura bestow this recognition and tribute to Deena Drossin, a hometown favorite and one of the greatest runners of our day."

Drossin's parents, Paul and Heleana Drossin, will ride in the pace car during the 5K. Deena will be preparing for the upcoming World Cross Country Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland (last year she won a silver medal at the Worlds) and the April 13th Flora London Marathon.

All races end Olympic style in the Agoura High School stadium on the all-weather track. Medals are awarded to the top three finishers in 14 age groups for both the 5K & 10K and for the top five finishers in three age groups for the Kids 2K. The top male and female finisher of the 10K will take home a $1200 digital home theater surround sound audio system.

Schedule of Events for March 22
6:30am - Race day registration opens
7:30am - Deena Drossin 5K Run - A mostly flat course through residential streets
7:30am - Fitness & Camp Expo opens
8:15am - Kids Competitive 2K Run - For elementary school students ages 7-12
8:35am - Old Agoura 10K Run - A rolling course meandering through the scenic streets of Agoura Hills.
10:00am - Family Fun Run - The morning's largest event, and one of the largest in California, features runners and walkers of all ages on a 2K route. All kids 12 and under are awarded medals as they cross the finish line.

REGISTRATION
Go online to www.GreatRaceofAgoura.com and register online through March 17. Entry fee includes T-shirt, goodie bag, computerized chip timing and post race festivities. In-person registration and race packet pick up takes place from 12 noon - 7pm Thursday, March 20 and Friday, March 21 at The Renaissance Agoura Hills Hotel and on race day at Agoura High School Stadium starting at 6:30am.

FINISH LINE PARTY
Following the races is greater L.A.'s best finish line party, as voted by the readers of Los Angeles Sports and Fitness Magazine, billed "The Great Feast." At The Great Feast, runners can fuel up on free food and drink provided in part by local restaurants and national food companies such as BJ's Restaurant & Brewery, Dole Foods and Albertsons.

A crowd of approximately 4,000 is expected to attend.

The proceeds from the event benefit the six elementary schools of Agoura Hills and Oak Park as well as the running programs at both Agoura and Oak Park High Schools.

For more information, go to www.GreatRaceofAgoura.com or call (818) 313-2102.

# # #

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services
USATF Road Running Information Center
5522 Camino Cerralvo
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 696-6252
http://www.runningusa.org
http://www.usaldr.org

 E-mail this page
 Printer-friendly page