Press Release - Los Angeles Marathon - 2/27/02

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                                                      Media contact: 
                                                      Laurence Dean Cohen
                                                      (310) 474-5116

      Prize Money for 2002 City of Los Angeles Marathon Announced 

LOS ANGELES - (February 27, 2002) - The 17th running of the City of Los 
Angeles Marathon presented by Honda on Sunday, March 3 will offer a new 
prize structure to assure that more elite athletes will finish in the money.
The prize package of $125,500 will extend to the top ten finishers, as 
opposed to the top six finishers of previous years. The 7th though 10th 
place finishers will be required to meet minimum times of 2:16:30 for Men 
and 2:39:00 for Women to receive full prize monies, which will be reduced 
by 50% if they do not meet the requirements. 

The race, which will take place on a new flatter course, is shaping up as a
"battle of the champions" led by 2001 winner Stephen Ndungu (Kenya) 
and 2000 winner Benson Mbithi (Kenya). Top Americans and Team USA Distance 
Running athletes are Peter De La Cerda (Team USA California) and Kelly 
Mortenson (Team USA Minnesota). 

For the women, local runner Sylvia Mosqueda who finished second at the 1987
race is one of the favorites. Mosqueda will face a formidable field 
including Constantina Dita and Aurica Buia of Romania, Lucia Subano of 
Kenya, Violetta Kryza of Poland, Tatiana Titova of Russia and masters star 
Tatyana Pozdnyakova of Ukraine. Olga Appell was the last American winner of
the L.A. Marathon (1994). 

Three hours of live race coverage will begin at 8:30am on KCAL 9 television.
The City of Los Angeles Marathon presented by Honda is sponsored by 
American Airlines, City of Angels Medical Center, The Gas Company, the Los 
Angeles Times, Saucony and Sparkletts. For updates on the elite field, visit
www.lamarathon.com 

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