Elena Paramorova, 39, of Rockville, Maryland captured the 5K title at the fourth annual Avon Walking & Running - Baltimore Race held today at Baltimore Inner Harbor's Rash Field. The annual health and fitness event attracted 1,200 female runners and walkers and raised over $5,000 to aid in combating heart disease in women. Paramorova completed the 5K run with a time of 16:38 and took home the $500 first prize. Misti Demko, 33, of Pennsylvania, took second with a time of 16:57, winning $250 and an expense paid trip to Phoenix, AZ to compete in the Avon Running National Championship on Dec. 9, 2001.

Naoko Ishibi, 32, of Silver Spring, Maryland, finished third with a time of 16:59 winning $150. Lee DiPietro, 43, of Ruxton, Maryland won $100 as the top Master finisher. Judy Walls, 43, of South Carolina, was the winner of the Avon Representative division. Both DiPietro and Walls also won an expense-paid trip to the Avon Running National Championship. Evelyn Tripp, 85, of South Carolina, was recognized as the oldest participant after finishing the race with a time of 43:25.

The beneficiaries of the event extend far beyond the hundreds of women who participated. A portion of every entry fee was donated to University of Maryland Heart Center, a leading comprehensive heart center known for its expertise in the diagnosis and management of complex heart disease. In addition, a portion of the event proceeds also was donated to the Baltimore Road Runners Club, a local running organization.

"We are grateful to the Avon Walking & Running program for the work they have done and the money they have raised toward cardiac care," said C. William Balke, Chief of Cardiology at the University of Maryland. "It is nice to be involved with a program that really understands the issues that we face every day. Cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer of all Americans and it is truly a pleasure to see companies like Avon Products working to stop it."

"I am so excited to be a part of this program. It's certainly quite a thrill to see women of so many ages, sizes, and fitness levels here this morning, all doing their best to meet their fitness goals and help combat heart disease," said Avon Representative division winner, Judy Walls.

The course found participants traveling in and around Baltimore's scenic and historic Inner Harbor and through Federal Hill and Locust Point. After the race, participants had the opportunity to experience the Avon Wellness Village, a unique traveling village, offering health information and beauty treatments designed to revitalize one's sense of self - body, mind, and soul. Participants received manicures, body massages, shoe/foot evaluations, blood pressure checks, and fitness demonstrations.

RYKA, the only premier athletic shoes exclusively for women, is the official footwear of the Avon Walking & Running program in the U.S. Avon Walking & Running - Baltimore appreciates the support it received from its local sponsors: Patuxent Publishing Company, WMMX-FM, and University of Maryland Heart Center.

For more information or posted race results and photographs, visit the Avon Walking & Running Web site or the Washington Running Report Race Results.