World Championship Bronze Medallist Sees Event as "A Way to Give Back for the Opportunities I've Enjoyed"

"Dream big," is the message that Rich Kenah would like to bring to both kids and adults when he takes up the starting gun at the MCRRC Firebirds' Mile on Thursday, April 24, at Gaithersburg High School.

"I was able to fulfill my dream because of opportunities to run like this one," Kenah said, in announcing today that he had accepted an invitation by Firebirds Youth Athletic Club and the Montgomery County Road Runners Club to be Honorary Starter for the race. "Now I hope to help bring those same kinds of opportunities to kids and adults."

Kenah said his interest in giving something back to the community stems from his Olympic experience. "When I marched into the Olympic Stadium in Sydney wearing the colors of the American flag in 2000, I thought about those days when I was a kid and dreamed of being part of the Olympics," he said. "I thought, 'It is possible. It is possible to make your dream a reality.' That's the lesson I would like to share with others."

Now that he has officially retired from the international track circuit, the former World Championship bronze medallist said that fulfilling a life-long dream may be even tougher than they can imagine -- but that it is worth the effort in the end. "Although I worked hard to be an Olympic runner, I didn't make it in 1992 or 1996 -- but I never gave up," he noted. "I was thirty years old when I took second place in the US Olympic Trials and finally made the team. If I had given up when I didn't make it the first or second time, I would never have fulfilled my lifetime dream."

"Now," he adds, "I am living proof that if you don't give up, anything can be achieved--on or off the track."

Gene Neal, Head Coach and Founder of the Firebirds Athletic Club, said he was very pleased to learn that Kenah would be the starter for the race. "Rich Kenah is an excellent role model for kids and adults," he said. "He represents exactly what both the Montgomery County Road Runners Club and The Firebirds Youth Track Clubs are about. He understands what it means to reach your potential. Whether you're a kid who dreams of being in the Olympics someday, a high school or college champion, or a recreational runner hoping to break 10 minutes -- the MCRRC Firebirds' Mile is about doing what it takes to strive for a dream, whatever that dream is."

Marty Horan, Vice President of the Montgomery County Road Runners Club and one of the event organizers, said the race will be broken up into 8 heats. The first heat will be for runners who expect to run the four laps around the track in times greater than 9 minutes. The final race of the night will be a championship event for those with expected finish times of 4:50 or less.

"Although we're expecting some very fast milers to show up at the race, fast times are not what this race is about," Horan noted. "The MCRRC Firebirds' Mile is expected to bring together runners of every age. The oldest runner expected is 84-year-old Gaithersburg resident, Alvin Guttag. We'll also have many runners who are 10 years of age or younger -- and all ages in between. The common bond of all these runners will be that they will have a chance to pursue their personal best."

In addition to the mile races, fun runs of 1/4 and 1/2 mile will begin at 6:45 p.m. at the Gaithersburg High School track. The first mile heat will begin at 7:00 p.m. Entry is free to Montgomery County Road Runners and Firebirds Athletic Club members, $5 for non-members. Register race day only.

Background

About Rich Kenah
Rich Kenah, a native of Montclair, NJ, is currently Director of Marketing for Global Athletics & Marketing, Inc. He lives with his wife, Cheri -- also a world-class middle-distance runner - in Reston, VA. Rich met Cheri (maiden name Goddard) in 1997, the same year he won the world championship and the year he set a blisteringly fast personal record of 1:43.43 in the 800 meters. Although he retired several years ago from track races, he is still involved in the sports of track and field and road racing. Best known for his stellar achievement at 800 meters, he has also tried other distances--including running the 2001 NYC Marathon "because it was there."

About Montgomery County Road Runners
The Montgomery County Road Runners Club is one of the most active local running clubs in the nation, with more than 3,600 members from throughout the Washington, DC, area. Known for its low-key but high-quality club races, training runs, special events and other activities, MCRRC offers programs for all runners, from newcomers to experienced. For further information, visit www.MCRRC.org or call 301-353-0200.

About the Firebirds Track Club
Gene Neal founded the Firebirds Athletic Club in 1981 as a youth football and track club. Although the football portion of the club has since branched off to become the South Germantown Athletic Club, today the volunteer, non-profit organization has over 120 members. The Firebirds sponsor events throughout the year, including the Firebirds Run-a-thon, which raises approximately $1,000 yearly for Children's Hospital of Washington, DC.