The ninth annual Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K presented by POWERade will host the USA 10K Men's Championships the Sports Backers announced today, drawing a highly competitive field who will vie for national championship honors and an overall purse of $25,000.

"Having the USA 10K Men's Championships as part of the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K puts our community celebration on a national stage in an Olympic year," says Jon Lugbill, Sports Backers executive director. "Runners from across the country will see firsthand what a fun and festive day we have here in Richmond."

The men's national championship field will start at the head of the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K field. Only natural born or naturalized American citizens are eligible for the national championship so the winner of the men's race will claim the $7,500 first prize. The national championship runners will also be running against the AT&T Dash for the Cash contestant, giving them a chance to win an additional $2,500 for a total of $10,000.

"It's a beautiful area and I think the 10K championship will be a great event for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K," said Dan Browne, a two-time Olympian and world class distance runner who was stationed at Fort Lee in 1997 and 2006 while in the Army. Browne has committed to entering the USA 10K Men's Championships and will be one of the athletes to watch.

"We welcome the addition of the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K to our USA Men's Championship circuit," said Glenn Latimer, of USA Track and Field. "In an Olympic year, this is a chance for our top distance runners to race on the roads in a quality event, before their focus turns to track racing."

The women's field will not feature a national championship competition. First prize for the women's race remains at $2,000 as in past years and is available to both Americans and foreign nationals.

With registration already underway at a brisk clip, Lugbill urges those who have not yet registered for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K to sign up before the price increase. The registration fee for the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K is $25 through Thursday, January 31. The First Market Mile Kids Run costs $10 through January 31. The fee for both events increases $5 beginning February 1. Registration is available at www.sportsbackers.org Anyone wishing to mail in their registration for either event may download an entry form off the Web site or pick one up at any Ukrop's Super Market.

In addition to Browne, who raced in the 2004 Olympics in the 10,000 meters (a track event) and the marathon (a road event), other notable American distance runners who may compete include Abdi Abdirahman and Ryan Hall, who has already qualified for the US Olympic Team in the marathon.

Hosted by the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K
The USA 10K Men's Championship prize list:

Place         Cash Award
1st place     $7,500
2nd place     $4,000
3rd place     $3,000
4th place     $2,500
5th place     $2,000
6th place     $1,500
7th place     $1,250
8th place     $1,000
9th place       $750
10th place      $500
11th place      $500
12th place      $500

Winners of last year's USA 10K Men's Championship:

 Pl  Name		  Age	Hometown		Time
 1   Abdi Abdirahman 	  30	Tucson, AZ         	28:12
 2   Ryan Hall  	  24 	Mammoth Lakes, CA   	28:35
 3   Ed Moran  		  25 	Williamsburg, VA    	28:52
 4   Jason Lehmkuhle 	  29 	Minneapolis, MN     	28:54
 5   Brian E Sell	  29	Rochester Hills, MI	28:58
 6   Josh Moen		  25	Readlyn, IA		28:59 
 7   Justin Young	  27	Louisville, CO		29:18 
 8   Patrick T Gildea	  27	Knoxville, TN		29:21
 9   Mbarak Hussein	  42 	Albuquerque, NM		29:22
10   Celedonio Rodriguez  26	Santa Rosa, CA		29:23