Photo above: Start of the 2004 Sallie Mae 10K

On Sunday, April 17, thousands of runners and walkers will unite to help make college a reality for many D.C. public high school students. Sponsored by The Sallie Mae Fund, the 22nd annual Sallie Mae 10K, one of the region's most popular road races, will benefit programs that increase access for students seeking a post-secondary education.

The Sallie Mae 10K gets underway at 8 a.m. in West Potomac Park along the scenic Potomac River in Washington, D.C. The 6.2-mile foot race draws a competitive field of local and international runners, and offers something for everyone, from the elite runner to the easy-paced jogger. More than 2,000 individuals are expected to participate on race day.

In addition to the 10K race, this year's event will feature pre- race warm- up, a wheelchair race, a 2K Walk/Run and a post-race breakfast.

A prize purse of $13,600 will entice the area's best runners, open and masters, and wheelchair athletes, with cash being distributed among the age groups as well, beginning at 50 and above. The money will be distributed as follows:

Category	   Place  Prize
Open (men & women)    1	  $500
	              2	  $450
	              3	  $400
	              4	  $350
	              5	  $300
	              6	  $250
	              7	  $200
	              8   $150
	              9	  $100
	             10	  $50


Masters (men & women) 1	  $500
	              2	  $450
	              3	  $400
	              4	  $350
	              5	  $300
	              6	  $250
	              7	  $200
	              8	  $150
	              9	  $100
	             10	  $50


Age Groups (men & women)		
   50-54	      1	  $50
   55-59	      1	  $50
   60-64	      1	  $50
   65-69	      1	  $50
   70-74	      1	  $50
   75-79	      1	  $50
   80-84	      1	  $50
   85-89	      1	  $50


College		
Open (men & women)    1	  $100
	              2	  $50
Masters (men & women) 1	  $100
	              2	  $50


Wheelchair (men & women)		
	              1	  $200
	              2	  $100
	              3	  $50

To register or volunteer for the 2005 Sallie Mae 10K, please visit the race Web site or call the race hotline at (703) 533-4849. Due to U.S. Park Service regulations, there will be no runner registration on race day. Please register early!

The Sallie Mae 10K benefits the DC College Access Program (DC- CAP), which helps Washington, DC, metropolitan-area students gain access to higher education through assistance in planning and preparing for college, and providing "last dollar" scholarships to eligible students. Since 2000, the Sallie Mae 10K has raised more than $1 million to help DC-CAP send local students to college.

When DC-CAP began operations in 1999, less than 55 percent of the DC public high school freshmen were earning a high school diploma, and only one third were pursuing any type of post-secondary education. Today, 64 percent of DC public high school students are enrolling in college. By providing counseling and financial aid assistance for the thousands of students who might otherwise never have the chance to attend college, DC-CAP gives them a realistic opportunity.

The Sallie Mae Fund is a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae. The Fund achieves its mission--to increase access to a post-secondary education for America's students--by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can.