It seems that the 2004 RRCA Roads Scholar class is already making great strides in elite professional running. This year's female recipients, twins Kate and Laura O'Neill (New Haven, CT), competed in the Tufts Health Plan 10K held in Boston on Columbus Day. This race also served as the USA Track & Field Women's 10K National Championship. More than 5,000 women competed in this race, including many of the fastest female distance runners across the country. Kate and Laura O'Neill easily proved that they are among the top in this sport by finishing 2nd and 4th, respectively. Kate finished the 10K course in 33:02, only 28 seconds behind champion Elva Dryer (a member of the 2000 Olympic Team for the 5000 meters). Laura was not far behind, finishing only 19 seconds behind her sister in 33:21. This race was only their fourth post-collegiate race, and their first after finalizing a contract with Nike. The AARC/RRCA is proud to be a sponsor of these two ladies. See photos and results of the event.

Another 2004 AARC/RRCA Roads Scholar, Adam Wallace (Madison, WI), competed in the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon October 12, turning in an outstanding performance as a rising elite runner. His time of 2:22:22 over the 26.2 mile course narrowly missed the Men's Olympic Trial "B" qualifier (2:22:00). At 23, Wallace has shown extreme potential for improvement in his future professional running career.