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On October 1, Edmontonians will have the rare opportunity to watch the world's best half marathon runners vie for the 2005 World Champion title in the 14th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. The 21.1 km course starts and ends in Hawrelak Park. The men's race starts at 11:30 am and the women race at 1:00 pm.

The day's activities will also feature two Alberta Centennial events: the Mizuno Centennial 10K Open Road Race, which is expected to attract about 400 competitors of all abilities, and the Mizuno Alberta Centennial Schools Relay attracting nearly 750 school-aged children from across the province. Both races will take place immediately prior to the World Half Marathon Championships and are designed to inspire a new generation of runners to the half marathon distance.

This is the first time the event has been awarded to Canada (the second time in North America.) - a reflection of the city's overwhelming success in hosting the 2001 IAAF World Championships in Athletics. Over 300 athletes from 60 countries are expected to race for their share of the $192,500 (US) prize purse. The event will be broadcast to an internatonal television audience with a reach of 500 million viewers.

To get more information on the Centennial 10K Open Road Race or the Centennial Schools Relay, call (780) 408-6375 or e-mail info@edmonton2005.ca. If you are interested in participating, you can register online at The Running Room (deadline for online registrations is September 29).

Ready to Run?

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