INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Defending champion, Dan Browne (Beaverton, Ore.) returns to New Haven, Connecticut for the USA 20 km Championships in hopes of winning his fourth U.S. 20 km title. The women's field will be headlined by former Olympian Elva Dryer (Gunnison, Colo.); the 2007 USA half marathon champion who will be in search of her first 20 km crown. The championships, hosted by the 31^st annual Stratton Faxon New Haven 20K, will be held Labor Day, Monday, September 1.

Browne will have his work cut out for him as he is joined on the line by this year's USA half marathon champion James Carney (Eugene, Ore.), as well as third-place finisher from the half marathon, Steve Sundell (Redwood City, Calif.). Also in the race for the title will be Andrew Carlson (Bloomington, Minn.), this year's USA 15 km champion and 8 km runner-up; Adam Goucher (Portland, Ore.), the 2005 USA 5 km champion will be making his first appearance at the 20 km championships along with Josh Rohatinsky (Beaverton, Ore.), the 2006 NCAA Division I Cross Country champion.

The women's field is headlined by Dryer, a 2004 Olympian at 10,000 meters, as well as Zoila Gomez (Albuquerque, N.M.) and Tera Moody (Boulder, Colo.) the respective fourth and fifth-place finishers from the women's Olympic Trials Marathon.

In addition to over $40,000 in prize money, athletes will be competing for a berth on the U.S. team that will compete at the IAAF World Road Running Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 12.

This marks the 16^th year that the New Alliance New Haven 20K has hosted the USA 20 km Championships for men and the seventh for women. It is the sixth stop for men and the fifth for women on the 2008 USA Running Circuit (USARC).

The USARC is a USA Track & Field road series that features USA Championships from 5 km to the marathon and attracts the best U.S. distance runners. The thirteenth edition for the men and twelfth for the women, the 2008 circuit has nine events for men and seven events for women.

The first ten U.S. runners earn points at each USARC race (15 for first, 12 for second, 10 for third, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1), with a final $12,500 grand prix purse ($6000, $4000, and $2500) for the top three men and women point scorers overall. The USARC points at the USA Marathon Championships will be doubled.

The mission of the USA Running Circuit is to showcase, support, and promote U.S. runners. Since its inception in 1995, the USARC and its races have provided over $4 million dollars to U.S. distance runners.

For more information on the 2008 USARC and USA 20 km Championships visit www.usatf.org.