DAVENPORT, IA. - (July 15, 2004) - The 30th Quad-City Times Bix 7, set for Saturday morning, July 24, has announced their 2004 elite men's and women's fields.

On the men's side, John Korir will make his sixth start at Bix. With a win, he will be the first athlete, male or female, to earn five elite titles. His victory last year tied him with Joan Benoit Samuelson and Colleen De Reuck with four titles each. His main competition will include Linus Maiyo, who was second a year ago.

"Anytime John is in the race, he's the man everyone has to deal with," said elite athlete coordinator Dan Breidinger. "If history is to be made, he has all the credentials you would look for in a top distance runner."

"John has his choice of events to participate in," said Breidinger. "Yet, he continues to make Bix part of his annual trek. It says a lot about our race."

On the women's side, a trio of athletes return with their sights set on victory. Susan Chepkemei of Kenya, Luminita Talpos of Romania and Silvia Skvortsova of Russia formed the lead group last year.

But Catherine Ndereba came from just off their pace and beat all three of them with a strong finish en route to her third Bix title. Their drive and experience with the course make them one of the strongest groups of returning leaders in any year.

"You would have to go back quite a while to find a year where we have this many top returning finishers from the year before," said Breidinger. "Our course lends itself to athletes with prior knowledge of the conditions.

"I look at Chepkemei as the favorite because she is at the top of her game right now," added Breidinger. "But there are others that could make this a real barn burner on the women's side."

THE 2004 QUAD-CITY TIMES BIX 7 ELITE FIELD - As of July 15

Men:

Yevgen Bozhko (Yeahv-jen Bahz-coe) - Ukraine - 1st Bix
Jeff Campbell - United States/NC - 3rd Bix
Reuben Chebii (CHUH-bye) - Kenya- 1st Bix
Peter De La Cerda (Duh-Lah-Sir-Duh) - United States/CO - 3rd Bix
Chris England - United States/ID - 3rd Bix
John Itati (Ih-tot-eee) - Kenya - 2nd Bix
Nelson Kiplagat (Kip-lah-got) - Kenya - 1st Bix
David Korir (Core-reer) - Kenya - 1st Bix (No relation to John)
John Korir (Core-reer) - Kenya - 6th Bix
Linus Maiyo (My-yoh) - Kenya - 2nd Bix
Michael Mislay (Mizz-lay) - Tanzania - 1st Bix
Samuel Ndereba (Durr-Ay-Buh) - Kenya - 1st Bix (Brother of Catherine and Anastasia)
Julius Rotich (Row-teach) - Kenya - 2nd Bix
Ryan Shay - United States/MI - 1st Bix
Geoffrery Tanui (Tuh-knew-eee) - Kenya - 1st Bix
Matt Thull (Tull) - United States/WI - 2nd Bix

Women:

Gladys Asiba (Uh-see-buh) - Kenya - 4th Bix
Lyudmila Biktasheva (BICK-tah-shave-uh) - Russia - 1st Bix
Masako Chiba (Muh-SAH-Coe Chee-buh) - Japan - 1st Bix
Magdaline Chemjor (Mag-duh-lane Chemm-joar) - Kenya - 1st Bix
Susan Chepkemei (CHEP-kuh-may) - Kenya - 2nd Bix
Tatyana Chulakh (Tah-tee-ah-nuh Chew-lock) - Russia - 1st Bix
Lyubov Denisova (LAY-you-bawv Den-ih-so-vuh) - Russia - 1st Bix
Dorota Gruca (Duh-roe-tuh Grew-kuh) - Poland - 1st Bix
Jeanne Hennessy - United States/NJ - 2nd Bix
Rachel Kinsman - United States/OH - 1st Bix
Anastasia Ndereba (Durr-Ay-Buh) - Kenya - 2nd Bix
Tatyana Petrova (Tah-tee-ah-nuh Peh-troh-vuh) - Russia - 1st Bix
Lidia Simon (Lid-eee-ah SUH-mohn) - Romania - 1st Bix
Silvia Skvortsova (Skuh-VORT-sova) - Russia - 2nd Bix
Luminita Talpos (Lou-muh-knee-tuh Towl-pohss) - Romania - 2nd Bix
Constantina Tomescu-Dita - Romania
Teresa Wanjiku (Wahn-JEE-coo) - Kenya - 2nd Bix

For more Bix 7 information, go to: www.bix7.com