Mike Donnelly, Dan Browne, and Jeff Schiebler set to compete
CHICAGO (August 25, 2003)--The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon has built a reputation for building a deep field that creates healthy competition amongst the elite athletes. The Chicago Marathon has also traditionally attracted some of the world's best athletes in addition to providing up-and-coming runners an opportunity to compete with some of the best runners from across the globe.

This year's Marathon will see the world's fastest runner, Khalid Khannouchi, leading the men's field alongside Abdelkhader El Mouaziz, and Rod Dehaven. Joining the men's field for the 2003 race are Mike Donnelly, Dan Browne, and Jeff Schiebler.

"These talented athletes add some great depth and competition to the men's field," said Executive Race Director Carey Pinkowski. "I look for strong performances from all three of these athletes. The fast course in Chicago will give these athletes a real opportunity to make a name for themselves in the sport, especially as they run alongside some of the greatest runners in the world."

Many of the athletes competing in this year's race will look to Chicago for the Olympic "A" or "B" standard qualifying time for the upcoming Olympic Trials. Others already have secured the qualifying time and will compete in Chicago to stay competitive leading up to the trials. Browne and Schiebler have Olympic aspirations while Donnelly competes in his first marathon.

Browne, 28, from Portland, Oregon, set his personal best in the Twin Cities Marathon with a time of 2:11:35, which coined him the 2002 USA marathon champion and gave him the Olympic "A" standard qualifying time to compete in the trials for the 2004 Olympics. Browne is the 1998 USA Indoor 3,000m champion, the 2002 USA Running Circuit champion, the 1998 USA 10,000m champion, and was a 1999 World Outdoor Championships team member.

"If you feel up to the challenge of running against the fastest runners on the fastest course in the world, then Chicago is the right place to compete," said Browne. "I hope that this year's Chicago race will put me on the map as far as being able to compete with top international-caliber marathoners."

Browne didn't start focusing on running until his junior year of high school. He was injured off-and-on in his first two years of college and mainly ran the 1,500m then, so when he started competing at 5,000m with great success his junior year he opened some eyes. He graduated with a double major in English from West Point and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese and was a participant in the Army's World Class Athlete Program

Schiebler, 30, a two-time Canadian Olympian, is making his Chicago Marathon debut this year. Schiebler is the triple Canadian record holder in the 3,000m, 5,000m and the 10,000m and set the Canadian record of 27:36.01 in the 10,000m at the 2001 Cardinal Invitational in Stanford, Calif. He set the Canadian Junior record in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 8:40.98 at the 1992 Canadian Championships and was the number-one world-ranked junior in the steeplechase in 1992.

He went on to compete in two Olympic games (1996, 2000), five World Outdoor Championships (3 Senior in 1995, 1997 and 2001 where for the first time he reached the final; two Junior in 1990, 1992), eight World Cross Country Championships (1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998,1999) and two Commonwealth Games (1994,1998).

Donnelly, 26, is also making his Chicago Marathon debut this year and is quickly becoming one of the top ranked U.S. distance runners. Donnelly won the Terrier Classic 5,000m last January, placed tenth in the U.S. Winter Nationals Cross-Crounty Championships in the 12K and fourth in the Gate River Run 15. He competed in last summer's U.S. Olympic Trials in the 10,000m but ended up dropping out.

"I am really excited to make my marathon debut in The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon," stated Donnelly. "The Chicago Marathon has established itself as one of the best marathons in the world with elite fields, a super fast course, and enthusiastic spectators, which all challenge the athletes to run as fast as they can. I look forward to experiencing this and being part of the race this year."

"I am excited that these three made the choice to run Chicago," added Pinkowski. "All three will make their Chicago debuts this year. I'm confident that with the flat course, the high energy from the hundreds-of-thousands that line the streets, and running with the best runners in the sport, they will all compete at the highest level."

Elite athletes will compete this fall for the highest marathon purse ever, $550,000. The male and female winners each will earn $100,000, the largest first place payout in the sport. The 2003 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon begins Sunday, October 12 at 8 a.m., starting and finishing in Chicago's Grant Park. CBS 2 CHICAGO is the official broadcast partner of The LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon and will cover the race live from 6 to 11:30 a.m. race day.

For more information, check out www.chicagomarathon.com