A prize purse totaling $69,500 will be awarded to the top male and female competitors in the 27th annual Grandma's Marathon on Saturday, June 21. The funding is made possible through the support of Grandma's Marathon presenting sponsors Wells Fargo and Target.
"It is extremely crucial to the success of our event to have presenting sponsors who understand the benefit of offering a significant amount of prize money. With the funds provided by Target and Wells Fargo, Grandma's Marathon is able to recruit elite athletes and reward the top finishers for their accomplishments," said Scott Keenan, executive director of Grandma's Marathon.
Wells Fargo presents a total of $34,750 to the top 10 finishers in the men's open division and the top three men in the masters and wheelchair divisions. Target present the same amount of cash prizes to the top female finishers.
In addition to prize money, Grandma's Marathon is also a qualifying race for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Women must run a 2:48 or faster to compete on April 4, 2004, in St. Louis, Mo., and men must run a 2:22 or faster to take park in their trials on Feb. 7, 2004, in Birmingham, Ala.
The 2003 Grandma's marathon will feature a strong field of elite athletes. To date, there are 79 men and 78 women registered to compete in the 26.2-mile race.
