Nov 3, 2004 NATIONAL 24-HOUR RUN CHAMPIONSHIP AT SAN DIEGO THIS WEEKEND The American Ultrarunning Association (AUA) will stage its 2004 National 24-hour Run Championship at the San Diego 1-Day Race this weekend, on a brand new, flat, 1-mile certified road loop along the waterfront at Hospitality Point in the Mission Bay section of San Diego. Race Director John Metz has assembled a talented, deep field and is offering the richest prize purse in American ultrarunning ($5,000 total) for the event beginning Saturday, Nov. 6, at 10:00AM Pacific time and finishing exactly one day later. The men's favorite is 3-time National Champ John Geesler, 45, of St. Johnsville, New York, who was #2 scorer on the American Men's 4th placing team at the 24-Hour World Cup in the Czech Republic only two weeks ago. The World title race had been scheduled for April in The Netherlands but was canceled on short notice and re-located to the Eastern European venue in late October only after the American race schedule had already been set. The women's race features co-favorites Ann Heaslett, 41, of Madison, Wisconsin, and 42-year old Pam Reed of Tucson, Arizona. Heaslett won the 2002 National 24-hour on the road loop venue at Sylvania, Ohio, and Reed took the 2003 title on the track at San Diego. Reed, a long-range, multi-day specialist, then led the American women's 24-hour team at the 2003 World Cup in The Netherlands, while Heaslett, more of a "sprinter," was 3rd scorer on the American women's 100K team this past September, also in The Netherlands. For more information on the event, check www.sandiego1dayrace.com Also, coverage of the event and results can be found on the AUA website: www.americanultra.org