Minneapolis/St. Paul - July 2, 2009 - Team USA Minnesota's Josh Moen, Antonio Vega and Patrick Smyth will be among the competitors at the USA Men's 10k Championship which will be held in conjunction with the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta on July 4th.  Now in its 40th year, the Independence Day event is the largest 10k race in the United States with over 55,000 participants. 

This is the second time that Peachtree and the Atlanta Track Club have hosted the national 10k championship for men, having previously had the designation in 2007.

Vega ran Peachtree in 2008 and finished 11th.  He has a best in the distance of 29:00.  So far in 2009, he has placed seventh at the USA Half Marathon Championships and was selected for the U.S. team that competed in the NACAC Cross Country Championships based on his finish at the USA Cross Country Championships.

New Team USA Minnesota distance runner Smyth will be making his road debut at the USA Men's 10k Championship.  At the USA Outdoor Track Championships, he ran the 10,000m and finished seventh.  Prior to that, he placed fourth in the 10,000 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, completing his collegiate career with Notre Dame where he was a seven-time All American and school recordholder in the 10,000.  His best time in the distance on the track is 28:25.

The Peachtree Road Race has a total prize purse of over $110,000 including $30,000 in prize money for the USA Men's 10k Championship.  First place in the U.S. championship race is $10,000.

About Team USA Minnesota
Team USA Minnesota is based in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul.  Formed in 2001, the purpose of the training center is to improve post-collegiate American distance running and to develop Olympians.  The athletes are coached by Dennis Barker, head cross country and track coach at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.  Team USA Minnesota's major sponsor is Life Time Fitness (www.lifetimefitness.com) and its silver sponsor is the Twin Cities Marathon, Inc. (www.mtcmarathon.org).  It is also supported by the New York Road Runners and the USA Distance Project.  For more information visit the web site at www.teamusaminnesota.org.