16 December, 2005

CONTACTS: (Please do not publish these numbers. THE NUMBER FOR PUBLICATION IS THE RACE HOTLINE AT 301-320-3350):

Frank McNally
Media Coordinator
703-801-2566 (cell); 703 572-4040 (d); 540-338-5648 (e)

Phil Stewart
Event Director
301-320-6865 (d); 301-802-2194 (cell)

2006 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run and 5K Run Walk Registration Is Closed; Credit Unions Seek to Raise $500,000 for Children’s Miracle Network

WASHINGTON – On-line entries for the 34th Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run closed on Tuesday, Dec. 13th at 11:30 a.m. The on-line process lasted just 25 hours. The limit for mail-in entries was reached on Friday, Dec. 16th . Even with the recent expansion of the field to 10,000 runners, the April 2, 2006 event, which starts and finishes in West Potomac Park in Washington, DC and is known as the “Runner’s Rite of Spring” by area runners, reached capacity in the shortest time ever. 

Juri Valdov, chairman of the Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc., announced that through the support of the sponsoring Credit Unions and the race participants, he hopes the event will raise $500,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network. This would bring the total amount of funds raised since Credit Union Miracle Day took over title sponsorship of the event in 2002 to over $1.5 million dollars to help sick children.

The event continues as the largest springtime participatory running event for runners of all abilities and the only established World Class elite competition in the Washington Metropolitan area. Isabella Ochichi and Catherine Ndereba, who placed 1st and 2nd in the 2004 event, went on to win silver medals in the 2004 Athens Olympics. The 2006 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile will offer $31,500 in prize money, its largest purse ever, with $6,000 going to the first place male and the first place female.

Both the men’s and women’s world records were set in the 1995 event and the women’s world record was set in 1998. The event has attracted Olympic Gold Medalists, World Champions and world-record holders. "This is a truly outstanding opportunity to run in the same event with, or to come out and watch, world-class athletes running on the streets of Washington, D.C.,” said Event Director Phil Stewart. The event also supports American distance running by underwriting two $5,000 grants for up-and-coming U.S. stars through the RRCA Roads Scholar program.

The event is part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the Professional Road Running Organization Circuit.

Complete details are available at www.cherryblossom.org. 

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Credit Union Miracle Day, Inc., a partnership of credit unions and affiliated organizations, is the title sponsor of the 2006 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run. Proceeds from the Run benefit the Children's Miracle Network (CMN), an international non-profit organization dedicated to helping children by raising funds and awareness for 170 children's hospitals throughout North America.

Credit unions are not-for-profit financial cooperatives, owned by the people who save and borrow there. Credit unions serve groups that share a common bond, such as where they work, live or worship. As an owner of the credit union, every member has an equal vote in the election of the volunteer board of directors. There are no stockholders at credit unions, and earnings are returned to members in the form of lower rates on loans and higher rates on savings, fewer or lower fees, or invested back into the credit union to provide more services members want and need.

Nearly 9,500 credit unions with assets exceeding $663 billion serve over 86 million Americans.