INDIANAPOLIS – Athletes will compete for a record $451,500 in prize money at the 2002 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, USA Track & Field announced Thursday. The meet takes place June 21-23 at Stanford University’s Cobb Track and Angell Field in Palo Alto, California.

USATF will distribute money for each individual Olympic event as follows:

1st - $4,000 2nd – $3,000 3rd - $2,000 4th - $1,000 5th - $500

“All of us at USA Track & Field are proud to offer these funds to our elite athletes for their outstanding performances at the 2002 USA Outdoor Championships,” Masback said. “The increase in the prize money structure will provide an extra incentive to our athletes as they compete for a spot on the Team USA roster at the 2002 World Cup, September 21-22 in Madrid, Spain.”

The prize money purse of $451,500 betters the total of $375,000 in prize money for the 2001 USA Outdoor Championships, the first time ever that prize money was awarded at the Championships. The top five placers at this year’s Championships will receive prize money, an improvement over 2001, where the top four finishers were rewarded.

Prize money for the USA Outdoor Championships is made available through a change in the USATF Athlete Support program, which includes prize money on USATF’s Golden Spike Tour and grants from the United States Olympic Committee.

“We all take pride in working with our Athletes Advisory Committee to develop ways to reward our athletes,” said Michael Conley, USATF Director of Elite Athlete Programs.

For more information on USA Track & Field and the 2002 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships, visit the USATF Web site at www.usatf.org.