AnyRunner Prize Money Times Are Announced

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The Syracuse Festival of Races (SFoR) has announced the twenty-four 5K finishing times that runners from throughout the U.S. will be aiming for at the world’s first performance-based prize money race for middle-of-the-pack and back-of-the-pack runners. The new AnyRunner Prize Money™ will debut in conjunction with the Men’s 5K and Women’s 5K at the 19th SFoR on Sunday, October 2.

“As the name implies, AnyRunner Prize Money™ is intended to give runners finishing throughout a broad range of times the opportunity to enjoy the experience of racing for-and winning-prize money,” says Dave Oja, founder and race director of the SFoR. “Nearly every runner in our 5K fields will be capable of running one of the twenty-four AnyRunner Prize Money™ times, and we expect that scores of them will hit those times.”

The key to winning a share of the $2400 prize purse, however, is to be the first to finish in one of the twenty-four AnyRunner Prize Money™ times. In the Men’s 5K, the twelve AnyRunner Prize Money™ times for 2011 are: 15:19, 17:19, 19:19, 21:19, 23:19, 25:19, 27:19, 29:19, 31:19, 33:19, 35:19 and 37:19. In the Women’s 5K, the twelve AnyRunner Prize Money™ times for 2011 are: 17:19, 19:19, 21:19, 23:19, 25:19, 27:19, 29:19, 31:19, 33:19, 35:19, 37:19 and 39:19.

With entries already received from thirteen states, and a limit of 800 in each of the two 5K races, Oja expects the Festival’s 5K race fields to fill completely. “How cool is it for runners who’ve never even won an age group award to have a chance to win $100?” he asks.

In addition to the Men’s 5K and Women’s 5K, SFoR events include the MVP Health Care 3K Fun & Fitness Run, the Tops Friendly Markets Community Walk and the Fitness Forum / Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists Joint Replacement Run & Walk. Participants in the various SFoR events range from area pre-school children and their families to world class age-group athletes as old as 93 competing in the 2011 USA Masters 5K Championship.