Your team is invited to the 18th annual USCAA National Marathon Championship in exciting Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The event will be held in conjunction with the sixth annual Myrtle Beach Marathon on Saturday, February 22, 2003. It will be only the second time the USCAA Marathon Championship has been held on the East Coast.

The USCAA National Marathon Championships has had 17 competitive and action-packed weekends across the nation in cities like Houston, Los Angeles, Portland, and Las Vegas. This will be our second and final year in Myrtle Beach and we?re expecting another great race! We will be onto another great location for the 2004 and 2005 events.

The Myrtle Beach Marathon, held on the fourth Saturday in February, features a fast course in a beautiful coastal town. In 2002 the marathon had over 1,300 finishers and many of them went home with new PRs. The 2003 race begins at 6:30am at Coastal Federal Baseball Field, runs down to the shore, along the coast, and then returns to finish at the ballpark.

Besides everything else there is to do in Myrtle Beach, marathon weekend includes a half marathon, a marathon relay, and a one mile fun run. The Holiday Inn Oceanfront (415 South Ocean Blvd.) is the site of the race expo and packet pickup (Thursday and Friday). Bus transportation for registered runners to the race start and from the race finish will be provided by the marathon. For more information on the Myrtle Beach Marathon please visit their web site at www.mbmarathon.com. While there, you may register on-line (don?t forget to check the USCAA box).

Marathon Relay

USCAA teams will again be able to compete in the 5-person marathon relay. Registration requirements are the same as those for the full marathon--2003 USCAA membership and registration in the Myrtle Beach Marathon (relay).

Relay teams consist of up to 5 runners. The first 4 runners each run 5 miles. The last runner runs a 10K. USCAA relay teams must register with the Myrtle Beach Marathon in the appropriate division (male, female, mixed) and well as registering with USCAA. That is, runners must be USCAA members to be scored as a USCAA marathon relay team. A company may have more than one marathon relay team. A company may compete in the USCAA marathon relay without fielding a team in the marathon championship.

Team eligibility rules for the USCAA relay teams are as follows: At most one runner may be an alumni; at most 2 runners may be contractors (reduced to 1 if an alumni is on the team); there are no limits on the number of employees and retirees (up to the five needed to complete the team).

All USCAA participants must be registered as individual runners in the Myrtle Beach Marathon. No substitutions will be allowed. Results will be generated from the official Myrtle Beach Marathon scoring, if you are not registered or timed by the Myrtle Beach Marathon, you will not be included in the USCAA results.

The USCAA strives to promote the health benefits of running as well as the team spirit and camaraderie that comes with friendly competition. We hope you enjoy this event and become more involved in the USCAA and its other local, regional, and national events in the future.

Thank you,
Chris Crawford

Runners' Comments

There is no team entry fee for the USCAA National Marathon Championship, but each runner must be a member of the USCAA for 2003 to be scored for their team. The annual membership fee is $12, a 2002 membership application form is attached to the accompanying e-mail message (it is OK to use this form for 2003). You may join, renew your membership on-line or mail in the 2003 membership forms and fees to USCAA at P.O. Box 208, West Simsbury, CT 06092, or they may be brought to the USCAA Marathon Expo booth or to the captains? meeting. They must be received by the team captains? meeting on February 22nd.

Any corporation is eligible to participate in the 2003 USCAA National Marathon Championship as long as each runner is associated with the company and each runner meets all of the USCAA individual eligibility requirements.

Each participating team must designate a team captain and provide appropriate contact information to the USCAA (Chris Crawford). In addition, a team representative is required to attend the mandatory Team Captains? meeting at 4:45pm on February 22nd at the House of Blues Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach (4640 Highway 17 South, 843-272-3000).

Note: The USCAA and Myrtle Beach Marathon will provide any support possible to help team captains identify all runners competing for a particular company. But correct spelling of names is CRITICAL! Please list runners exactly as they have listed themselves on their race entry forms (for example, the scoring computer will not match Bill with William, Beth does not match Elizabeth, etc.). Mis-listing of names in 2002 was a significant contributing factor in the delay in preparing the USCAA Marathon results. Please help me by checking with your runners on how they list themselves on the entry form!

This year the USCAA marathon planners have again arranged for all USCAA teams to stay in one hotel: The Four Points Sheraton Myrtle Beach Oceanfront. This wonderful resort, located on the beach, is less than five minutes from the airport and is offering the USCAA great double occupancy room rates of $50.50 (side view room) or $60.50 per night (ocean front room) plus 10% tax. Please note, these rates are only available through December 20th and require a one night?s deposit. After December 20th, the remaining un-booked USCAA rooms will be released to general reservations and the price may be increased. Cancellation notice is required 72 hours in advance of arrival to receive a refund. Additionally, guests who depart before the date stated when initially checking in will be responsible for an early checkout fee of $50. Check in time is 3pm and check out time is 11am. Airport shuttle service is available. The Four Points Sheraton is located at 2701 South Ocean Boulevard, 877-553-3965, www.sheratonresort.com.

USCAA Awards Ceremony

The House of Blues Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach (4640 Highway 17 South, 843-272-3000, www.hob.com) will be the location for the 2003 USCAA Marathon Championship Awards Ceremony. The awards ceremony will be from 5:00 to 6:00pm on Saturday, February 22. There is no cost for this event and complimentary food and soft drinks for all Myrtle Beach Marathon runners and volunteers will follow at the same location from 6:00 to 8:00pm. You will not want to miss it.

Scoring

Two divisions will be scored. Division I includes teams representing companies of 10,000 or more employees; Division II includes teams representing companies of less than 10,000 employees. Two Division II companies are not able to compete as a combined team as only 4 runners are required for a complete team.

The USCAA will use WAVA (World Association of Veteran Athletes) adjustment factors to score each runner?s performance against the standard for their individual age. WAVA standards are often used to age-grade scoring in masters? competition. Each runner?s score will be their WAVA performance level based on their official race time, age, and gender. Scores will be to 2 decimal places, truncating any remainder. Team scores are calculated by summing the four best individual scores.

In case of a tie, equivalent scores for two or more teams, the following tie-breaking procedure will be used:

1. The team with the highest scoring individual runner will be considered the winner of the tie. If still tied, consideration goes to the highest scoring 2nd runner, and so on.
2. If two or more teams have identical scores for all scoring runners, the tie remains.

Each company can have an unlimited number of runners competing (each runner must be included on the team roster). A team score will be determined upon completion of the marathon. Age of participants is determined as of race date.

Only runners who have completed the marathon, pursuant to USA Track & Field Rules 60, 65, 132-138 and any specific marathon rules, will be scored. Runners finishing after the official close of the marathon course will not be scored for the USCAA National Marathon Championship.

Protests concerning the USCAA National Marathon Championship need to be submitted to Chris Crawford or the designated protest committee no later than 60 minutes after the USCAA results are distributed at the Team Captain?s meeting. Additional information about the protest procedure will be discussed at the Team Captains? meeting. The captain?s meeting will be held at 4:45pm on February 22 at the House of Blues Restaurant in North Myrtle Beach (4640 Highway 17 South, 843-272-3000, www.hob.com).

Awards

Awards will be given to the top three teams in Division I and the top one or two teams in Division II (depending on the number of teams entered). Awards will be given to the four scoring team members. A traveling trophy will be awarded to the top USCAA marathon team regardless of division.

Corporate runners are also be eligible for individual prizes for participating in the marathon.