Media Contact: Dan Cruz, Competitor Group

CARLSBAD, Calif. – March 5, 2015 – Olympic medalists, multi-national record holders and American racing legends Deena Kastor and Bernard Lagat will headline the 30th anniversary of the world famous Carlsbad 5000 the weekend of March 27-29.

Recognized as the ‘World’s Fastest 5k’ with a storied history of 16 world records, 8 U.S. records, along with numerous national and age-group marks have been set on the event’s scenic oceanfront course. Kastor set the women's American 5K road record of 14:54 at Carlsbad in 2002 and is returning for the first time since that performance, this time as a 42-year-old chasing a masters world record.

“I can’t wait to return to Southern California this year for the Carlsbad 5000. It was my first professional race many years ago and the place where I broke the world and American records at this distance,” said Kastor. “If anyone feels like they are undergoing an endless winter, they should head to the Carlsbad 5000 this month. The weather is always perfect at this running party by the sea.”

A 25-time U.S. champion, Kastor also holds American records for 8K, 12K, 10 miles, 20K, half-marathon, 30K and marathon. Among her career accolades, she was the 2004 Olympic bronze medalist in the marathon, the U.S. 10K and 15K champion four times each, won the 2005 Chicago and 2006 London Marathons, and is a two-time world cross country silver medalist.
“I always have high aspirations going into a race and this year I am looking to run fast! I’ve lowered my mileage considerably and have been working on my speed so I may be prepared to run about 15:30,” she added. “My daughter Piper is racing Junior Carlsbad the same weekend, so it will be a fun weekend for my entire family.”

In its 30 years of existence, the Carlsbad 5000 is home to 45 of the top 50 men’s 5,000-meter marks on the roads. Of the 30 fastest 5K times ever run on the road by women, 17 were delivered at Carlsbad.

Lagat made his Carlsbad debut last year, placing second to 4-time defending champion Dejen Gebremeskel of Ethiopia. He returns to Carlsbad as a 40-year-old and has set Masters world records at one mile, 3000m and two miles on the track this year.

“I’m delighted to be returning to Carlsbad 5000 this year. I'm sure the challenge will be a stiff as ever and I'm ready to go,” said Lagat. “I enjoyed the race last year and was determined to come back and set the record straight in 2015! I'm enjoying my season so far indoors and am looking forward to transitioning onto the roads.”

Lagat, a 10-time medalist in the Olympics and IAAF World Championships, including five golds, is also the American record-holder at 1500 meters and the mile and 2000 meters indoors, and the 1500 meters, 3000 meters and 5000 meters outdoors. In 2007, he became the first American male to win gold in the 1500m at the World Outdoor Championships and the first American to win an Olympic or World Championship title in the 1,500 since 1908. He also was the first American man to capture the 1,500m/5,000m double at the World Outdoor Championships and the first American to win a 5,000 medal of any kind at Worlds.

His return to Carlsbad will be marked on a new course. For the first time in the event’s history, the elite races will start and end at the long-time finish line on Carlsbad Village Drive. But instead of one loop down Carlsbad Boulevard, the runners will make two loops along the shortened straightaway, before heading back home.

“I cannot think of two better athletes to be our first announcements for the 30th annual Carlsbad 5000,” said Tracy Sundlun, Executive Race Director. “On and off the roads they represent everything the Carlsbad 5000 was created for, showcasing the world’s greatest athletes at what is now the world’s most popular distance, and to inspire America’s youth to get off the couch and be all that they can be.”

The Carlsbad 5000 is synonymous with great competition and a rousing good time for participants and spectators alike. The festivities encompass the entire weekend, beginning with the Junior Carlsbad on Saturday of the same weekend. There, kids 12 and under are the stars as they partake in 10 separate races designed for specific age and fitness levels. Every child receives a medal, T-shirt, and goodie bag in the event that is an annual highlight on family calendars.

On Sunday, the streets come alive as thousands of runners compete in the Carlsbad 5000. Runners and walkers alike find their niche in the nine separate People’s races, divided into age and gender categories. Race day begins at 7:05 a.m. with the Masters men's 40 and over race, the first of seven races that will take place throughout the morning.

The ‘Party by the Sea’ gets started as soon as the first runners cross the finish line. After enjoying the scenic 3.1-mile course, runners aged 21 and over can step into the beer garden, sip two free beers from Pizza Port and enjoy a live band. For more information or to register for the event, please visitCarlsbad5000.com.

About the Carlsbad 5000
A signature event of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Series, the Carlsbad 5000 will celebrate 30 years the weekend of March 27 – 29, 2015. The race is internationally known as the “World’s Fastest 5K” because 16 world records, 8 U.S. records, along with numerous national and age-group records have been set on the scenic oceanfront course. The event annually attracts amateur, competitive and professional runners from around the world and is home to the current world 5K road records: 13:00, Sammy Kipketer (KEN), 2000 & 2001, and 14:46, Meseret Defar (ETH), 2006. It is the only race from a commonly run distance in the world that is home to the world records and its home country records for both genders.