Green Bay, WI – The 2010 Cellcom Green Bay Marathon will feature 79 elite athletes competing for $20,000 in prize money, including the 2009 winner and course record holder Janet Cherobon.

The women’s field includes Julie Spencer, who won the marathon in 2004 and  Green Bay Preble graduate Jessica Umentum-Jacobs. The men’s marathon will feature Chad Ware, last year’s runner-up, and Randy Bill the 2009 fifth place finisher.

‘There are many competitors who have personal records below our course record time,” said Jean Vogel, the Elite Athlete Coordinator for the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon. “Combined with our fast course and good running conditions, it should make for an interesting finish for all the events.”

In addition, last year’s top two in the men’s half marathon will compete - John Njorge and Tyler Sigl. Jason Ryf, the 2000 and 2001 winner, is also returning.

To qualify as elite runners, men younger than 40 must have completed a marathon in 2:40 or less within the past two years, and women younger than 40 must have completed a marathon in 3 hours or less within the past two years.

Half-marathon qualifying times are 1:13 for men younger than 40 and 1:26 for women younger than 40. Men and women 40 and older (masters) must have completed a marathon in 2:50 and 3:10, respectively, to qualify as elite athletes.

The winners of the men’s and women’s marathon each receive $2,500 of the $20,000 prize money. Prizes are awarded to the top 10 finishers in both the men’s and women’s marathon, the top five runners in the men’s and women’s half marathon and the top three finishers in the men’s and women’s marathon masters divisions.