High Five Events introduces the second round of accepted elite runners for the 2018 Austin Marathon®. Runners not accepted into the Elite Athlete Program are still invited to run in the Elite Field. The Elite Athlete Program’s focus is to provide a clean and competitive environment, discover emerging talent, and help the existing talent pool reach Olympic standards. The Program’s Year Two prize purse totals $20K with $15K for the marathon and $5K for the half marathon.

Fuentes in the Bavarian Alps (2017).

The second round of 2018 marathoners include:

• David Fuentes – Elite Athlete Program (2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
• Jameson Mora – Elite Field (2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
• Daniel Bishop – Elite Field (2nd place 2017 Austin Marathon – 2:33:02)
• Pedro Manuel Lemus Reyes – Elite Field (2017 Houston Marathon – 2:37:31)
• Julia Vegas – Elite Field (2017 REVEL Mt. Charleston Marathon – 2:58:22)

The second round of 2018 half marathoners include:

• Amanda Scott – Elite Athlete Program (2012, 2016 Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier)
• Brooke Torres – Elite Field (2017 3M Half Marathon – 1:25:13 [currently undergoing treatment for melanoma cancer])
• Luis Chavez – Elite Field (10th place 2017 Fargo Half Marathon – 1:14:46)
• Ben Dickshinski – Elite Field (2016 USATF 20K Championships – 1:04:06)
• Daniel Gollins – Elite Field (2016 Aramco Houston Half Marathon – 1:15:08)
• Cate Barrett – Elite Field (female champion 2017 Orange Leaf Half Marathon – 1:25:18)
• Erik McMillan – Elite Field (2nd place 2016 St. Louis Half Marathon – 1:13:52)

“I am excited to toe the line for my first ever Austin Marathon next year and hopefully come away with the win,” said David Fuentes, 3-time Austin Half Marathon champion.

Applications are arriving daily and more than 100 have already been submitted. The third round of athletes will be announced next week. Applications are still being accepted and elite runners can apply on the Austin Marathon’s website. Athletes that meet the program’s standards and are accepted will be given one comp entry to the 2018 Austin Marathon or half marathon, reimbursement eligibility, and standards bonuses. Read about the first round of accepted elite runners.