July 11, 2006
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders hosted the third in what has become an annual "Distance Summit" of leading development teams, coaches and supporters of athlete development in the United States on Friday, June 23rd, 2006 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The Distance Development Summit was first initiated and hosted by Zap Fitness in the fall of 2004 at their training facility in Blowing Rock, North Carolina. In the fall of 2005, the Boston Athletic Association facilitated the hosting of a second edition of the Distance Summit in Boston, Massachusetts.

Arguably the majority of the most outspoken and successful true athlete development organizations in the United States were in attendance or represented: Big Sur Distance Project, Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, The Farm Team, Inc., Team USA Minnesota, Zap Fitness, and the Indiana Invaders.

Collectively these organizations as USATF clubs, led by some of the most dynamic development coaches in the country, have produced more than 80% of the emerging development talent competing at USA National Championships in recent seasons. While each organization has a unique event focus they have collectively had significant success from the 800 through to the marathon.

Keith Hanson (Hansons Brooks Developmental Program), Dennis Barker (Team USA Minnesota), Pete Rea (ZAP Fitness), Frank Gagliano (Nike Farm Team) and Greg Harger (Indiana Invaders) were joined by a handful of anonymous influential supporters and backers of their collective initiatives. Several initiatives were defined and will be addressed by the group members in the coming weeks and months with significant developments improving domestic opportunities for true USATF elite development clubs and organizations supporting the efforts of USATF elite development clubs.

Summit host and Indiana Invaders Team Director Greg Harger said, "We share the same values and commitments to developing athletic talent and together we represent an overwhelming percentage of distance development talent that is club based in the United States. We have all independently developed and achieved success in our own communities with private and unique initiatives that have a remarkable amount of common experience and value to one another as we have learned through sharing our lessons learned. By coming together as a united group and continuing to work together where ever possible we will continue to change and improve the dynamic of our sport for true development initiatives in this country." Harger added, "As a group we are focused on developing today's emerging talent and to becoming a driving force in accelerating tomorrow's future world-class talent. Gathering like this is very refreshing as we are able to remind ourselves that we are basically no more than 6-7 years old at this new game of distance development and we have only been working together for less than three years so our rate of return on investment will only continue to grow and improve as we go into the Olympic years of 2008 and 2012."

Further details from this Distance Summit will be released in the near future as they become formalized. Another session of these USA Distance Development Summits will be held in Indianapolis at the 2007 USA Outdoor National Championships.

The Indiana Invaders, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1998, presents an innovative approach to track & field by providing a resident-based, athlete-centered support system unique to the sport in the United States.