June 21, 2007
(INDIANAPOLIS) The Indiana Invaders are hosting the fourth in what has become an annual "Distance Summit" of leading development teams, coaches and supporters of athlete development in the United States during the USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

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 and the Indiana Invaders hosted the third edition at the 2006 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships held in Indianapolis.

Arguably the majority of the most outspoken and successful athlete development organizations in the United States will be in attendance or represented: Hansons-Brooks Distance Project, Oregon Track Club Elite, Team USA Minnesota, Zap Fitness, and the Indiana Invaders among others will convene for the fourth generation Distance Development Summit.

On tap for the Distance Development Summit IV will be finalization of specific plans for the 2008 American Milers Club High Performance Series and an in-depth discussion of an expanded 2008 High Performance Series expected to produce some of the fastest and deepest fields in 2008 from the 800 to the 10,000.

Collectively these organizations as USATF clubs, led by some of the most dynamic development coaches in the country, have produced an overwhelming majority of the club-based elite 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 (Oregon Track Club Elite) and Greg Harger (Indiana Invaders) will be joined by a handful of other supporters and backers of their collective initiatives.

Summit host and Indiana Invaders Team Director Greg Harger said, "We share the same values and commitments to developing athletic talent and we have all independently developed and achieved success in our own communities with unique initiatives that have a remarkable amount of common experience and value to one another as we have learned through sharing our proverbial lessons learned. By coming together as a group and working together where ever possible, we will continue to change and improve the dynamic of our sport for true development initiatives in this country."

Further details from this Distance Summit will be released in the near future as they become formalized. The next session of these Distance Development Summits will be held in Eugene, Oregon at the 2008 USA Olympic Trials.

Since 1999 the Invaders have had one IAAF World Indoor Champion, one IAAF World Indoor Bronze Medalist, eight USA National Champions, one USA Olympic Team Member, nine USA National Team Members and 132 USA National Championship Qualifiers.

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.