$25,000 on the Line for World Records Achieved at the Tyson Invitational
SPRINGDALE, Ark., -- Tyson Foods announced today that it is challenging top athletes to break a world record by offering $25,000 for accomplishing such a feat at the Tyson Invitational, one of the most successful indoor track and field meets in the country. The event is scheduled to take place at the Randal Tyson Track Center on February 10th in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
\"We hope to see a new world record set in our backyard,\" said Bob Corscadden, Tyson\'s senior vice president and chief marketing officer. \"We are offering a $25,000 prize pool to power these athletes in their goal of reaching new and exciting heights,\" added Corscadden.
As the world\'s largest provider of chicken, beef and pork, Tyson Foods is proud to sponsor an event where the athletes\' performance is supported by protein\'s long lasting energy. Nothing delivers the strength and endurance as effectively as protein.
This year, all eyes will be on the 300-meter race as top competitors Wallace Spearmon (USA), Kerron Clement (USA), LaShawn Merritt (USA) and Omar Brown (Jamaica) look to smash the world record of 32.19 set by Robson da Silva (Brazil) in 1989. With the best of the best competing on one of the fastest tracks in the world, experts say this could be the year for world-record breakers. The Randal Tyson Track Center is considered to be one of the finest indoor track and field facilities in the world. The track is a 200-meter banked oval with a 60-meter straightaway.
\"Now that Tyson has added this $25,000 incentive, I am more determined than ever to try and break the world record,\" said Wallace Spearmon, one of the favorites to win the 300-meter race. \"With such a strong field in this event the winner will have to show he has a combination of power and endurance. The winner of this race will no doubt also be the new world record holder.\"
With international track stars training for an opportunity to represent their countries at the 2006 World Indoor Championships in Moscow, Russia, experts say this year is sure to keep spectators on the edge of their seats.
The following is the event schedule for the Tyson Invitational, several of which have a high possibility of seeing a new world record set:
Running Events:
8:00 pm - Men\'s university 5000 meters
8:20 pm - Women\'s invitational 800 meters
8:30 pm - Men\'s invitational 60 meters semi-finals
8:40 pm - Men\'s invitational 400 meters
8:45 pm - Women\'s invitational 60 meters semi-finals
8:50 pm - Men\'s university 4 x 400 relay
9:00 pm - Women\'s invitational mile
9:10 pm - Men\'s invitational mile
9:20 pm - Women\'s university 4 x 400 relay
9:30 pm - Men\'s invitational 60 meters final
9:35 pm - Men\'s invitational 3000 meters
9:50 pm - Women\'s invitational 60 meters final
9:55 pm - Men\'s invitational 300 meters
Field Events:
8:05 pm - Women\'s invitational high jump
8:15 pm - Men\'s invitational pole vault
The Tyson Invitational will be televised on ESPN 2 on February 12, 2006 at 8:30 p.m. PST. For more information on the Tyson Invitational and Tyson Foods please visit http://www.tysoninvitational.org or http://www.tyson.com.
About Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN - News), founded in 1935 with headquarters in Springdale, Arkansas, is the world\'s largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, the second-largest food company in the Fortune 500 and a member of the S&P 500. The company produces a wide variety of protein- based and prepared food products, which are marketed under the \"Powered by Tyson(TM)\" strategy. Tyson is the recognized market leader in the retail and foodservice markets it serves, providing products and service to customers throughout the United States and more than 80 countries. The company has approximately 114,000 Team Members employed at more than 300 facilities and offices in the United States and around the world. Through its Core Values, Code of Conduct and Team Member Bill of Rights, Tyson strives to operate with integrity and trust and is committed to creating value for its shareholders, customers and Team Members. The company also strives to be faith-friendly, provide a safe work environment and serve as stewards of the animals, land and environment entrusted to it.
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