However, getting the money from Devine Sports, the company that owns the marathon, is proving to be a more grueling task than running the marathon itself. Don't count on succeeding, say agents of elite runners who are boycotting the April 21 event and others sponsored by Devine because they haven't been paid for last year's June 3 race.

Agent Tom Ratcliffe, who represents second-place finisher Philip Tarus, and agent Andrey Baranov, who represents women's winner Ilona Baranova, say their runners are still waiting on their 2006 prize money. Tarus is due $8,000 and Baranova should have received $12,000.

Devine did present the Huntsman Cancer Foundation, the event's chosen charity, with a check for $42,000 on March 21, according to officials at the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

On March 9, company CEO Chris Devine acknowledged there was a short list of runners who hadn't been paid but that the checks were going in the mail that day. It's a line Baranov said he has often heard, with no results.

"So many times I've heard 'You will get it in two weeks, then two weeks, and two weeks,'" Baranov said. "I don't believe them anymore. I don't know what happened to Devine racing. Maybe they extended themselves too much."

Both agents, who represent about 60 runners combined, also said Devine was late in paying cash prizes for the 2005 Las Vegas marathon and the 2006 Los Angeles marathon.

In addition, Baranov said he hasn't received the $500 in travel expenses promised to him to help pay for Baranova's flight from the Ukraine.

While the charity was taken care of, the racers who brought exposure to the event and thereby helped raise the money are trying to make do on limited incomes made even smaller by Devine's failure to pay.

"I give my runner money because she has children, a family," Baranov said. "They have to pay for schools, living. This is their profession. Imagine thinking you are going to get a salary, and then not getting it?"

Neither Ratcliffe nor Baranov will enter their runners in any Devine events, including Salt Lake, Las Vegas, Los Angeles or Chicago because of the struggles.

Scott Kerr, the Salt Lake marathon race director, said Saturday he and Chris Devine thought all the racers had been paid.

The agents are tired of such delays and excuses.

"Not only have we not been paid, we've been mistreated," Ratcliffe said. "If they had told us we were going to get a check late, by a certain date, we wouldn't have been happy but we would have dealt with it. We haven't heard from them. They misrepresent facts all along."

Chris Devine said in March his company had a "rough year" in Salt Lake, but said a surplus from the Las Vegas marathon would allow him to pay any outstanding bills.

The CEO also said his company was close to naming a major sponsor for this year, but that hasn't happened yet. Kerr said the organization was "very close" to announcing a major sponsor for 2008.

Officials at USA Track and Field are aware of the situation. Sources say the organization is concerned about late payments to participants, although USATF CEO Craig Masback refused to be interviewed for this story.

There is a possibility USATF could decline to sanction Devine events. Doing so would hurt the prestige of Devine events as well as promotion by the USATF and insurance coverage.

"Sanctioning makes it a legitimate event," Ratcliffe said. "With this going on, they may not want to be involved."

In March, Devine said his company was dropping its elite program which would save an estimated $200,000 for the Salt Lake race.

In addition, the prize money was decreased from $77,000 in 2006 to $35,000 for the upcoming event. Devine also had a similar cut for the Los Angeles event, offering $20,000 in total prize money for its 2007 event instead of $35,000 in 2006.