Press Release - New York City Marathon - 10/21/08

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

          Women's World Marathon Majors Series Champions' 
           Race Will Come Down to Last Race of the Season

  Wami, Ndereba and Mikitenko still in the running for the $500,000 
          champion's purse; Martin Lel clinches men's crown

For the second consecutive year, the World Marathon Majors Series women's 
champions race will come down to the final race of the season at the ING 
New York City Marathon on Sunday November 2, with three women still in 
contention for the $500,000 champion's purse. 

Reigning WMM Series champion Gete Wami of Ethiopia (65 points), Irina 
Mikitenko of Germany (65 pts) and Catherine Ndereba of Kenya (41 points) 
are all in the hunt for the women's title. Both Wami and Ndereba will be 
fighting it out on the New York streets while Mikitenko, who won the 
real-Berlin Marathon last month, will be watching – literally – from the 
sidelines and hoping that things work out her way. 

Martin Lel of Kenya (76 points) clinched the men's crown and $500,000 prize 
with victories at the 2007 and 2008 Flora London Marathon and last year's 
ING New York City Marathon. Only last year's WMM Series champion, Lel's 
compatriot Robert K Cheruiyot (55 points) had a chance of overtaking Lel 
but a nagging leg injury forced him to sit out the fall season. 

Lel and the women's champion will be honored at a special luncheon in New 
York City on Monday, November 3, the day after the ING New York City 
Marathon.

The 2007-2008 women's WMM Series champion will be won by Wami, Ndereba or 
Mikitenko.

Wami holds her own destiny in her hands and can wrap up the 
championship for the second consecutive year, regardless of what Ndereba 
does, by finishing first or second in New York. Wami has already scored in 
the maximum four events so only by finishing first or second can she add to 
her point total. Wami finished second at New York last year in a tight duel 
with Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain, who is returning to defend her 
title.
 
 
Ndereba can only win the Series crown by placing first in the ING New 
York City Marathon, and then hoping that Wami does not finish in second 
place. If that happens, Ndereba would have 66 points and would beat Wami by 
a single point. A victory by Ndereba in NYC would be her first ING New York 
City Marathon title.
 
 
Mikitenko can only win if Wami does not finish in first or second place 
in the ING New York City Marathon and Ndereba also does not win the race. 
That would leave a tie between Mikitenko and Wami each with 65 points. The 
first tiebreaker is head to head and that is knotted at 1-1. Wami beat 
Mikitenko in Berlin 2007 and Mikitenko beat Wami in London 2008. The next 
and ultimate tiebreaker is a vote by the WMM race directors, which – if 
necessary – would be conducted immediately after the conclusion of the New 
York race.
 

Complete WMM Series leaderboards can be found at worldmarathonmajors.com

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