FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ING New York City Marathon 2009 Champion Meb Keflezighi to Compete in NYC
Half-Marathon
Abdi Abdirahman, Anthony Famiglietti, and Josh Rohatinsky also entered as
part of strong U.S. men's line-up
New York, February 11, 2010—Reigning ING New York City Marathon champion
Meb Keflezighi of the United States will return to the scene of his finest
triumph to compete in the first spring running of the NYC Half-Marathon on
Sunday, March 21, it was announced today by New York Road Runners president
and CEO Mary Wittenberg. Keflezighi will be running in his first
competitive race since his win in New York last November.
Joining Keflezighi will be a trio of outstanding compatriots including
three-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, two-time Olympic steeplechaser Anthony
Famiglietti, and former NCAA cross country champion Josh Rohatinsky. All
men will join the previously announced long distance legend, marathon world
record-holder, and 2007 NYC Half-Marathon champion Haile Gebrselassie of
Ethiopia.
"Meb's victory in New York last November was one of the shining moments in
the storied history of our race and sport," Wittenberg said. "Meb and the
American athletes are stronger than ever. Each will be looking to take on
Haile and the others in what promises to be a spectacular run through the
city streets."
Keflezighi, 34, of San Diego, CA, made history in 2009, becoming the first
American male to win the ING New York City Marathon since Alberto Salazar's
victory in 1982. His winning time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 15 seconds was
a personal best. The win was the pinnacle of his already illustrious
career, which includes a silver medal at the 2004 Olympic marathon and a
second-place finish at the ING New York City Marathon 2004. A three-time
national 10,000-meter champion (2000, 2002, 2004), Keflezighi holds the
American record at that distance (27:13.98) and has won 20 USA titles
during his career.
"Coming back to race in New York after the victory in the ING New York City
Marathon will be very special for me and my supporters," said Keflezighi,
who will also be one of the leading contenders at the Boston Marathon in
April. "I was a part of the inaugural NYC Half-Marathon in 2006 and I am
delighted to be competing in the new spring edition."
The 2007 NYC Half-Marathon runner-up, Abdirahman, 33, of Tucson, AZ, will
return to New York after finishing ninth in the 2009 ING New York City
Marathon in November. A four-time USA champion at 10,000 meters, Abdirahman
will be making his fourth appearance in the NYC Half-Marathon after
finishing third in his half-marathon debut in 2006, second in 2007 to
Gebrselassie, and fourth in 2009.
New York native Famiglietti, 31, of Knoxville, TN, will be making his
half-marathon debut in New York. A two-time Olympic steeplechaser and 2009
USA 15K Championship winner, Famiglietti returns to New York after his
12th-place finish in the Healthy Kidney 10K in 2009.
Rohatinsky, 27, of Portland, OR, will be making his NYC Half-Marathon
debut. The 2006 NCAA cross country champion, Rohatinsky was ninth at the
2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and finished seventh overall in the ING
New York City Marathon 2008 in a personal best time of 2:14:23.
Previously announced, the NYC Half-Marathon will offer the largest
half-marathon prize purse in the United States: $100,000. The men's and
women's champions will each earn $20,000, the largest first-prize checks
for a non-marathon race in the country.
The NYC Half-Marathon continues to attract leading professional athletes
and recreational runners from around the world. In 2009, more than 19,000
people applied to run the race, and more than 10,000 finished.
On a course designed to celebrate New York City, the NYC Half-Marathon will
take runners on a loop through Central Park, down Seventh Avenue through
Times Square, across 42nd Street, and along the expansive West Side Highway
to Battery Park in the heart of the city's financial district, finishing
with a view of the Statue of Liberty.
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