FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Olympic Medalists Deena Kastor and Catherine Ndereba Headline
2009 NYRR New York Mini 10K
Americans Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Amy Rudolph, and Sara Slattery and Japan's
Yuri Kano to also compete in the original women-only road race
New York, May 27, 2009—Olympic medalists Deena Kastor and Catherine Ndereba
will return to the hills of Central Park in search of a victory at the NYRR
New York Mini 10K on Sunday, June 7, it was announced today by New York
Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
An experienced field of American and international stars headline the 38th
running of the world's original women-only road race, which also features a
solid supporting cast in Americans Magdalena Lewy Boulet, Amy Rudolph, and
Sara Slattery and Japan's Yuri Kano. Five Olympians are in the field:
Kastor, Ndereba, Lewy Boulet, Rudolph, and South Africa's René Kalmer.
"For more than three decades the Mini has been the world's premier
all-women race, and this year's competitive line-up continues this grand
tradition," Wittenberg said. "With Deena being the only former champion in
the field, a victory in this year's race could be an exclamation point on
somebody's career."
Kastor, 36, of Mammoth Lakes, CA, is the race favorite, having already
gotten off to a hot start in 2009 with victories in the Bank of America
Shamrock Shuffle in March and the BUPA Great Edinburgh Run in May. A
three-time Olympian, Kastor was forced to drop out of the 2008 Olympic
marathon at 5K with a broken foot. She took time off in the fall to heal,
and now will be seeking her second NYRR New York Mini 10K title; she first
won the race in 2004.
"I am so excited to be returning to New York for what is one of my favorite
road races of the season," Kastor said. "The Mini always attracts a great
field of elite athletes as well as an empowered field of women ready to
take on this challenging Central Park course. As usual, New York Road
Runners has put together an impressive field so I'll have my work cut out
for me."
Ndereba, 36, who represents Kenya and lives in Nairobi, is a two-time
Olympic marathon silver medalist and a two-time World Champion in the
marathon. One of the most celebrated female international road racers of
all time, Ndereba returns to the hills of Central Park with an advantage as
the two-time champion in the NYC Half-Marathon. Earlier this year, she
finished seventh in the Flora London Marathon.
Lewy Boulet, 35, of Oakland, CA, will be competing in her fifth New York
Mini, having narrowly missed the podium in 2008 with a fourth-place finish.
The 2008 Olympian in the marathon returns to New York just over a month
after her victory in the More Magazine | Fitness Magazine Half-Marathon in
April. In January, Lewy Boulet won the USA Half-Marathon Championships, her
first national title. A native of Poland, Lewy Boulet balances her
professional running career while serving as a full-time assistant coach at
the University of California at Berkeley and raising her 4-year-old son,
Owen, with husband Richie Boulet, a former world-class miler.
Rudolph, 35, of Providence, RI, is a two-time Olympian in the 5000 meters.
Slattery, 27, of Phoenix, AZ, was the 2007 Pan American Games gold medalist
in the 10,000 meters. Kano, 30, of Tokyo, is one of Japan's top marathoners
and road racers. Kalmer, 28, of Johannesburg, represented South Africa in
the 1500 meters at the 2008 Olympic Games. Also entered is Kelly Jaske, 32,
of Portland, OR, a Harvard-educated lawyer who just started running
competitively; she was the runner-up to Lewy Boulet in the half-marathon
championships.
Four-time champion Lornah Kiplagat of the Netherlands was expected to vie
for her record-tying fifth Mini title, but a previous injury to her right
knee flared up after competing in the World's Best 10K in Puerto Rico in
March.
The top female runners will be vying for a prize purse of $35,000—with the
winner taking home $10,000—in addition to $10,000 in money earmarked for
Americans. Founded by NYRR in 1972, the Mini got its name when race founder
Fred Lebow convinced the first sponsor to support a six-mile "mini"
marathon—named for the miniskirt, which was then in fashion—rather than a
full marathon. The first race featured 78 participants; the Mini has been
on the NYRR calendar ever since.
Fast Fact: The Olympians
| |
Deena Kastor |
Magdalena Lewy Boulet |
Catherine Ndereba |
Amy Rudolph |
René Kalmer |
| Age |
36 |
35 |
36 |
35 |
28 |
| Hometown |
Mammoth Lakes, CA |
Oakland, CA |
Nairobi, Kenya |
Providence, RI |
Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Personal Bests |
10K: 31:44
(New York, 2004)
10,000m: 30:50.32
(Palo Alto, 2002)
|
10K: 33:13
(New York, 2003)
10,000m: 32:33.02
(Palo Alto, 2008)
|
10K: 31:02
(Budapest, 2001)
10,000m: 32:17.58
(Mito, 2000)
|
10K: 32:04
(Boston, 2002)
10,000m: 31:18.96
(Palo Alto, 2005)
|
10K: 32:28
(Stellenbosch,
2007)
|
| Olympic Teams |
2008, 2004, 2000 |
2008 |
2008, 2004 |
2000, 1996 |
2008 |
New York Road Runners
New York Road Runners, founded in 1958, is dedicated to promoting the sport
of distance running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and responding
to community needs. Our road races and other fitness programs draw upwards
of 300,000 runners annually, and together with our magazine and website
support and promote professional and recreational running. A staff of more
than 100, assisted by thousands of volunteers, stages the ING New York City
Marathon, as well as a road race nearly every weekend plus many track and
cross country events. NYRR’s home base in New York, and its lifelong
identification with Central Park, have given many of its events iconic
status, attracting the world’s top professional runners. Our youth programs
provide running to some 75,000 schoolchildren in New York City, around the
country, and in South Africa who would otherwise have few or no fitness
opportunities. For more information, visit www.nyrr.org.
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