FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Eleven Olympians To Face Off At The NYRR New York Mini 10K On June 12
Lornah Kiplagat looks to take home fifth victory at the 39th running of the
original women-only road race
Reigning ING New York City Marathon champion Derartu Tulu and current
10,000-meter world champion Linet Masai highlight strong field
New York, June 3, 2010 -A field that boasts 11 Olympians will contend for
victory at the NYRR New York Mini 10K on Saturday, June 12, it was
announced today by New York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
Top headliners are four-time Mini champion Lornah Kiplagat of the
Netherlands, two-time Olympic 10,000-meter gold medalist Derartu Tulu of
Ethiopia, who is making her first trip back to New York City since her
victory here at the ING New York City Marathon last November, and 2009
10,000-meter world champion Linet Masai of Kenya.
An extraordinary group of American and international stars, including
Magdalena Lewy Boulet of the United States, New Zealand's Kim Smith, and
Ethiopia's Werknesh Kidane, will add to the excitement at the 39th running
of the world's original women-only road race. Nine Olympians will compete
for top honors: Kiplagat, Tulu, Masai, Lewy Boulet, Smith, Kidane,
Australia's Benita Willis, New Zealand's Nina Rillstone, and South Africa's
René Kalmer. Two additional Olympians, Great Britain's Paula Radcliffe and
America's Kara Goucher, will be running, but not competing, as they are
both in their fifth month of pregnancy.
"This is an electrifying field full of accomplished veterans like Lornah,
Derartu, Benita, and Kim matched up against the hottest star on the rise in
Linet," said Wittenberg. "Additionally, it will be a treat to see Paula and
Kara out there participating along with thousands of other women."
Kiplagat, 36, is making a comeback from a knee injury that plagued most of
her 2009 season. Kiplagat's last major race was at the World's Best 10K in
San Juan, PR, on March 1, 2009. The Mini champion in 2003 and 2005-2007,
she is also the women's half-marathon world record holder and a two-time
Olympian (2004, 2008).
"I am really thrilled to come back to New York City after not racing there
for quite some time," said Kiplagat. "New York is home away from home and I
missed the city, the people, and the atmosphere a lot. During the time of
my injury I was only talking about when I could be ready for one of the New
York Road Runners events, and I can't wait to come back."
Tulu, 38, won the ING New York City Marathon last November in 2 hours, 28
minutes, and 52 seconds, becoming the race's first Ethiopian woman
champion. She has already had a successful 2010 season, finishing second at
the Nagoya International Women's Marathon.
Masai, 20, won the world title at 10,000 meters in Berlin after a furious
four-woman sprint finish. She holds the Kenyan national record for 10,000
meters (30:26.50). In both 2009 and 2010, she finished second at the World
Cross Country Championships.
Lewy Boulet, 36, of Oakland, CA, will be competing in her sixth New York
Mini, coming off a sixth-place finish in 2009. A native of Poland, Lewy
Boulet finished second in the 2008 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials. Lewy
Boulet recently became the fourth-fastest American marathoner of all time
with her 2:26:22 performance in Rotterdam.
Smith, 28, holds 11 New Zealand running records, including 10,000 meters
(30:35.54). She earned four NCAA titles while at Providence College, most
notably the 2005 NCAA Women's Cross Country Championship.
Another exciting entrant is Alana Hadley, 13, of Charlotte, NC, who will be
competing in her first race against world-class competitors. Hadley has
already raced at the collegiate level at the Wake Forest Open 5000 meters
in March, where she finished second in a personal best time of 17:09.38.
She has a 10K personal best of 38:08.
The top runners will be vying for a prize purse of $35,000-with the winner
taking home $10,000-including $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.
New York Road Runners
Headquartered in New York City, New York Road Runners is dedicated to
advancing the sport of running, enhancing health and fitness for all, and
meeting our community's needs. Our goal is to use the expertise acquired
in our 52-year history to empower all people to live fitter, healthier
lives through participation in our races, community events, instruction and
training resources, and youth programs. Our races and other events draw
more than 300,000 people each year. The ING New York City Marathon, NYRR's
premier event, is the largest and most inclusive marathon in the world,
attracting the world's top professional runners every year and raising
nearly $25 million for charity in 2009. NYRR's running-based youth
programs, which currently serve more than 100,000 children in hundreds of
schools and community centers, promote children's health and fitness,
character development, and personal achievement in underserved communities.
For more information, visit www.nyrr.org.
###
|
