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Jelena Prokopcuka, Lidiya Grigoryeva to Run NYRR New York Mini 10K
New York, Boston winners join championship professional field
for June 9 race
New York, May 30, 2007—Two-time defending ING New York City Marathon
champion Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia and 2007 Boston Marathon winner Lidiya
Grigoryeva of Russia will join the world-class professional field for the
NYRR New York Mini 10K on Saturday, June 9, it was announced today by New
York Road Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
Prokopcuka, a two-time Olympian, was runner-up to Lornah Kiplagat of the
Netherlands in both 2005 and '06. Last year, Kiplagat edged Prokopcuka by
seven seconds to win in a time of 31 minutes, 27 seconds.
Grigoryeva will be making her first appearance in the world's original
women-only road race, which debuted in 1972. As previously announced, the
deeply talented field also includes 2004 World Cross Country champion
Benita Johnson of Australia and Commonwealth Games medalist Mara Yamauchi
of Great Britain. Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba of Kenya was
forced to withdraw due to illness.
"Jelena and Lidiya are unusual in that they are both strong marathon
runners with plenty of leg speed," Wittenberg said. "Because the hills of
Central Park favor stronger runners, this course is ideally suited for
them. Look for their marathon strength to help them take the sting out of
Lornah's speed."
Prokopcuka, 30, currently sits atop the women's leader board for the
inaugural World Marathon Majors title. Earlier this year, she finished
second to Grigoryeva at the 2007 Boston Marathon—her second consecutive
runner-up finish in the race. Prokopcuka owns Latvian national records over
eight distances, including for 10,000 meters on the track and on the road.
Grigoryeva, 33, overtook Prokopcuka in the 25th mile at Boston and held on,
despite severe wind and rain, to win her first World Marathon Majors race.
She has represented Russia in two Olympics and has run the ING New York
City Marathon three times, including a fifth-place finish in 2006.
"Jelena and Lidiya provide an interesting subtext to the overall race for
the title," Wittenberg said. "Jelena has a score to settle with Lidiya
after Boston, and now she has a chance to do it on her own turf in New
York."
Also in the field is a large group of Japanese professionals led by Yuri
Kano, Kiyoko Shimahara, and Mari Ozaki. Kano, 28, last competed in New York
at the first-ever NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE in 2006, where she
finished fourth. She recently took third in the 2007 Osaka Ladies Marathon.
Shimahara, 30, was fifth in the 2006 Boston Marathon and second in the 2006
Asian Games Marathon. Ozaki, 31, was the runner-up in the Osaka Ladies
Marathon in both 2005 and 2007.
New York Road Runners will offer a prize purse totaling $30,000, with
$10,000 going to the winner. A bonus of $5,000 will be awarded to the first
runner who finishes under the event record of 30:29, set by Asmae Leghzaoui
of Morocco in 2002.
Founded by NYRR in 1972, the Mini got its name when race founder Fred Lebow
convinced the first sponsor to run a more manageable six-mile "mini"
marathon—named for the miniskirt, which was then the height of
fashion—rather than a full marathon.
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